We shall shortly be voting to put people into the highest authority in the nation, people who will make the law and who will govern the nation. The existence of that highest authority depends in the last analysis entirely on the fact that we vote. So we have to vote, because if we don’t there will be (at least theoretically) no authority and there will be anarchy! That is why we have a duty to vote, even if we haven’t the faintest idea who to vote for.
It’s a privilege to vote, because most people in the world actually don’t have a say in who takes the highest authority in their land. They are stuck with ambitious, corrupt and often violent autocrats who are there to get as much out of their authority as they can for themselves. That’s another impelling reason to vote.
What we need from such authority is rule that gives the possibility of peaceable living, such living being based on godliness and mutual respect. That, at any rate, is what Paul tells Timothy that his churches should be praying for when they consider those in authority (1 Tim 2:1). It is highly unlikely that any authority will deliver such peaceableness unless those who make up such authority uphold in their own personal lives godliness and mutual respect. One of the modern fallacies about politicians is that it doesn’t make any difference what sort of a personal life they lead, and that it is no business of the electorate; they should only be judged on their abilities. But if a person cannot be trusted in their private life (if they betray their spouse or their business associates) then they cannot be trusted in public life where trust and honesty is actually of great importance. Indeed the besetting sin of politicians seems to be their economy with the truth! Dishonesty is not a disease which can be kept isolated in one part of the human psyche – it spreads. A very able person who cannot be trusted is not always a good thing – we have seen the effects of that in the recent banking scandals where the cleverest of men have caused the greatest chaos simply because they were corrupt and lied, and were clever!
So “Party” talk and policy is not everything we have to look at. It is at least worth a good look to see what sort of a person the candidate is. Probably that’s as good a reason as any for the local “hustings”. If you can’t choose a party, choose a person!!
Most important, it is a time to pray, with supplications intercessions and thanksgivings – that is clearly a scriptural injunction.
Bob
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It’s a privilege to vote, because most people in the world actually don’t have a say in who takes the highest authority in their land. They are stuck with ambitious, corrupt and often violent autocrats who are there to get as much out of their authority as they can for themselves. That’s another impelling reason to vote.
What we need from such authority is rule that gives the possibility of peaceable living, such living being based on godliness and mutual respect. That, at any rate, is what Paul tells Timothy that his churches should be praying for when they consider those in authority (1 Tim 2:1). It is highly unlikely that any authority will deliver such peaceableness unless those who make up such authority uphold in their own personal lives godliness and mutual respect. One of the modern fallacies about politicians is that it doesn’t make any difference what sort of a personal life they lead, and that it is no business of the electorate; they should only be judged on their abilities. But if a person cannot be trusted in their private life (if they betray their spouse or their business associates) then they cannot be trusted in public life where trust and honesty is actually of great importance. Indeed the besetting sin of politicians seems to be their economy with the truth! Dishonesty is not a disease which can be kept isolated in one part of the human psyche – it spreads. A very able person who cannot be trusted is not always a good thing – we have seen the effects of that in the recent banking scandals where the cleverest of men have caused the greatest chaos simply because they were corrupt and lied, and were clever!
So “Party” talk and policy is not everything we have to look at. It is at least worth a good look to see what sort of a person the candidate is. Probably that’s as good a reason as any for the local “hustings”. If you can’t choose a party, choose a person!!
Most important, it is a time to pray, with supplications intercessions and thanksgivings – that is clearly a scriptural injunction.
Bob
To make a comment: click on word “comments” below, write your comment in the white box which appears and add your name and e mail address (if you wish), choose “select profile”, click “anonymous” and then continue.
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