The current state of the American culture has bred an attitude of entitlement that extends beyond reason. It is evident when you hear those who rail against the voter ID laws being passed in many of the states. In almost every case, when voter ID laws are passed they end up being challenged in court. The progressives in this country try to tell us that when a person is asked for a photo ID that somehow that discourages citizens from voting. This results in disenfranchising minority groups. However, statistics show that when these laws are passed that the voter turnout actually goes up and not down. They are perpetrating a false narrative for their own self-interests.
Some of these same progressives want to see more and more people voting even if they are not citizens. They truly believe more people exercising their right to vote will benefit the America they are creating. Instead of viewing voting as a duty and privilege they view voting as a form of self-expression. When voting is perceived to be simply a means of self-expression, attempts are made to make it easier for everyone (citizen and non-citizen) to vote, without regard for legal registration. This leads to fraud which then makes elections illegitimate.
Every legal citizen 18 years and older has the right to vote, however, voters must know who and what they are voting for besides the candidate’s looks, personality, humor, fancy words, or catchy ads. Elections are not popularity contests. They have consequences. This means that not only are we to know who the candidates are but also whether the political party they represent stands for our core values, limited government, equal opportunity and the Constitution. So we first need to decide which political party will best represent us. Currently, the two parties are complete opposites on almost every issue.
The issues are crucial to the future of the nation and to our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As Christians, we need the Holy Spirit’s discernment regarding the candidates and the two political parties. We need to fully understand what they stand for, if anything. Compare the party platforms and make your decision on which party best represents your core values. Then pay close attention to what the candidates say – listen to them and read their policy position papers that are posted on their websites.
Unfortunately, more and more we see a “winning at all costs” mentality invading our election process. This leads to the attitude that whatever it takes to win is okay whether it is legal or not. This was on open display in the election of 2004 where it was reported that union workers gathered to intimidate campaign workers, trash political party headquarters, and even harass voters at early voting locations. In 2008, Black Panthers intimidation at voting locations reduced the number of qualified voter turn out. America is unique from other nations by our peaceful transition of government every four years. We have a proud history of honest and peaceful elections. Ballot security is crucial to keep our elections from becoming that of third world countries with massive fraud and intimidation of voters.
Sadly, much of this trend is the result of forty years of indoctrination into situational ethics, when the end justifies the means. Truth and honesty have become unimportant because they are dependent on what you want them to be at the time whether true or not. Facts no longer matter to those with a strong progressive/statist ideology. Yes, it is important to believe you can win an election and then work hard to gain the trust of the voters, but sacrificing our ethics and core values to win is totally unacceptable and disastrous for the long-term.
When the teaching of creation science, prayer in school, and the Ten Commandments were banished from America’s classrooms, the door was thrown wide open to reducing ethical conduct to the lowest common denominator. The reigning thought being that there are no absolutes (ironically, this belief is itself an absolute) and that everything is relative – meaning there is no right or wrong. As Christians, we are to live our lives in agreement with God’s Word and teachings, not on what is right in our own eyes. Our system of free elections is now threatened because of this culture of relativism and lawlessness. The goal now being to turn this nation into a one party nation.
We can no longer take our freedoms for granted and neither can we afford to be self-indulgent. Now is the time for us to get off the fence and decide once and for all if we want to be a truly free people or if we are willing to live under the oppression of an all-powerful federal government. The first requires dedication and diligence the second requires only that we do what we are told.
Next Week: Final Word on Elections and Candidates
Dinner Table Discussion: What are some ways that “relativism” has crept into your daily decisions and actions? What are easy ways that we can promote personal responsibility and freedom in our daily lives with those around us?