Thoughts on Election Day, “Reparative Therapy,” and an Interview on Faith that Breaks Through

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Dr. Brown shares thoughts on the role of Christians in politics and the importance of voting (and objections to voting), interacts with comments on “reparative therapy” by Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore and then speaks with Matt Moore, who refuses to call himself a “gay Christian,” and also interviews author Lawrence Sparks on his new book Breakthrough Faith. Listen live here 2-4 pm EST, and call into the show at (866) 348 7884 with your questions and comments.

 

Hour 1:

Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: It is Election Day. Vote righteously; vote for candidates that you believe will stand for the key issues of our society so you can look God in the face and say, I voted rightly.

Hour 2:

Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: Yes, we vote. It is a privilege and responsibility, but we do not put our trust in either party (or in the government) to do the work of God.

SPECIAL OFFER! THIS WEEK ONLY!

This week, Dr. Brown is offering a copy of A Stealth Agenda FREE when you purchase a copy of the DVD debate with Harry Knox, A Christian Response to Homosexuality! But hurry, as A Stealth Agenda is only available while supplies last! This out of print resource was published for a limited time and is considered an invaluable tool in understanding the gay agenda! Get both of these powerful resources today for only $20, postage paid! Order Online HERE!

Other Resources:

Dr. Brown Responds to the Election Results

Is There Such a Thing as Ex-Gay? An Interview with Anne Paulk

An Attack on Patients’ Rights; Gay Activists Allegedly Expose Secret Rightwing Cabal; and The Truth About the NC Marriage Amendment

17 Comments
  1. Dr. Brown,

    On voting, this is one area where we disagree, but I do so respectfully. I love and honor you as a brother in Christ, and I’m blessed by your ministry.

    I do not vote.

    I don’t vote for the same reason you said you don’t vote for some candidates — you cannot, in good conscience before God, vote for a certain candidate in all three slots (R, D, I) because of their stands on a certain issue.

    This is why I cannot vote for any candidate.

    All biblical truth is non-negotiable to me. There’s never been a political candidate that holds to the biblical message of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount.

    There’s never been a candidate on the ballot I can cast a vote for and then honestly say before the Lord, “I voted for biblical righteousness and Your candidate.”

    This book reflects my beliefs, “Electing Not to Vote”:

    http://www.amazon.com/Electing-Not-Vote-Christian-Reflections/dp/1556352271/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415128251&sr=8-1&keywords=electing+not+to+vote

    “Description: Ethical discourse about the institution of voting rarely includes the option of abstaining for principled reasons. This collection of nine articles widens the discussion in that direction by giving readers a new question: At what point and on what grounds might one choose not to vote as an act of conscience? Contributors offer both ethical and faith-based reasons for not voting. For some, it is a matter of candidates not measuring up to high standards; for others it is a matter of reserving political identity and allegiance for the church rather than the nation-state. These writers–representing a wide range of Christian traditions–cite texts from diverse sources: Mennonites, Pentecostals, and pre-Civil Rights African Americans. Some contributors reference the positions of Catholic bishops, Karl Barth, or John Howard Yoder. New Testament texts also figure strongly in these cases for “”conscientious abstention”” from voting. In addition to cultivating the ethical discussion around abstention from voting, the contributors suggest alternative ways beneficially to engage society. This volume creates a new freedom for readers within any faith tradition to enter into a dialogue that has not yet been welcomed in North America. Endorsements: People often forget that voting can be a coercive practice, just to the extent it justifies a majority’s silencing of minorities. We should therefore be grateful that these essays raise an issue that too often goes undiscussed. –Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School, Duke University If the definition of a good book is that it challenges long-held and cherished opinions while inspiring readers to think new thoughts and imagine new possibilities, then this is a great book–and one that all American Christians (in particular) need to read! This diverse collection of excellent essays serves as a prophetic call for American Christians to wake up from our political slumber and realize how we’ve been seduced by the idols of nationalism and political power. –Greg Boyd, author of The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church (2006) Half the electorate typically stays home on election day, and not an eyebrow is raised. But if one suggests that people shouldn’t vote for religious reasons, be prepared to run for cover–you’re guaranteed a firestorm of outrage and indignation. The “”sacred right to vote”” still generates powerful emotions, even among those who don’t make it to the shrine on a regular basis. And that’s why the Christian community owes a debt to Ted Lewis and his contributors for raising the uncomfortable question of whether voting may be incompatible with the practice of Christian discipleship. Electing Not to Vote is a provocative but respectful collection that deserves serious attention from Christians of all sorts.”” –Michael L. Budde, Department of Political Science, DePaul University About the Contributor(s): Ted Lewis works as an acquisitions editor at Wipf and Stock Publishers and writes articles and book reviews for Mennonite periodicals. He also manages the Restorative Justice Program at Community Mediation Services in Eugene, Oregon, and provides mediation services and conflict transformation workshops for faith-based communities.”

