Can a Christian Support a Candidate Who Doesn't Share Their Values?
- Elizabeth Delaney Headlines Contributor
- Updated Oct 15, 2024
The 2024 election may very well be the most polarized in American history. This election year's fight for the presidency has been not only verbally violent but also physically violent, with two assassination attempts on former President Trump's life. There was also a bomb scare at one of his rallies, which turned out to be a false alarm, according to WXMI. Getting into a political discussion can feel risky right now because of how emotional many Americans are feeling about the 2024 election.
Issues Most Important to Voters in General
In general, the top concerns tend to depend on party affiliation. Republicans are citing the economy (93%), immigration (82%), and violent crime (76%) as their top concerns. Democrats are citing health care (76%), Supreme Court appointments (73%), and the economy (68%) as their top concerns, according to Pew Research.
In another poll, Rasmussen Reports discovered that 68 percent of Likely U.S. voters felt that a presidential candidate's policy agenda was the primary factor in how they would cast their vote. Only 18 percent felt character mattered the most, while 11 percent said the candidate's party was most important.
How Voters Feel about the State of the Nation
Only 34 percent of Likely U.S. Voters feel that America is headed in the right direction, according to a recent Rasmussen Reports poll. Likewise, Gallup found that 76 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States. So, the majority of both Christians and non-Christians aren't feeling real positive about the state of the nation.
Values Typical to Most Christians
In America, the way that the political system is supposed to work (in general) is that those who hold a political office are supposed to represent the interests of those who voted for them. The whole point behind voting is that whomever the voter chooses will work to write laws, create programs, develop and implement policy, and uphold the values of their constituents. So whoever voters send to the White House, the State House, or even the City Council should be the spokesperson for those voters' values.
In general, some of the top values that many Christians have include:
- Freedom of religion and freedom of speech (especially for witnessing purposes)
- All human life is equally valuable
- Marriage between one man and one woman
- Freedom for parents to impart Biblical values to their children and decide what's best for their own children
- The U.S. standing with Israel as an ally
- Supporting the U.S. military
- Spending responsibly and using the nation's resources wisely
- Caring for those who are less fortunate and the elderly
It would be rare for one candidate to represent every Christian voter's values perfectly. So, choosing the one candidate who most closely represents the majority of a voter's values will bring about the best results for desired representation.
Pastor and Christian Theologian Dr. Erwin Lutzer has listed seven Biblical issues that he keeps in mind when choosing the candidate for whom he will vote. Click here for details.
Focus on the Family's "Daily Citizen" publication lists eight issues to consider as November approaches. Click here for details.
Related Article: 5 Things Christians Can Pray for This Presidential Election Season
Related Resource: Co-Opting Christ: Misusing the Bible and Theological Language in Political Discourse
In this episode of Thinking Christian, James and Nate discuss some of the ways the Bible and other theological concepts and theologians are pressed into the service of political agendas. They urge listeners not to encourage falsehood, but to hold accountable those who seek to apply biblical language to modern-day politics. If this episode of Thinking Christian helped your political perspective, be sure to subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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