In an interview with the American Family Association last August, Ted Cruz said “nothing is more important in the next 18 months than that the body of Christ rise up and that Christians stand up...that having people of faith stand up and just vote our values, vote biblical values, [is] how we turn the country around.”
In a dangerous plea to evangelicals, Cruz outlined how he would enforce these biblical values should he be elected this November.
Rescinding all of what Cruz labels as Obama’s unconstitutional executive actions, launching an investigation by the Justice Department into Planned Parenthood’s illegal activities and forcing every government agency to end the “persecution of religious liberty” were just a few of his promises.
As a Christian, I have no idea what Cruz is talking about.
My God isn’t concerned with any of those issues. He paid little attention to the Roman government when he walked the Earth 2,000 years ago and they went so far as to crucify him.
Yet, when he walked again after three days in the tomb, he told his disciples not to vote biblical values, but to go and make disciples of all nations.
Voting for Ted Cruz is not the way to follow Christ’s command.
Turning the United States into a Christian theocracy would not only be ineffective, but also anti-Christian.
When asked if it was right to pay taxes to the government, Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Notice, he did not say, “Better make sure they’re using that money only for the causes you believe in first.”
In that time, Roman soldiers were authorized to force Jewish citizens to carry a soldier’s gear for one mile.
Jesus said carry it two.
He didn’t tell them to protest and vote biblical values, though this absurd law was clearly immoral.
Jesus had no intention of taking over the government with his values, and he specifically instructed his disciples to be better and bigger than that.
To a Christian, are matters of the Lord not more important than the matters of man?
I assure you, Obama’s executive actions, Planned Parenthood or some bizarre interpretation of the First Amendment are not matters of the Lord.
Voting for an evangelical Christian is unbiblical as enforcing an interpretation of the law of God onto a nation of people who don’t believe in it robs them of the free will God gave them.
“I couldn’t possibly vote for someone who supports (insert non-traditional, secular value here)” goes against what Christ taught.
It also shouldn’t let Christians rest with a clear conscience if they vote for someone whose agenda includes enacting these so-called moral laws that would prevent people from freely choosing to follow God.
The God of Christianity is a personal one. A quick glance through the Bible proves that he doesn’t want us making disciples through man’s laws.
As a single human being, I believe I need God, but a diverse nation such as ours does not.
thshowal@indiana.edu
@TherinShowalter
