American Council of Christian Churches
79th Annual Business Meeting, October 27, 2020
Video Conference
Resolution on Morality and Voting
God’s Word details what is just and right. It tells men to “love the Lord thy God” supremely and to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30-31). Sadly, Adam, the first man and representative head of the human race, failed to adhere to these great commands, bringing death and depravity to all mankind. Every imagination of the thoughts of men’s hearts soon became only evil continually, and the earth was filled with corruption and violence (Gen. 6:5, 11). God sent a world-wide flood to judge the earth for its wickedness and spared Noah and his family through a floating ark. After the waters subsided, God instituted civil government to restrain evil for all future generations (Gen. 9:5-6). He also confounded the language of men, and scattered them all over the earth, “ha[ving] determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; [t]hat they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him” (Acts 17:26-27).
In each respective nation, God established “higher powers” to be His “minister[s] . . . to [men] for good.” Except for the covenant people of Israel in the Old Testament, God did not specify what form of government each country should have, but He ordained each to 1) “praise” those who obey just laws and 2) “execute wrath upon [those] that do . . . evil” (Rom. 13:1-4). Each government then, in accordance with the Ten Commandments, ought to institute laws which 1) honor God-ordained authorities in their respective spheres, 2) protect innocent, human life, 3) uphold biblical marriage and gender roles, 4) respect private property, and 5) esteem truth-telling. These governments also ought to respect their citizens’ free and voluntary worship of God, acts of charity, and freedom of conscience in matters of business and public life (1 Cor. 10:31).
In the United States of America, each law-abiding citizen has the ability to elect federal, state, and local officials to rule the land. Voters must become acquainted with political parties and prospective candidates if they want to ensure that justice is properly administered. An examination of the Bible and the current political landscape indicates that no one will administer justice perfectly if elected (2 Chron. 6:36a, Eccl. 7:20), but some candidates and parties will seek to undermine scriptural standards more than others.[1] If elected, many on the Political Left intend to implement policies that are far worse than what is proposed by those on the Right. These would attack marriage, gender roles, families,[2] private property,[3] innocent human life (particularly in the womb),[4] capital punishment, national security, honorable reputations,[5] equal tax rates,[6] and religious liberty.[7]
Therefore, the American Council of Christian Churches at its 79th Annual Business Meeting, October 27, 2020, resolves to warn Christians of those who misrepresent Scripture, political candidates, and/or party platforms in order to justify poor electoral decisions.[8] We pray that God would “turn [their] counsel . . . into foolishness” (2 Sam. 15:31). We furthermore exhort everyone to “submit . . . to every [just] ordinance of man” (1 Pet. 2:13, cf. Acts 5:29) and pray “for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2, cf. 2 Chron. 7:14). We likewise remind all civil governments: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little” (Ps. 2:10-12).
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Morality and Voting
Morality and Voting BULLETIN INSERT
[1] Gen. 38:26, 1 Sam. 24:17, 1 Kings 2:32, Ez. 16:49-52, Hab. 1:13. See also the 2018 ACCC “Resolution on Multiculturalism.”
[2] This includes their God-given right 1) to choose and fund their own children’s education (Deut. 11:18-19, Prov. 14:34, Eph. 6:4) and 2) to care for their own destitute family members (I Tim. 5:4, 16).
[3] See also the 2012 ACCC “Resolution on Liberation Theology and Socialism.”
[4] See the 2019 ACCC “Resolution on the Culture of Death.”
[5] Ex. 20:16, Lev. 19:32, Deut. 24:16, Prov. 19:5. See also the 2019 ACCC “Resolution on Critical Theory.”
[6] Lev. 19:36, Prov. 20:10.
[7] See the 2019 ACCC “Resolution on Religious Freedom and ‘The Equality Act.’”
[8] See Timothy Keller, “How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t,” The New York Times (September 29, 2018): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief.html/, Eric C. Miller, “Who Is an Evangelical? An Interview with Thomas Kidd,” Religion and Politics (January 14, 2020): https://religionandpolitics.org/2020/01/14/who-is-an-evangelical-an-interview-with-thomas-kidd/, Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli, How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), Keller, Twitter post, September 16, 2020, 11:24 p.m., https://twitter.com/timkellernyc/status/1306433746606977024, Greg Gilbert, “How to Hold Your Tongue About Politics And Thereby Not Split Your Church Over Things the Bible Doesn’t Talk About: AN ADDENDUM, 9Marks Journal (September 29, 2020): https://www.9marks.org/article/how-to-hold-your-tongue-about-politics-and-thereby-not-split-your-church-over-things-the-bible-doesnt-talk-about-an-addendum/, Collin Hansen and David Platt, “David Platt’s Plea Before You Vote,” The Gospel Coalition (September 29, 2020): https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/gospelbound/david-platts-plea-before-you-vote/, and Pro-Life Evangelicals for Biden: https://www.prolifeevangelicalsforbiden.com/.
