Your vote should be to lessen evil as much as possible

OPINION:

“I’m not voting because they’re both bad and I don’t like choosing between the lesser of two evils.” This persistent myth keeps Christians sidelined in a time when their influence is needed the most.

Yep, the world is evil. Always has been. At least since that little thing with Adam and Eve and the serpent. But if we think that the presence of evil means that standing for what is good is pointless, then we allow the gloominess of our age to hijack biblical truth.

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In Ephesians 5:16 Paul tells us to make the most of the time because the days are evil. Evil isn’t the variable. It is the constant. The variable is how we use every opportunity we’re given.

How does this apply to voting? In my free video course “Should Christians Avoid Politics?” available from Summit Ministries, I encourage Christians, their families, and their churches to rethink the “Lesser of two evils” myth.

Our vote isn’t about choosing between the lesser of two evils. It is about lessening evil. A vote is an answer to the question, “Which of these two candidates do I believe will have the greatest effect in lessening evil?” I think about this in three areas:

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• Life: which candidate will stand up for the defenseless?
• Liberty: which candidate will focus on setting people free rather than controlling them?
• Property: which candidate will protect the integrity of people’s interests rather than forcing them to submit those interests to the interests of those running the government?

Begin to rethink your role in a culture of partisan divides as Dr. Jeff Myers exposes four lies that silence Christians, keeping them sidelined in politics. Access the full series from “Summit Talks” here.

This way of thinking is possible when we understand the way the founders of the United States thought about the political process. They saw the political process as built like three levels of a pyramid:

1. The foundation level is principles. This is the why. It includes things like “All men are created equal” and “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without the due process of law.”
2. The middle level is policy. This is the how. The Constitution, which is not easily changeable, specifies particulars such as the separation of powers. Subsequent administrative law, which is more easily changeable, specifies tax policy, criminal penalties, etc.
3. The upper level is personalities. This is the who. We all want to have our way. On our best days we converse and debate. On our worst days we shame and manipulate.

America’s founders started with principles, then moved to policies, which in turn enabled them to weather their personality differences. In a letter to the journalist William Duane, Thomas Jefferson said, “To the principles of union I sacrifice all minor differences of opinion. These, like differences of face, are a law of our nature, and should be viewed with the same tolerance.”

Our problem today is that we begin with personalities. “I don’t like his brashness” or “I don’t like her laugh.” Not liking someone is fine. But when we say, “Because I don’t like that person, I am against whatever they are for, and for whatever they are against,” we will never be able to arrive at rational policies, and we will never be able to discern any core principles.

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SEE ALSO: Jeff Myers: Should Christians avoid politics?

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Functional republics move from solid principles to rational policies, to more-or-less respectful personality conflicts. Dysfunctional republics move from disrespectful personality conflicts to irrational policies and then find themselves utterly devoid of principle.

The principles on which America was founded were scriptural ones. The founders — many of whom at the founding were of the age of today’s millennials and Gen Z-ers — drew inspiration from the Hebrew republic as recorded in the Old Testament. It was America’s resulting constitutional framework that enabled the United States to become a “more perfect union,” correcting its errors and moving toward greater justice.

The founders believed, as historian Wilfred M. McClay put it, that the best constitution was one “built with the crooked timber of selfish humanity in mind.” That’s why they formed three branches of government. They wanted each branch to check and balance the others to make it difficult for one person or one group to take complete control.

So, I understand the dilemma. It’s no fun to think that our vote is nothing more than choosing the lesser of two evils. That’s why, instead, we should choose candidates based on how likely they are to lessen evil when it comes to life, liberty, and property.

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Dr. Jeff Myers is president of Summit Ministries. As an educator and entrepreneur, Dr. Myers has become one of America’s most respected authorities on youth leadership development. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson referred to him as “a very gifted and inspirational leader.” Evangelist Josh McDowell called him “a man who is 100% sold out to preparing the next generation to reflect the character of Christ in the culture.” Through his speaking engagements and media appearances, Dr. Myers has become a fresh voice offering humor and insight from a Christian worldview. He is the author of 18 books, including the “Understanding the Faith,” “Understanding the Times,” and “Understanding the Culture” textbooks which are studied by tens of thousands of students. Dr. Myers holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Denver. He continues to engage college students through an exclusive Signature Leadership Course series offered with Unbound, a project-based education company that prepares high school and college students to become leaders for Christ in the real world. Jeff and his wife Stephanie and their family live in Colorado.

Summit Ministries exists to equip and support rising generations to embrace God’s truth and champion a biblical worldview. Through conferences online, in Colorado and Georgia, and Summit’s gap year semester, tough questions are raised (and answered) and students are equipped to stand firm in their faith. Summit’s worldview curriculum for Christian schools, homeschools, and churches trains the next generation to love God with their hearts and minds. In all of these things, Summit desires to see generations of Christians mobilized to transform a broken world.