8 Questions to Ask Yourself During Election Season

An interesting name picked up traction during the last presidential cycle.

Trump supporters (and conservatives in general) were nicknamed with the moniker of “Deplorables.” The term caught on, with my friend and radio host Todd Starnes even publishing a book called The Deplorables’ Guide to Making America Great Again (A great read, by the way).

During that time, I participated in a radio interview for a liberal Washington, D.C., talk show. A listener called in with what I hoped would be a genuine question. Instead, I heard the words, “Burn in hell, maggot.”

During my interview, I tried to defend the fact that this nation was based on the Ten Commandments and godly principles, citing facts that are part of our nation’s rich history.

I have debated hundreds of leading leftists, and frankly, pleaded with them for their very souls.

The liberal host, an atheist, responded with sarcasm and contempt at every mention I made about God or morality. When I said that the Supreme Court was wrong to redefine marriage (which goes against 2,000 years of Western civilization, not to mention our own national moral foundation), the host accused me of calling for lynchings and the killing of LGBT people.

I have learned in hundreds of media interviews with leftist journalists, as well as interactions with the academic elites of the left, that they—like former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton—truly believe people of faith are “deplorable.” Deep down, they find the idea of God and morality deplorable.

The notion that we are accountable to a moral law and the reality that we will one day give account for our actions and face a holy God is met with scorn and derision. Hillary Clinton believes Christians and moral people are deplorable, because we are reminding the Left of something they really don’t want to think about—God, the ultimate Moral One.

I’ve spent more than 20 years speaking on college campuses and giving media interviews. I have been a part of countless debates over the years that question God’s existence. When the cameras stop rolling, many people look me in the eye, searching, and ask, “Is God real?” But in front of the camera, or the classroom and courtroom, the fight against God rages on.

Pastors, religious leaders, and churches help restore the moral and Christian fabric of our nation. The left is trying to abolish that which they find deplorable—God. But when America has been sanitized of speech and people deemed “unfit” and “deplorable,” who, along with God and morality, will be “dealt with”?

You and me. People of faith. Conservatives. I have talked with and debated many leading leftists, and frankly, pleaded with them for their own souls. Some are honest enough to admit their desire for God and to talk with me about their spiritual questions. But most, in their desire to legitimize things that deep down they know are wrong, dig in their heels for the fight against God. And the target they are firing at most are people of faith—people of values, churches, pastors in their pulpits, religious schools, soup kitchens, and ministries led by Protestants and Catholics. You know, all of us “deplorable” people.

Why the Actions of We, the Deplorables, Matter

Why do elections still matter? Many issues could be mentioned, but one of fundamental importance to every American is our national security.82 King David, called a man after God’s own heart in Acts 13:22, was also a man of war. God did not allow David to construct the Temple in Jerusalem, leaving that task for his son, Solomon—whose hands had never known bloodshed.

We can interpret this in a variety of ways. Does this mean God views military activity as something intrinsically wrong? Did God view the blood that David shed as a stain that irrevocably defiled his religious worship? If so, what might this mean for a Christian’s views about national security?

Any leader who denies the danger from radical Islamist terrorists is not making the people’s safety a priority and should not have a place in office. Our nation was founded on biblical ethics. Many today dispute this, but John Marshall (the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court) wrote in 1833: “The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and Religion are identified. It would be strange indeed, if with such a people, our institutions did not presuppose Christianity, and did not often refer to it, and exhibit relations to it.”

Some question how maintaining a strong military reconciles with Christ’s admonition to “love thy neighbor.” But in wrestling with this, consider several undeniable realities of the 21st century: More nations than ever before have access to nuclear weapons. The world has become an increasingly violent place, and world news is dominated by endless acts of terrorism. The Christian moral code that shaped and civilized the Western world has been all but discarded.

Unsettling to think about, but this is truth.

What should be America’s commitment to national defense? And what about the question of Christians encouraging a strong national defense, serving in the military or becoming a law enforcement officer? If a government operates with a Christian moral code in view, it is permissible—even honorable—for a Christian to serve as a police officer or as a soldier. Further, military weakness in this fallen world is simply not a realistic position. It actually opens the door to greater evils.

