First let me preface all of this by strongly stating that I am no Trump fan, and because of that, Grudem's endorsement makes me uneasy. I think Trump is a sinful, arrogant man (but so can every man be that I know, including myself). And I'm not yet comfortable granting him the name of Christian, though I am very thankful for some of the debate and discussion he has brought to a political party that has lost it's way. Despite my unease with Trump, I must defend Grudem to some degree. His hermeneutic is more consistent than Baird's. Especially when he quotes Jeremiah 29:7 as the base for his whole piece. In fact, we can see the symbiosis of Jeremiah 29:7 in places like Ezra 6:10 and Ezra 7:23 where Cyrus recognizes its potential. We also see it in places like the famous Genesis 12:2-3.
We are to seek the welfare of the nations in which we live as aliens – even when those nations are pagan – because by their blessing we are blessed, and by our blessing they are blessed. America, while not exactly pagan, is not by establishment a Christian nation either. Contrary to popular belief it was not founded as a Christian nation. It was founded as a secular nation. It's founders were undeniably Judeo-Christian in their worldviews, which without doubt influenced the nation that God created through them, but it was not structurally Christian. The law of the land was not the Bible. The law of the land was the constitution. In my opinion, it is one of the things that makes America great. People don't worship God here because they have to by force of law or pain of penalty. They worship God because they are free to do so, and because they want to. America has in it's heart genuine Christians who have served as buffers against evil. I fear those days are numbered. And I fear the church has played a part in that numbering by wandering from solid teaching and solid example and true love of God and people!
So when I vote, I must vote for what will provide the most potential blessing for the country. I am not convinced yet that I will vote for Trump. And I probably will hold out on a decision until I am in the ballot box. The struggle is real. But I do not think it is a SIN to vote for Trump unless one believes strongly that God is specifically leading against such a vote. And I agree with Grudem that if Hillary is placed in office, that many bad things will happen. I fear most for a court that will render the constitution more meaningless than it already is, and that we will sink into a nation governed by men rather than laws. That will be a tragedy beyond measure, because as nations go, we are a city on a hill – even though we are losing our true light. Not only that, we have provided a Pax Americana. And I believe that it will disappear in more ways than just geopolitical security and stability. It will disappear culturally and philosophically. A nation of men will cater to the pleasures of men. Short of divine intervention, the damage will be unthinkable.
I find it ironic that Kevin Baird, a chief staff member at the Bonhoeffer Institute, criticizes Grudem's “pragmatism.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer once famously argued, “What is worse than doing evil is being evil,” as a justification for his part in the plot to assissinate Hitler. Bonhoeffer, whether right or wrong, saw a moral pragmatism in a pastor plotting an assassination. He didn't have a hermeneutic. He simply had a moral reasoning. A minister here in Florida (in 1994) murdered an abortionist and used Bonhoeffer's situational ethic as justification. At any rate, what appears to be Baird's primary hermeneutic is flawed. He quotes Exodus 18:21 where the father-in-law of Moses advises him on how to pick leaders for the nascent civil government. While it is wise advice for how we APPOINT leaders in any organization, it cannot be stressed enough how the civil government of Moses was only nascent at that time. They were building it. It also cannot be stressed enough that it would be a theocracy, and not a democratic constitutional republic. Finally, it is also important to note that those leaders were not being voted on. They were being APPOINTED by Moses who was acting essentially as a pope or king. Contrast that with modern America. We are a nation that already exists. As voters, we have to manage what is already here. Of course we have the ability to build it and morph it, but that's not best done at the ballot box. It's best done in the school house, the church house, and the dinner table at the family house. When we do our building in those places, we have good choices from which to vote when we get to the ballot box. And that's important. Where Moses gets to appoint singularly from his whole population, we must vote from what our population has placed on the ballot. And what our population has placed on the ballot are ambitious men who placed themselves before the people specifically to get themselves on that ballot. Unlike the government of Moses, we are not a theocracy. We don't have a pope who has heard from God appointing our leaders, instead we vote collectively for them, and their primary purpose is to administer the constitution by creating laws that submit to it. So when we vote for those leaders we should consider how they view the constitution and the legal process just as much as we consider their moral fitness. When we vote for a president, we should be voting for a person who administers and enforces those laws, and who runs the military. That's his job according to the constitution. Therefore, we have a duty to vote for the person who will best do that. As Christians, we also have a duty to vote for the person who will best respect Christian values and biblical heritage. Respect for those values are not in conflict with the constitution. But if a person becomes president at this point in history who does not respect Christian values, and does not respect the constitution, then we will likely end up via interpretive processes with a “constitution” that does not respect those values. The values of the left are not just hostile to us, they are hostile to the spirit that motivates us. And that should give a wise man pause.
Baird also quotes Romans 13, and uses that as a hermeneutic to justify voting for civil leaders just as we would ecclesiastical ones. This, in my opinion, is flawed beyond belief. Paul's point was not to guide us on how to pick leaders. His point was that we should respect the leaders that are in place even when they are flawed. They're in that place because God put them there. What this means is that if I am in an evil place like, say, North Korea, I am to respect the authorities there on any issue that is not in conflict with God's law. You don't get to pick the civil leaders in North Korea, afterall. If I had to apply the same standard at all times to political candidates that I do to pastors, I could never vote for anyone! These two types of leaders have two types of jobs. One is the administration of civil, non-theocratic law, and the other is administration of God's word to shepherd his people in a world that is hostile to them. They are two offices with two standards. This doesn't mean that I should not have high standards for political leaders, it just means that I understand that the reality of their roles is different.
One final thought. It is possible that the welfare of the nation is best served by collapse, and even Christian persecution. Perhaps after such an event (or more likely, a long process) we can rise from the ashes and realize the wisdom of our founding fathers, and the value of our Judeo-Christian roots. But, frankly, I believe that decision is above my pay grade. So with that, I urge every man and woman to vote his or her conscience. I do not think it will be a sin to vote for Trump. I also do not think it will be a sin to vote for a third party candidate. And I don't think it will be a sin to withhold a vote, though I find this to be the least palatable of all positions. I cannot, however, justify on Christian grounds, or on constitutional grounds, a direct vote for Hillary Clinton. In any event, God is in charge of it all. He will put the leader in place that He wishes. And we will get the leader we deserve.
Now that you've put me on the spot, Mike Saum, I would love to hear your thoughts!
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