Mark Twain

The following essay was written by Mark Twain in 1905 apparently as a satire on Christians. Twain was hostile to Christianity for most of his life but these words ring true. God can use even a skeptic like Mark Twain for His eternal purposes.

 It will be conceded that every man's first duty is to God; it will also be conceded, and with strong emphasis, that a Christian's first duty is to God. It then follows, as a matter of course, that it is his duty to carry his Christian code of morals to the polls and vote them. Whenever he shall do that, he will not find himself voting for an unclean man, a dishonest man. Whenever a Christian votes, he votes against God or for Him, and he knows this quite well. God is an issue in every election; He is a candidate in the person of every clean nominee on every ticket; His purity and His approval are there, to be voted for or voted against, and no fealty to party can absolve His servant from his higher and more exacting fealty to Him; He takes precedence of party, duty to Him is above every claim of party.

If Christians should vote their duty to God at the polls, they would carry every election, and do it with ease. They would elect every clean candidate in the United States, and defeat every soiled one. Their prodigious power would be quickly realized and recognized, and afterward there would be no unclean candidates upon any ticket, and graft would cease.

No church organization can be found in the country that would elect men of foul character to be its shepherd, its treasurer, and superintendent of its Sunday-school. It would be revolted at the idea; it would consider such an election an insult to God. Yet every Christian congregation in the country elects foul men to public office, while quite aware that this also is an open and deliberate insult to God, who can not approve and does not approve the placing of the liberties and the well-being of His children in the hands of infamous men. It is the Christian congregations that are responsible for the filling of our public offices with criminals, for the reason that they could prevent it if they chose to do it. They could prevent it without organizing a league, without framing a platform, without making any speeches or passing any resolutions -- in a word, without concert of any kind.

They could accomplish it by each individual resolving to vote for God at the polls -- that is to say, vote for the candidate whom God would approve. Can a man imagine such a thing as God being a Republican or a Democrat, and voting for a criminal or a blackguard merely because party loyalty required it? Then can we imagine that a man can improve upon God's attitude in this matter, and by help of professional politicians invent a better policy? God has no politics but cleanliness and honesty, and it is good enough for men. … If the Christians of America could be persuaded to vote God and a clean ticket, it would bring about amoral revolution that would be incalculably beneficent. It would save the country -- a country whose Christians have betrayed it and are destroying it.

— Mark Twain, Colliers Magazine, September 2, 1905.

Richard Foster

Richard Foster, the author of “Celebration of Discipline” wrote the following essay in the October issue of his newsletter, “Perspective”. Although you may not agree with all of Richard Foster’s perspectives, you may find that his writing gives you pause to think, to pray, and then hopefully to vote.

At the outset I had better make a disclaimer: if you are wanting to come away from this essay knowing who to vote for in this presidential election you will most certainly go away disappointed. I would not tell you that even if I had great clarity on the subject (which I do not) since it would remove from you the responsibility of free moral agency, which each one of us is called upon to exercise before God. I do, however, have some theological convictions that surround civic responsibility, and those I am more than happy to share with you—I’ll limit myself to four. And perhaps, just perhaps, these four convictions will give you some guidelines for working on election matters in your own region and context.

1. I must give my first and ultimate allegiance to the Kingdom of God and of his Christ.

No human being, no nation/state, no political party, no religious denomination or institution can have that allegiance; only the one true God. Always and at all times we seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness that is inherent in that kingdom life (Matt. 6:33).

In 1659 Edward Burrough, a British Christian leader, wrote, “We are not for names nor men, nor titles of government, nor are we for this party or against the other . . . but we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation, and that goodness, righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity with God, and with one another, that these things may abound.”

2. I must always distinguish between authentic patriotism and nationalism.

Authentic patriotism concerns itself with love of country and pride in its highest ideals. Further, it insists on a clear-eyed understanding of the failings of a country and a call to make them right. Nationalism, on the other hand, is a blind loyalty of country and a refusal to consider any shortcomings or weaknesses in that country. With nationalism “my country” must always be on the side of truth and light; “your country” is always on the other side.

The God-given task of the state is to provide for justice, stability, and peace for all people alike (Romans 13: 1-7). When it does this we commend it; when it fails to do this we critique it and prophetically witness against it. This is authentic patriotism and a true virtue.

3. I must give witness “for life” as consistently and as unambiguously as possible.

This witness needs to weave its way throughout all human experience, from the womb to the tomb. This means seeking ways to protect the unborn. This means standing against all forms of prejudice which would dehumanize people precious to God. This means working to eliminate poverty and other dehumanizing social conditions. This means witnessing for peace and reconciliation everywhere possible…

4. I must give special consideration and protection to the weakest, most vulnerable members of society.

I mention this because the Bible does . . . vigorously, and in doing so it is expressing a deep reality about the heart of God. God really does cares for the marginalized, and so should we. Have you ever noticed the enumerable times Scripture singles out for special care the widow, the orphan, the alien, the stranger, the sojourner, the child, the poor. The biblical concern for the powerless and defenseless is consistent and vigorous. This is why James could lay it down as a mark of pure and undefiled religion that we would “care for orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). The late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin once said, “Our moral, political, and economic responsibilities do not stop at the moment of birth. Those who defend the right to life of the weakest among us must be equally visible in support of the quality of life of the powerless among us: the old and the young, the hungry and the homeless, the undocumented immigrant and the unemployed worker.”

How all this is done is a real Gordian knot. Some groups emphasize individual initiative and local community engagement. Others stress the role of government and social institutions. Still others want laws enacted that will ensure that we become a more compassionate society. I must admit that I tend to think that if our hearts were right toward the poor and marginalized any one of these approaches would yield the desired end. But then, that only explains why I am not a politician!