On Voting Mormon

Understandably, there has been much current dialogue concerning the responsibility of the true believer when it comes to casting a vote for someone of a differing religion.  Since two Mormons headline the list of Republican presidential candidates, the discussion has logically shifted towards the Church of the Latter Day Saints.  At least two recent interactions have led me to compile a few thoughts on this particular topic.  I’ve organized these thoughts along the lines of “do’s” and “don’ts.”

Please do me a favor and don’t read these thoughts as an endorsement of any particular candidate. Please do, however, understand the paradigm through which these thoughts are written.  I would identify myself as a socially conservative Evangelical Christian. Though not a political activist by any stretch of the imagination, I do try to keep a pulse on the goings-on of national political scene in order to remain responsibly informed.  Contrary to the persuasion of many in the extreme fringes of the religious-right movement, I’m comfortable with identifying my primary citizenship as a heavenly one, resting in the sovereignty of God over all things political, and not sweating absolute bullets over Washington politics.

Do:

Do take this opportunity to educate yourself on the beliefs of the Mormon faith.  One particular resource that I’ve found to be incredibly helpful is Ron Rhodes’ The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions, which includes a great chapter on Mormonism.  Also, several recent blog posts, such as the ones found here and here might be helpful.  One of the most effective ways to marginalize your position is with arguments that display a gross misunderstanding of how the Mormon faith works.

Do recognize the influential post that the president of the United States holds.  After educating yourself regarding Mormonism, ask yourself if you are willing to cast a vote for an individual who would immediately have arguably the largest platform in the world with which to propagate his cultic faith.

Do pray and seek wisdom.  Such decisions are never easy, nor should they be.  As temporary earthly citizens we often find ourselves feeling out of place and confused when it comes to making these, and other decisions.  That’s a good thing! It serves as further proof that we don’t belong here, and a comforting assurance that one day we will inhabit a physical, spiritual, and political kingdom to which we do belong – the kingdom of Jesus.

Don’t:

Don’t make the mistake of comparing Mormonism to Catholicism.  I’ve heard and read several lines of reasoning that go something like this: “Well if you wouldn’t vote for a Mormon, then you can’t vote for a Catholic! Be consistent!”  In and of itself, that objection is faulty, because the analogy itself couldn’t possibly be more inconsistent.  Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity are monotheistic; Mormonism is not. Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity largely share the same beliefs regarding the Scriptures; Mormonism does not. The list could go on. I find it interesting that many on the religious right would never vote Muslim, but they’d vote Mormon in a heartbeat. Mormonism is more analogous to the Islamic faith than it has ever been to Catholicism.  While the point is taken that all political candidates must be evaluated consistently, you don’t underscore your point by including a demonstrably faulty analogy.

Don’t claim “I’m not casting a vote for a religious leader, I’m voting for a president!”  That’s an irresponsible line of thinking.  One’s views of God, man, sin, and salvation effects every part of his thinking and living.  While I certainly don’t go to the ballot box with the understanding that I’m casting a vote for a religious leader, the two should never be considered to be mutually exclusive.

Don’t vote for an Evangelical Christian simply because he is an Evangelical Christian.  To me, it's a puzzling thing to observe the Evangelical community blindly throw its support behind a decidedly unqualified candidate on the basis of his faith alone.  There is no biblical pattern established that supports the idea that only believers can rule effectively on this earth.  To the contrary, the historical books are full of examples of men who, though blatantly un-Christian, ruled with wisdom, and ruled rightly.

Don’t vote for a non-Mormon simply because he is the alternate to the Mormon candidate.

In conclusion, please understand that I recognize these thoughts to be quite a conglomeration. It was not my intent to provide a structurally sound, unified argument, nor was it my intent to convince you one way or the other, but to provide you with some important aspects of this issue to think about. It's an issue that I'm still working through! Let me observe, however, that for a biblically-based follower of Christ, social issues should carry the day.  How a true Christ-follower could ever cast a vote for someone who is pro-choice, pro-homosexual, or pro-anything that they Bible specifically prohibits is beyond my ability to reason.

Happy voting!