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Politics
ARPA Note: The following article was submitted by a reader in response to a previous article on ARPA's site. We welcome other readers to submit articles for consideration but reserve the right to decide what to publish. A recently posted article, titled “Gambling at the Ballot Box”, offered a brief critique of what is perceived to be the attitude of many Christians when it comes time to vote in a federal election. The article begins with the important reminder that our vote is both a privilege and a responsibility, an assertion I agree with. Arguing that many Christians treat an election as if it is a “gambling game”, the article criticized some pragmatic voting practices, such as avoiding hopeless campaigns and supporting those who have the best chance at defeating a dangerous candidate. Instead, it encouraged a vote “cast in accordance with our beliefs”, implying that these positions are often incompatible. This response will argue that they are not. As stated, the right to vote is indeed a responsibility; but that must be explained. What, precisely, is the vote of a Christian responsible for? Without a stated goal, we encounter a myriad of conflicting objectives. Do we stand in line to ease our conscience? To cast a vote for candidates that agree with the greatest possible number of policies we support? Do we fixate on one issue that we care about and support it to the exclusion of all others? Or do we vote for a result that will see our values most accurately reflected in Parliament? The answer to this question will determine which name ends up on our ballot, and they do not all arrive at the same conclusion.