  2. Nicholas, the case involved a woman that married her half-uncle to gain U.S. citizenship. The New York State statute forbids marriages between a brother and sister, either whole or half, and an uncle and niece or aunt and nephew. But the statute says nothing of a half-uncle marrying a niece or a half-aunt marrying a nephew and so it’s not considered incestuous but equivalent to marriage between first cousins. First cousins can marry in NY and 18 other states but it’s illegal in 25 states.

  3. Amy,

    I elect not to vote for multiple reasons.

    I belong to the kingdom of heaven and I am only an ambassador to America.

    I cannot vote for the candidates that are presented for ethical reasons.

    I cannot give power of attorney to someone that I do not really know.

    I think that Mammon is who most politicians serve.

    The only way to actually change our country for the better is to win the culture in education and media…barring true spiritual revival of extreme proportions, which will certainly effect education and media…and thus the way people vote and the people that will be voted for.

    It has been my goal to bring believers into a fuller knowledge of scripture and a more devout lifestyle. If the body of Messiah cannot agree to live by every word of YHWH, it is fruitless to ask the nation to reject abortion, socialism, irresponsible debt, and homosexual marriage.

    Shalom

  4. Only one ‘spiritual’ reason not to ‘vote’ (only ‘if’ Holy Spirit of true, not of simply emotional ‘conviction’, AND of true ‘promise’ of HOLINESS, also ONLY by ‘Rhema Word’ from Torah TEACHING itself now fully completed, 66 books unto ‘one Book’) clearly saying within the heart of a sincere ‘believer’ as to current certain election at hand, while still living ‘one day at a time’ life, in ‘freedom’ from Spirit of Truth, REAL Spirit of Holiness, speaking thru Torah, as for this particular election, none of ‘current’ candidates EITHER ‘vessel’ for MY use of ‘honor’ OR ‘vessel’ for MY necessary use, of ‘dishonor’ !

  5. b.j.,

    Real spiritual reasons do not negate scripture. Any spirit that says anything in opposition to Torah is of Satan. Those that say they hear from “the spirit” that do not obey the written word are in error. Did YHWH ever say to vote in scripture?…or did he set up kingdoms with their rulers? Did the Greek/Roman idea of democracy come from scripture? If you must, do as you are led…but be prepared to be rebuked for your participation in politics as much as you are prepared to be commended.

    Shalom

  6. Too late, G-d already teaches us in Torah, HE lifts up, takes down (‘participations’ by mere humans, even by emotional downloads into the right side of the outer brain by ‘angels from heaven’, with another gospel, different ‘jesus’ of ‘another spirit’, cannot take any credit, nor punishment for what G-d already has in “teaching us”, HE is above all things) regardless of we mere ‘anthropos’ in thinking our thoughts are all original with mere man, and not by ‘angels from heaven’ INFLUENCES (nor by ‘angels of G-d’ sent here NOT in their punishments, but on assignment as was ‘fellow servant’ of John on Patmos, AND UNLIKE those who left first estate heavenly, and before sent down here, in their punishments, to bring unto us as mere men. a stong ‘delusion’, deserved, when we stop seeking TRUTH, even for short seasons only, and/or delay in seeking TRUTH at all cost, by which we are being ‘measured’ in this ‘initial life’ only, to be lived out in same ‘likeness’ of same ‘sinful flesh’ of first Adam AFTER the fall)

  7. b.j.,

    Are you sure that your way of communicating is not from “emotional downloads into the right side of the outer brain by ‘angels from heaven’, with another gospel, different ‘jesus’ of ‘another spirit”? Noone I know communicates like you do. The Bible sounds nothing like your posts.

