SHOULD CHRISTIANS VOTE FOR THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS?
Key Facts
According to the June Evangelical Leaders Survey of 2016, Evangelical leaders were asks how they would respond when presented with two leaders they did not like. They said they would vote for the candidate they dislike the least (60 percent), vote for a third-party candidate (28 percent), or not vote for that office (12 percent).[1]
Concerning the 2016 presidential election, 25% of Americans had unfavorable views of both candidates.[2]
Key Scriptures
Exodus 18:21 “But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
Proverbs 25:26 “Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”
Romans 3:10 “None is righteous, no, not one.”
John 18:36 “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.””
Romans 1:32 “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Application
Voting is an important democratic responsibility. Christians should steward their vote for the advancement of the Kingdom similarly to how Paul used his Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25-29). Elections are a great opportunity to use one’s vote for the best possible option. However, it is not always clear what the best options are or how to address moral dilemmas that arise during the voting process. This article is not written to address questions about specific leaders, but rather to guide Christians as they encounter moral concerns throughout the democratic system. As Christians seek wisdom in making these choices each election year, the Bible gives us a framework that can help direct our thinking and voting.
The Least Bad Option
Many people have criticized Christians as choosing between the lesser of two evils’ as they vote for presidents and governors. This suggests that if you vote for either candidate you are helping to put an evil person in office. While this may be true in certain circumstances, it is important to address each situation individually. Instead of asking, “Should Christians vote for the lesser of two evils,” it might be more helpful to rephrase it as, “Should Christians vote for the least bad option?” This allows us to see the moral dilemma more clearly since the word ‘evil’ carries a heavily negative connotation. In most cases, political representatives are not akin to evil tyrants—regardless of the media’s rhetoric. Instead, we usually have a situation where there are two heavily flawed candidates. In such a case, there are some ways that Christians can vote for the least bad of the two while upholding biblical principles.
When thinking about how to vote for the least bad option, Christians must first recognize that people are imperfect (Romans 3:10). As many have pointed out, in this fallen world, Christians are always choosing between the least bad option because each person is flawed and has taken part in wrongdoing. However, the counterbalance of recognizing the candidate’s flaws is that we must use discernment to choose between flawed candidates. Just because we accept that people are not inherently good, this does not mean we do not have a civic responsibility to vote.
Exodus 18:21 reveals that one of the most important qualities in leadership is competency. When voting for a leader of the country, state, or other governmental office, Christians should vote in accordance with policies that uphold justice and representatives that can and will support those policies.
Exodus also shows us that fear of God is valuable in leadership positions. It is important that these leaders have a moral responsibility to fear God, even if they are not necessarily Christians. The fear of God means that Christians can count on the leader to have good character and support godly policies. If the candidate is not a Christian, then we cannot expect them to walk with the same standard of morality that Christians do, even if they fear God. Therefore, there are going to be situations where Christians decide to vote for someone who knowingly participates in sinful acts. However, the concern for competent leadership should be assessed in conjunction with the candidate’s personal morals. Just because someone is not a Christian, this does not mean that it is automatically reprehensible for Christians to vote for them. Political support is not the same as moral approval. For example, many Christians in 2012 voted for Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney is a Mormon, but largely received the evangelical vote as they could count on his responsibility to his religion. Not always voting for Christians means that we may sometimes vote for a candidate who makes some sinful choices in their personal life (ex. Gluttony, lustfulness, or gossip), but will reflect biblical values in their political decisions.
In choosing between the lesser of two bad options, we are still choosing an option we do not agree with wholeheartedly. However, each candidate is not equal. We can choose to vote for that which aligns with the policies we value most. Working through these ethical dilemmas is hard, but we should not shy away because it is difficult. Much of Christian discernment involves issues that aren’t black and white. Thus, we must use the Scripture as a guide to navigate the shades of grey.
Truly Evil Candidates
When everyone on the ballot lacks any coherence to our worldview, it is best to pray and be humble as we work through how to respond. Sometimes, it may be truly immoral to vote either candidate into office. Those who will use the power for egregious crimes should be fought against as we seek the well being of all people. If both or all candidates plan to use his or her power to perpetrate murder or abuse of a group or individual, Christians should be adamantly opposed to either taking office. Christians are not to give support to those who commit evil actions (Romans 1:32). It is understandable that we may share a common goal with a candidate who is privately immoral, but lawful. However, if a person is seeking to use their power to abuse others, this potential abuse is significantly more of a priority than agreement on tax policy or education reform.
What is the best way to steward our vote in these unfortunate circumstances? In this instance, it may be within your Christian liberties to refrain from voting (if it does not go against your conscience). However, if you feel that this is not the best use of your voting power, another possible option is to write in a vote for an alternative leader. While, historically, this is not incredibly effective, under certain circumstances, it could be. If both candidates will use their power to perpetrate horrendous moral evils, then it may be more possible than ever to unite voters behind a different candidate.
Conclusion
On one hand, the Bible teaches that all people are severely flawed. On the other hand, we are called to steward what God has gifted us with for the sake of the gospel. So, we know that ideally, we vote for those who have a significant chance of getting elected and enacting good policy even when they are flawed people. However, there are times in which the horrid acts of those running may eliminate them as a possibility to receive votes from Christians.
There are a lot of good Christians who disagree about where the line is between voting for a less-than-ideal candidate or not voting at all. This is understandable since traverse politics is difficult. For a simplistic example, if there are two candidates that are pro-abortion, but one advocates partial-birth abortion while the other opposes abortion after 20 weeks. Some Christians might consider it best to vote for the candidate who opposes abortion after 20 weeks in an effort to save those babies that the other candidate would not. Other Christians might believe that voting for either of these candidates is not the best course of action because it still allows the violent acts. There is no one right answer, but we can use discernment and seek wisdom in prayer and from church leaders when we face these ethical dilemmas.