i am not sure ariah. i think our job is to be faithful to the kingdom of god no matter what the govt. i am not saying not to vote. i am still deciding myself. i dont know if i can cast a vote for the sword,while living out the cross. whether we endorse all our candidates actions or not, we are responsible for putting them there.

for myself i feel more “clean” to speak to my government from the outside, so to speak.

I had to look up ‘abdication’ but I like what your saying. I think I lean toward your view.

Joe,

agreed it is never the governments role to do the job of the kingdom. However, I don’t know that it’s the governments job to protect and maintain order either, aren’t we supposed to decide what our democracy’s job is, or at least how that is carried out?

It depends on whether you consider the government to be a separate entity from oneself or not.

If the government is a separate entity, then it’s an abdication to have the government be doing the “job” of the Kingdom.

If we are a part of a shared government then it’s an abdication to not be using our portion of governing power to further the goals of the Kingdom.

I tend to believe that in a democracy it is (in theory) the latter rather than the former. And that if there are injustices being perpetrated at a governmental level, then it is probably best to fix them at a governmental level.

That being said, I also believe we should never rely solely on our governing power to bring the Kingdom.

it is the govt’s job to protect citizens and maintain order. the government could never do the “job” of the kingdom of god simply because it isnt.

I’m tending to lean towards Obama mostly because I’ve been tired of the growing polarization of the political process and the dehumanization of the other side by each side. His rhetoric about unity and change is attractive as is the general positivity of his campaign. My hope is that if he were the Democrats’ choice that it would change the political conversation from one in which each side tries to paint the other side as most evil to one in which each side tries to convince us that they would be able to do the most good.

okay okay, I’m with you on reasons it’s important to express our democratic freedom and vote, but who should I vote for?
And why? or why not?

on a personal note, i recently heard someone compare voting in this election to an orthodox jew walking into a butcher shop that only sells bacon and ham and having to pick one. amen!! :)

Which is all to say, I think you should go vote, not as an endorsement of the ruling powers, but as a way to direct the governments to just ways of wielding their power.