    Shalom

  8. I have to admit that this year I was very tempted not to vote- I just had it with this whole thing. I am glad I did take MB advice and vote after all. I can understand where Amy is coming from.

  9. Voting can be the result of Torah’s mandate to ‘pray’ (for ‘leaders’ around this tiny world of initial introduction ONLY, to an ETERNAL human existence beyond these heavens soon to have it’s immediate heavens on all human ‘soul life’ sudden ending of this ‘copy’, from those heavenly ‘dirt patterns’ above) but only where prayer can be put to action, by one’s feet, voice, OTHER than where voting with one’s feet is leaving suddenly, their Country of their birth, in a vote they want to live out this initial life, brief as it may be, but to somehow gain faith, as to what happens after death, of this outer temporal ‘tent’ from here. Torah mandates we pray nothing ‘general’ but SPECIFICALLY ‘leaders’ allow the people to be free to ‘speak’, ‘vote’, ‘write’ their conscience so that true ‘believers’ can participate (within rules, reasonable laws. as are WITHIN Torah, it’s TEACHINGS, using, but not mandating, every law as contained within Torah, even also as on ‘threads’ like this, without life threatening, retaliations of any ‘claimed’ Gov’t of power, which some would like to have such power, claiming they know their militant god desires rule and reign on this now fully cursed tiny Planet under ‘sign of Messiah’s cross’ or ‘denial’ of Messiah’s cross, however especially misappropriating Messiah’s own cross

  10. It seems to me that the moral problems and bad decisions we see happen in government, is largely due to the fact that there are not enough standing Christians active therein, and I think that goes for voters as a whole also.

  11. I think I could vote for a person who is for abortion on demand, yet is the only candidate who is openly against “gay marriage”, if none of the others were pro life.

    I think we need to look at the whole and compare it to the rest of the group to make the best decision.

  12. Ray, I think it would be better not to vote for a pro-abort of any kind, which if enough followers of Jesus Christ show their disapproval by not casting a compromising vote, the party that wants to regain the Christian vote will have to come back to the right, come back to moral sanity in order to gain the large Christian vote.

    Because of compromise over the decades, the right has become the left and the left has become the extreme left.

  13. Egyptians, enslavers of Israel, their ‘leader’ being ‘placed’ as such, not taken down UNTIL having completed his being also a son of first Adam, but unto a ‘vessel’ of ‘dishonor’, unto his Creator’s USE, his fullness of such was then ‘taken down’ by ‘water’ baptism in which he did not come back up in newness of life (an example of resurrection into ETERNAL damnation for ‘first life’ lived out unto ‘order’ of resurrection, and as all from ‘this life’, again in very same ‘likeness’ of same ‘sinful FLESH’ of first Adam). Democracy taken from Greeks, modern Republic taken from Romans has not changed the FACT, voting one in, or out has neither reward, nor punishment for the mere humans ALL from first Adam (who brought suffering to all down here, including MESSIAH as last Adam, by ‘earthiness’ in which Messiah ‘sweat great drops of blood’ unto ENTIRE sanctification from also overcoming first Adam’s fall (even as THE MAN ‘from heaven’ who once here, IN SAME LIKENESS OF OUR VERY SAME PARTAKING IN SINFUL FLESH of first Adam, after the fall, on this beautifully built dust to dust Planet ‘of HIS’, went to HIS ‘own’ cross, for to drink of that ‘dup’, of ENTIRE sanctification, from HIS ‘birth’ from Mary, Adam’s ‘earthiness’)

  14. Dr. Brown,

    You stated you would not vote for a canidate that is for abortion. what about a canidate that says abortion is only justifiable in the case of incest, rape or life of the mother?

Comments are closed.