President Theodore Roosevelt was a devout Christian; after leaving office, he turned down college presidencies to spend several years self-publishing a Christian newspaper. In 1905, he said, “There could be no greater calamity than for free peoples, the enlightened, independent, and peace-loving peoples, to disarm while yet leaving it open to any barbarism or despotism to remain armed.” Belief in a strong national defense is not only biblical—it is mature, responsible, and morally right.

Roosevelt arguably presided over a much safer world than we do, yet in his day he lobbied for a strong military because “the world is as unorganized as now.” Because of their biblical and moral underpinnings, Roosevelt believed that America and the West alone could secure for the rest of the world “a just peace.”

After the election of Trump, many wondered what will our next president do to shore up national security? What will our commander-in-chief do about immigration policies that have undermined the safety of U.S. citizens? In recent years, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (at the behest of the White House) has opened the borders to tens of thousands of refugees with ties to terrorism—dumping these people (who are sometimes dangerous) in heartland communities, and in a very unorganized fashion.

In 2016, a chief of police in a mid-sized American city gravely explained to me that over the last four years, authorities had uncovered and intercepted more than 100 terrorist plots designed to be carried out locally. So here is the question: How committed will our next president be to make sure that we are not subjected to another 9/11?

That the U.S. is a benevolent, compassionate, philanthropic nation is not in question. But a commitment to bettering the human condition does not mandate that national security be compromised in the process (nor the welfare and wishes of American voters be ignored).

Let’s be realistic: Terrorism exists, and for a leader of our country not to acknowledge this fact or pretend that these threats are a thing of the past puts the American people at risk. Any leader who denies that danger, including from radical Islamist terrorists, is not making the people’s safety a priority and should not have a place in office—nor does that leader deserve our vote.

Military initiatives exist because of the pervasive presence of evil in the world, which itself is a result of the human propensity for sin. Christians should remember, though, that their king has already fought the most important battle. Jesus, through His death on the cross, triumphed over His enemies (Col. 2:14).

When Jesus returns, He will fully consummate His victory and His kingdom, making all things new (Rev. 21-22). There will then be no need for human government, a standing army—nor for local police forces. But until the Prince of Peace returns, it is honorable and biblical for Christians to stand for the “greater good” by supporting that which promotes the “common good” (i.e., peace officers, a just military, and civil authority). Electing candidates who believe in a strong national defense is not only biblical—it is mature, responsible, and morally right.

Transgenderism and National Defense

In a similar way, as the media and Internet collectively melt down over President Donald Trump’s seeking to ban from the military those who struggle with gender confusion, the president may be about a higher purpose than he realizes. So much more than sexual accommodation within the military, or within the culture at large, is at stake. The mainstreaming of homosexuality, the redefinition of marriage, the eisegesis of rights into the Constitution where inalienable rights previously would never have been implied—none of these social and political machinations could be implemented unless a pesky (for the left, anyway) little problem were forced out of the way: natural law.

Great thinkers throughout history, religious and philosophical leaders, not to mention the framers of our nation, have called it by many names: self-evident truth, objective morality, undeniable truth, and “natural law.” Space does not permit delineation of all implied by natural law, but for the purposes of this article, let me point out three things natural law would tell us:

1. Males and females are different. People of every era and culture know this.

2. One’s gender is an inherent and unalterable part of what it means to be a human being.

3. These things come from and are tied to God.

Since the 1960s, our culture has been at war with natural law. We know deep inside that killing babies is wrong, for example. But to legalize abortion and not feel guilty about it, we’ve spent decades engaging in mental gymnastics, denying that life begins at conception and quibbling over when a human fetus should be recognized as a person.

Regarding the long-term conditioning of public consciousness so that homosexuality is gradually accepted—or at least, over time, made to appear less counter-intuitive—our children are fed junk science and junk history. Historical revisionism, to spin opposition to natural law in a positive light, has birthed a cottage industry of what could only be called “anti-knowledge.” (In a couple of debates I have done, pro-LGBTQ academics have said to me, “Throughout history, the nature of marriage has always been fluid.” This is simply false.)

