WILLIAM J. FINNIGAN Christians, too, have a responsibility to vote

What a marvelous privilege we have as American citizens! We can actually have a voice in who governs this great land. This is unheard of in most parts of the world.
Unlike the tyrannical dictators who dominate those under them, our forefathers established a republic in which adult citizens can exercise the right to elect public officials. In this critical day, that must not be taken for granted.
Christian conflict?
Why is it that less than 50 percent of eligible voters ever get to the polls? Many excuses prevail, but that's no reason to relinquish the privilege and responsibility to evaluate the candidates and vote accordingly. But more specifically, what about Christians who feel justified in just "praying" or "trusting God" about the presidential election, without exercising their voting right? Isn't that the "spiritual" or religious thing to do?
When Jesus was confronted about paying government tax, he asked for a Roman coin, upon which was an inscription of Caesar. His retort was: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." His accusers were disarmed by such wisdom. He was teaching that his disciples were not any less responsible to governmental law than anyone else. There's no contradiction between being a true Christian and a loyal American citizen. That's why it's possible to be a God-fearing believer and political leader at the same time. I think Ronald Reagan demonstrated that principle.
Dependency
There seems to be a spirit of dependency in all of us, and thus an aversion to individual liberty. Even those who were liberated from the communist regime in Russia have had a hard time adjusting to new-found freedom. There seems to be a false security in having others control our lives, taking care of us from the womb to the tomb. Passivity is easier than active responsibility.
That may explain why some released convicts don't know how to handle the freedom from the "security" of the prison environment. So it becomes an effort to "exercise" political freedoms, just as the exercise done at the gym. A statesman once said: "If a man will not use his freedom to defend his freedom, he doesn't deserve his freedom." We need to heed that axiom regardless of our political persuasion.
Much at stake
There's much at stake in this coming election. Our religious freedoms are eroding before our eyes under the guise of "separation of church and state." Much confusion has surrounded this concept because it has been misinterpreted to mean separation of "God and State."
What our framers of the Constitution meant was the "distinction" between the function of the Church and that of the State. There was to be room for moral law (e.g. Ten Commandments) along with civil laws. The state was not to dictate religious practice, nor the church to run the government.
This explains why that "distinction" has been successful for so many years, while still having our coins inscribed with: "In God we trust." There's no contradiction there because of the Biblical precepts upon which our republic was founded. The ACLU's attempt, for instance, to totally secularize our country is indeed not "constitutional." There's room for people of faith in America and the freedom to express religious convictions without being considered "kooks."
Be counted!
It's time for Christians to stand up and be counted here in this world, while passing through to the world beyond. Faith in God does not nullify our responsibility to exercise the voting rights so graciously given us in this tremendous land of opportunity. See you at the polls!
XWilliam J. Finnigan is the director of biblical instruction for the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley.