Who to vote for?

As a Christian committed to working out Biblical values in every area of life deciding how to vote is very difficult. Here are some principles, but no one party fulfils them all, so there has to be an element of compromise.

First, as Christians, we are called to love God with heart, soul and mind. So our freedom to worship and obey God is crucial. Which party will best uphold this freedom?

Second, we're called to love our neighbour as ourself. So we shouldn't be choosing where to put our cross on the basis of which party will make me richest. Rather, since God has a bias to the poor, we should vote for the party which best supports those who, for no fault of their own, find themselves at the bottom of the heap. This may mean voting for the party that gives most by way of tax credits and the like, or the party that taxes the poor least, or the party which encourages enterprise so that the poor are employed. This is a tough choice!

Third, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. Which party will best defend our freedom to proclaim Christ as the only way to God? Do any of the parties want to close church schools? Will churches be allowed to continue as charities?

Fourth, though we must always remember that Christianity is not primarily about morality but about relationship with Christ, it's also true that we need to work for what's best for individuals and for society. Upholding God's moral standards will improve society, so questions of abortion and embryo research, euthanasia and assisted suicide, sexual morality and marriage are very important. Which party will be best in this arena?

Fifth, I think we should place special emphasis on children. The scientific evidence is quite clear that children who are brought up by married parents do better in nearly every sphere of life than those who are not.  All three main parties deny or ignore this evidence. Their mantra is, 'stable families of all sorts'. But families where the parents are not married are not  as stable as when they're married (see Cohabitation in the 21st Century). So which party will encourage marriage? Which party will encourage mothers not to rush back to employment, but to do the most important work and to fulfil the most valuable role of bringing up children? Who will dare to say that parenting is more important than earning money? Sadly, on this point, I doubt that anyone will. (Please note, this does not mean that children of single parents are "stigmatised", any more than children of smokers are stigmatised. Smoking harms children. So does family breakdown. We need to face the truth and work for children, not unfounded political dogma).

Finally, we must exclude any party that is racist, and the fact that the BNP only changed its 'whites only' membership rule because it was forced to by the courts means that this party is ruled out for Christians.


For further information about biblical principles and about the parties go to the Christian Institute or Be Thinking websites. Both have excellent articles.