Recently, I had a conversation with my hypothetical friend Sal.
“Christians and Jews shouldn’t vote,” Sal said. “As long as we pray, everything will be all right.”
“But Sal,” said I. “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Sal laughed. “Okay, Uncle Ben,” he said.
Although this conversation never actually happened, I think “Sal’s” argument illustrates a deep problem that exists in the Church. The thought that we shouldn’t vote, shouldn’t get involved in politics, etc. is very popular in this day of woke politics and political correctness. “Politics isn’t holy,” and “The church should focus on helping the poor, not talking about government,” and other arguments like these are common beliefs among some Christians.
I will show that voting is a duty for all those that have the good fortune to do so, using the example of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Why Christians should vote
(In case you need a refresher on Uncle Ben’s timeless advice to Spidey, here’s a video)
In 1962, the character of Spider-Man was born in Marvel Comic’s Amazing Fantasy no. 15, and with him, an exceptional idea.
In those comics, Peter’s Uncle Ben gives him this advice — “With great power comes great responsibility” — and so started a legacy. I have no doubt you’ve heard it many, many times if you’ve seen any of the movies or have any young boys in your life.
So what does this tell us about voting?
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. — US Constitution
What is voting, anyway? Voting is power for the individuals of the country, so that they can choose their own leaders. So, as with any power, it comes with responsibilities.
And what is your responsibility with this power?
Your responsibility is to vote if you are informed and make a rational choice based on your moral code for which candidate or bill to support. You shouldn’t vote if you are uninformed and merely following someone else’s guidance, unless you trust them implicitly. Sadly, this code of responsible decision making — where you can rationally decide that you aren’t informed enough to vote instead of blindly following what you think is right — has been largely lost in our culture.
And this is where Spider-Man comes in
It may seem silly to you to use a comic book character to show that voting responsibly is the right thing to do. But comic book characters, and fictional characters in all mediums, have more to say than their value of entertainment. They have messages, and Spider-Man’s message is one of responsibility. Power and responsibility are always equal. The more power one has, the more responsibility they have to do the right thing.
This concept can be seen in life all the time — the father who solely provides for his family has more responsibility than the father whose wife works also; the President of the United States has more responsibility than the father that provides for his family, etc.
Evil comes from ignoring these responsibilities. The father who abandons his responsibility and leaves his wife and children, relegates his wife to get a job, or to sell her valuables to survive. The president who neglects his duty allows his nation to fall further away from the ideals of the founding fathers. Etcetera.
Back to Christians and Jews voting
So, voting is power, and with power comes an equal amount of responsibility. And evil comes if the responsibility is neglected. So why should Christians and Jews not vote?
So…why do some Christians and Jews choose not to vote?
As you will recall, my hypothetical friend Sal thought we shouldn’t vote because “as long as we pray, everything will be all right”. I hate to break it to you, but everything will not be all right.
Here’s an example. Say you’re a Jew in 1940s Germany, praying that your friends and you won’t be killed by the Nazi party. You’ve been praying for your country your whole life, too, but not getting involved in any sort of political change. Is everything all right?
I know that Germany’s citizens didn’t have the same amount of power that the U.S. citizen does, but my point still holds. Praying isn’t something that will set you free from your responsibility to act wisely.
But the Bible says God responds to all prayers! You’re contradicting the Bible!
No, I’m not. The Bible does indeed say that God hears all prayers:
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” — 1 John 5:14
There are two things in that verse you should pay special attention to. “If we ask anything according to his will”, and that “he hears us”. It doesn’t say that God will do anything we ask of him, it says he will hear us if we ask him anything according to his will. These are very different things. God will not do anything we ask of him, just as a good father will not give his children anything they demand. If a father gives his children anything, they will become brats. If God gave us anything we asked for, we would similarly become spoiled and evil. With great power comes great responsibility. The more power, the more responsibility.
So, back to voting
If Christians and Jews do not vote, we will suffer the consequences of ungodly laws such as legalized abortion and no-fault divorce. With great power comes great responsibility. Exercise your power today so that you will still have it tomorrow!