But to usher in the moral and social changes that progressives and leftists envision, natural law must be abolished. Or at least recognition of natural law must be abolished. The problem is, you can’t abolish what is part of the DNA of reality. Alexander Hamilton, whose influence on the creation and understanding of the Constitution can hardly be overstated, spoke often of “natural law” and God, and of our obligation to acknowledge both. Hamilton called this moral law “eternal and immutable law” and stated that it is “obligatory upon all mankind, prior to any human institution whatever. This is what is called the law of nature…Upon this law depend the natural rights of mankind.”

Because of our desire to legitimize behaviors we know are wrong, humans ignore natural law or try to deny an awareness of it. But Hamilton and the Founders believed in human accountability to natural law, because in our consciousness and in nature, God has inexorably revealed moral truth. Hamilton said, “The sacred lights of mankind…can never be erased or obscured by mortal power. No tribunal, no codes, no systems can repeal or impair this law of God, for by His eternal law, it is inherent in the nature of things.”

In jettisoning natural law and God, from whom it emanates, we are positioning ourselves for a very bleak future. And we are paving the way for a hell on earth for our children’s children. One of two futures await America and the West in the absence of a recovery of moral truth and natural law: either the iron fist of communism or the iron sword of Sharia. Only the affirmation of natural law and morality, and government based thereon, are sufficient to hold those two forces at bay.

The framers of the Constitution understood that if we recognize God’s weaving of natural law and objective morality into the fabric of life, we could experience a blessed “manifest destiny.” Should these things not be recovered, we will continue to head toward inevitable tragedy. In mandating that our military not capitulate to the transgender lobby, the president scored a point for the defense of natural law.

If support for natural law is restored, President Trump will have done more than strengthen our military; he may ultimately contribute to the saving of America.

8 Questions That Show Elections Still Matter

Although a growing number of Americans are choosing to “walk away” from the polls and neglect conservative issues altogether, this pivotal time in America’s history is too important for any citizen to turn away.

Christian voters, pastors, and churches have a huge stake in the outcome. Not voting means not only throwing away our privilege and duty to vote, but also essentially casting a vote for someone who may do more harm to the country than good. We each have both the biblical and the civil responsibility to not only vote but to take our values, and some serious considerations, to the polls with us.

As we face elections, whether local or presidential, here is a list of eight considerations for those who seek to support candidates who support godly values and constitutional government:

1. Remember that “the perfect is the enemy of the good.”

God can use any presidential candidate for His purpose; all candidates are flawed. Will we allow these flaws, which we all have, to make us cast a protest vote or not vote at all?

2. Will my life be better or worse under this president?

When people are given this line to fill in before the last presidential election—“My outlook on the culture as a whole compared to 10 years ago is…”—about 96 percent reported they felt “worse” about the culture, with the remaining reporting they felt “better” or “the same.”

3. Will this president protect my religious freedom?

What are the candidates’ plans for preserving the religious liberties on which the country was founded, especially as more and more freedoms are being taken away?

4. How will this candidate protect life?

Abortion, euthanasia, and other life matters have historically been important issues for voters. While the Republican platform is one of the most pro-life in the party’s history, the Democratic platform asserts that a woman has the right to abort her unborn child, a black mark on the nation since Roe v. Wade in 1973.

5. Will this candidate protect our country?

The safety and defense of the country is of paramount importance. National security and recognition of those who seek to harm America must be a priority for our elected officials.

6. Who will these leaders agree upon for the Supreme Court?

Appointments to the court have longstanding impact, one of the most important considerations of the election. Within his first two years as President, for example, Donald Trump had the opportunity and responsibility to appoint two Justices—decisions that will influence our nation for years to come.

7. Will this elected official protect the financial resources with which God has entrusted us?

Many people continue to struggle in today’s economy, and many policies could be enacted to ease the financial burden on Americans. All human beings long to have the dignity that comes with providing for their family.

8. Will I feel good about the decisions this political leader will make?

Overall, will I still be glad that I voted the way I did in 10 years? And, more importantly, did I carefully consider my vote in prayer?

Our recent midterm elections have once again revealed the importance of choosing candidates that support our American values. When Americans voice their vote in ways that encourage patriotism and constitutional government, the aspirations of our Founders’ continue to find fulfillment today.