VICTOR JOECKS: Why Christians should vote for Trump

A church shouldn’t select Donald Trump as its pastor, but Christians should support Trump for president.

Polls show that the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is extremely close. George Barna with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University recently projected that more than 100 million people of faith won’t vote. That group includes “32 million Christian regular churchgoers.” Barna said a major reason for this apathy is “the public’s distaste for both major-party candidates.”

That’s an understandable sentiment for a Christian to have, but sitting out an election isn’t.

Start with this. God created the institution of government. In Genesis 9:6 God told Noah, “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” In verse 17, God said this covenant wasn’t just with Noah, but was “between me and all life on the earth.”

The Bible also teaches people to care about their communities. Jeremiah 29:7 says, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” That command was given to Jews who had been conquered and forcibly removed from Israel. If it applied there, it certainly applies here.

One of the ways to do that is by voting. It’s a gift to be stewarded. In Jesus’ parable of the talents, the master rebuked the servant who buried his responsibility instead of using it to earn more. In the parable, talents refer to money, not skills.

The point is this: When Christians don’t vote, they bury their talent.

The next question: For whom should they vote?

The Bible doesn’t give clear guidance on some political issues, but on others, it’s clear. The intentional taking of innocent human life is wrong because people are made in God’s image. That’s what abortion does.

Harris wants to legalize abortion in all 50 states. Trump appointed the Supreme Court justices that overturned Roe v. Wade. In 2015, undercover journalists taped Planned Parenthood officials appearing to discuss the selling of tissue and organs from aborted preborn babies. Harris, then the attorney general in California, went after the journalists, not the abortionists. She also co-sponsored an unconstitutional law that required crisis pregnancy center to provide information on how to obtain an abortion.

It’d be better if Trump pushed more pro-life policies, but his federal neutrality is preferable to Harris’ overt hostility.

God created “mankind in his own image … male and female he created them.” Harris supports forcing women to compete against men in female sports. Trump opposes that. Harris even wants to pay for sex change operations for prisoners.

Some Christians might say that Trump’s philandering, pride and insults prevent them from voting for him even if they wouldn’t vote for Harris. Trump has major character flaws, but the Bible is filled with examples of godly people who worked for ungodly leaders.

I Kings 18 says Obadiah was in charge of the palace of King Ahab, an extremely wicked king. Obadiah, however, was a “devout believer in the Lord.” He even hid 100 prophets to keep them from being murdered. Daniel was a chief administrator for King Darius. Esther used her position as queen to save the Jewish people.

These people put God first — that’s why Daniel ended up in the lions’ den. But their spiritual commitment didn’t keep them from serving rulers they didn’t agree with. Just the opposite. They sought influence and authority.

Pastors should be providing this kind of Biblical education to their members. Christians have been given the vote for such a time as this. They need to use it.

Victor Joecks’ column appears in the Opinion section each Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.

A previous version of this column included inaccurate Biblical references.