“I heard, “Don’t introduce the [Christian] religion into politics. “Is this precisely where it must be brought and placed there before all men as a chandelier?(C. H. Spurgeon).
As they say, “politics is the space of the common good,” a phrase that can be understood as a way of practicing Christian love. After all, it is through political action that many people in the country can benefit from good and justice. But for this to happen, political practice must be based on ethical values; In addition, the transformation of the social situation according to the Christian worldview is also a way of evangelizing, so in order to offer a conscious and responsible vote to Christians, we must suggest some elements to take into account when choosing their choice:
- 1.
- Know the candidate who will receive your vote.
- Look for your personal history.
- Accomplishments.
- Values.
- And proposals.
- Also look for your promises during the election campaign.
- Looking for plausible.
- Follow the interviews candidates give in the media and compare what each one says.
- See also if the candidate is behaving correctly and whether their scale of values is in the public interest; if you identify as a Christian.
- It is important to know which church or community you are affiliated with and whether you attend regularly.
- Seeking advice and being accountable to In any case.
- Do not lose your vote with someone you have never heard of.
- Without knowing your proposals and ethical position during the election campaign.
2. Also check if the candidate’s plans are in line with those of the party to which he is affiliated, because when he votes for a candidate, he votes at the same time for a party, which helps to elect candidates from the same party. , it is necessary to know the programmes and philosophy of the party; in the case of evangelical candidates, it is good to know whether they and their parties not only affirm, but commit themselves to separating the Church and the State, remembering that every authority comes from God.
3. Fight against all forms of corruption, supporting mechanisms to control the use of public funds and government priorities; work together to ensure that projects such as the Clean Registry, which deal with ethics in elections, are known and implemented; denounce the use of the federal, state or municipal administrative apparatus to favor certain candidates; in accordance with Law No. 9,840/ 99, which denounces the purchase of votes with money, social protection programs or promises of personal benefit, as well as those that force voters to vote for certain candidates, either through threats or religious pressures.
4. Support proposals that defend human life and dignity in all circumstances. For the Christian faith, human life is a gift from God, from its conception in the womb to the day of his death. Therefore, the protection of life includes the fight against abortion and euthanasia; suppress violence with realistic public safety policies; promote an ethic of work that emphasizes biblical virtues, such as honesty, punctuality, diligence, obedience to the fourth commandment (?Six days will you work?), obedience to the eighth commandment (?won’t you steal?) and obedience to the tenth commandment (?non-greed?)); defend the right to private property as a fundamental right (cf. Ex 20, 15, 17; 1 Kings 21, 1-29).
5. Review the candidate’s educational proposal, analyze whether it defends the quality and freedom of education, even in the religious sphere, promoting a school of dignity and quality. Also check if you promote individual freedoms by establishing general rules of conduct that result in freedom of expression, association and the press.
6. Reject candidates and parties with synthist and interventionist emphasis in the family, ecclesiastical, artistic, labor and school fields, who conceive an environment where there is little or no personal and economic freedom. For the Christian faith, the family, the church, work and school are independent spheres of the State, since they exist without it, obtaining their authority only from God; therefore, the role of the State is a mediator, intervening when different spheres conflict with each other or defending the weak from other people’s abuses, so Christians should not only not support, but also resist, an authoritarian or totalitarian political system (cf. Hch 5. 29; Ap 13. 1-18).
7. Repudiate ministers, churches or denominations who seek to identify a particular ideology with the kingdom of God or the biblical message. Because, as the Barmen Declaration [8. 18] says, “we reject the false doctrine that the Church could replace the form of her message and organization, at her discretion, or according to the respective ideological convictions and prevailing policies. “The Church, in faithfully proclaiming the Word of God, influences the State, so that its laws may be in compliance with God’s will, resulting in the political consequences of such fidelity to the primary call of the Christian community.
8. Support candidates engaged in proposals and laws derived from the law of God, as revealed in the Scriptures, since it is the absolute and ultimate source of personal, ecclesiastical and social ethics. The candidate must be committed to the social contract, which is an agreement. among the members of a society through which they recognize authority over a set of rules, the Constitution, which limits power, organizes the state and defines the fundamental and guaranteed rights.
9. La assessment of candidates and parties attached to the Republican model of government, in which the nation is governed by constitutional law and administered by representatives elected by the people, as well as the division and separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers, so that the government or branch of government monopolizes power; it also values those who respect the alternation of civil power, which prevents a party or authority from perpetuating power, as well as defending political and partisan pluralism, so candidates who support Decree No. 8,243, known as the National Social Participation Policy (PNPS), must be rejected; this decree violates the constitutional clause of stone of autonomy and independence of powers, and virtually dismantles representative democracy, replacing it with direct popular participation, named, named and controlled by state bodies.
10. Support candidates who focus on the primary functions of the state, where public servants have an obligation to ensure the safety of people, so we pay taxes (cf. Rom 13. 1-7), as well as pointing out the limitation of power, such as the scriptures, it is understood that the civilian government does not have the power to collect exorbitant taxes, redistribute property or income, create free zones, or confiscate bank deposits.
We ask Christ the King, the only and absolute sovereign Lord, to always support us and guide us in our political choices, to make this election a gesture of love for this country and for our brothers and sisters, for the greater glory of God. .
Bibliography
?« The Theological Declaration of Barmen,” in The Constitution of the United Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, Part 1: Book of Confessions (Sao Paulo: Presbyterian Mission of Central Brazil, 1969), 8. 01-8. 28. ?Johannes Althusius, Politics (Rio de Janeiro: Top Books, 2003). ? John Calvin, Institutes or Treaty of the Christian Religion. Ed. Latin of 1559 (Sao Paulo: Cultura Crist, 2006), IV. 20. 1-32. ? Wayne Grudem , Politics according to the Bible (Sao Paulo: Vida Nova, 2014). ?Abraham Kuyper, Calvinism (Sao Paulo: Christian Culture, 2002). ? Augustus Nicodemus Lopes, Ethics in Politics and University: Charter of Principles 2006 (Sao Paulo: Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, 2006).
? Merval Pereira, “Deconstructing Representation”, O Globo (06/08/2014) . http: //oglobo. globo. com/pais/noblat/post. asp?Blogadmin-true