THE VOICE OF THE SERPENT: ‘If You Don’t Vote For A, You Are Voting For B’

So, once again, we are at a point where people are starting to make the same old tired argument of: “If you don’t vote for my candidate, you are voting for the other candidate.”  I used to accept this argument — but then I surrendered to the Lord, and to His wisdom, not mine.  Now, every time I hear someone say those words, I hear the serpent telling Eve: “God didn’t really say you’d die…”

First of all, the idea that not doing A means you are doing B a fallacy.  I explain the logic on my other blog dealing with Natural Law.  You can find the explanation here:

LESSONS IN LOGIC: ‘If You Don’t Vote A, You Vote For B’ Is A Fallacy

However, when we deal with issues of God’s Law and morality, the claim that not doing A means you are doing B is not as clear.  First, we need to understand that, unless I actually do B, I am not doing B.  So telling me that not doing A means I am doing B is a lie.  However, whether or not I actually acquire a moral guilt by not doing B is a different question, so we should take a look at it.

To make it easier to consider, let’s paint a better illustration than thing A and thing B.  We will start with a case where not doing something does create a moral guilt.  We will use the crowed calling for Barabbas to be freed instead of Jesus.

When Pilot offered the crowed a choice with clear ramifications — in this case, death to whichever man was not freed — then everyone who cried for Barabbas accepted the blame for the result.  This is because, when faced with a choice between freeing a guilty man or an innocent man, the crowed chose a person they knew to be guilty over one they knew to be innocent.  Therefore, they chose to do something which they knew would lead to a moral wrong.  This made them all equally guilty.

Now let’s look at a modern political example.  Evey election, we are told we have to chose one candidate over another or we are electing that other person.  But what if we object because we know both candidates are morally corrupt?  If you make that objection, both sides will usually argue that you have to chose the ‘lesser evil,’ and that the ‘lesser evil’ is their candidate.  So, they will say, you either vote for their candidate, or you are the same as the people who chose Barabbas.  But this is a lie!

Suppose we have two choices: Trump and Hillary.  Both are morally corrupt, lawless people.  This is true by their own admission and action.  So who is the ‘lesser evil?’  The answer is: neither — they are both evil!  This means, no matter which one you chose, you are knowingly choosing someone you know to be immoral and lawless.  This means, whichever one you choose, you are accepting guilt for whatever they do.

Scripturally, we are morally accountable for our own actions and only for our own actions.  We cannot be made morally guilty for not doing something unless we know — beforehand — that we will be giving aid to or empowering the person to do something we know to be wrong.  If we do this, we become an accomplice.  This means we willingly become part of that moral wrong.  However, if we know someone will do wrong, and because we do not support them, another person who will do wrong gains power, we are not guilty either way.  And this is our Scriptural solution.

If you vote for either Hillary or Trump, it doesn’t matter because you know (or should know) that both will do wrong.  So no matter who you chose between them, you are accepting guilt for whatever they do.  But, if you know someone you believe will at least try to do right, and you vote for that person, then, if Trump or Hillary win, you are not guilty of any wrong they do because you did not accept blame for their actions.

This is logically and Scripturally sound, and it is at the heart of John Quincy Adam’s admonishment:

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”

You will have to make your own decision, but I am going to vote so I can answer to the Lord — not men.  This is why I cannot vote for either of these two people. 

[NOTE: I no longer think of my voice as anything special.  There was a time when I believed I had something important to say, but not so much these days.  I write now because I feel driven to do so.  Something inside me will not let me rest until I post the pages you just read.  I’d just as soon not bother anymore.  It all seems like no one is listening and I do more harm than good.  So I have come to trust that whatever it is driving me has all this under control.  Personally, I believe it is God, but others may not.  All I ask is that, if anything I write helps you, or you think it might help others in any way, please, share this page.  Re-blog it, share it on FB or send the link to your friends.  So long as you feel it will do more good than harm, then please, use this page however you wish.  Thank you.]