The Sacred Right To Not Vote

This was published in the Sept. 30th edition of etcetera, the weekly newspaper of Regent College.

The art of saying ‘No’ sets us free to follow Jesus.
– Eugene Peterson

How can we distinguish between true and false modes of Christian political action? Is voting compatible with a faithful Christian witness? These questions have been on my mind of late and will likely remain on my mind for the next few months. I assume that most readers are fairly comfortable with their “sacred right to vote.” Further, I assume that my own decision not to vote will immediately cause many of you to disregard anything I have to say – especially about voting. But I must do my part, as we all must, of bearing witness to what I have come to believe is the truth of the matter.

Romans 13 clearly demands subordination to the government. True, but what kind of government did Paul have in mind? Does this count for the writers of the Declaration of Independence, or just for us? What about the underground church in China or Nazi Germany? Is the fact that I am being submissive to the former rebellious colonies of the British Empire problematic, or can I just ignore it because, well, that was a long time ago? I raise this issue to show that submission to governing authorities is far from simplistic. Any argument made on the grounds that I am to be a “good citizen” by voting will not work. Our relationship to the governing authorities must be predicated on a more sturdy foundation, and it is that foundation which I will turn to now.

Paul says that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” This is the foundation on which I want to build my case for non-voting. You may think, “Yes, but this is exactly why we should vote! We are free and should not waste our freedom!” Perhaps. But how free are we when we participate in American democracy?

Jacques Ellul, French sociologist and lay theologian, comments on democracy’s necessity of propaganda: “The moment a democratic regime establishes itself, propaganda establishes itself alongside it under various forms. This is inevitable, as democracy depends on public opinion and competition between political parties. In order to come to power, parties make propaganda to gain voters.” Last election, there was $1 billion spent to persuade people to vote either Republican or Democrat. I would like to believe that this money was donated in goodwill to be used freely at the discretion of the political party in the service of the supreme good of humanity. But I suspect that money had certain promises tied to it, which means that it is not freely used and we are hardly the recipients of that advertising as “free” men and women. The only way we can be free of it is if we choose to ignore it, or better yet, choose to test it rigorously against what we know to be true of the reality of the world.

Jesus tells us about this reality. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus taught his disciples about how to become great: by becoming a slave. The paradox that seems to make the disciples “indignant” is that power comes through weakness and transformation is affected by serving. Unfortunately, political advertising—indeed the whole game of American politics—would have us believe that the President of the United States is the most important person in the world because he or she can bring about “change.” The best you and I can do to affect this change is vote.
So, is voting compatible with a faithful Christian witness? In the current political climate in North America, a climate in which powerful political parties try to convince the masses that it is only through allegiance to them that the future hope of the world is secured, I must say that it is not. The freedom granted to us as Christians is more than just the ability to participate in someone else’s game: as the Church, we participate in the reality of the world by gathering together around the risen Christ. That is reality, no matter what any prime-time political advertisement says.

It is clear to me that the heart of this issue is idolatry. The political climate in North America is one littered with the worship of false gods. We listen to the gods of media to tell us how to see the world, we listen to the gods of politics to tell us how to fix the world, and we listen to the gods of money who tell us how to be fully human (and happy!) in the world. All the while ignoring the one true God who speaks to us in Jesus Christ, showing us the way to live, move, and have our being in the world.

To conclude, I want to argue that the Christian witness of non-voting is a valid option because we have been seduced by the power to change the world through something other than the resurrected Christ. How are we to faithfully bear witness to Christ in this situation? Voting for McCain or Obama will not cut it. In a world telling me that voting is the best way to participate in reality, non-voting is one real way to legitimately say that our hope lies not in man but in the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the crucified and resurrected Lord of all. One way (and not the only way, to be sure) to do this is by saying “No!” to worshiping at the altar of the voting booth in November.

KC Flynn, Sept. 30, 2008