Should a Christian be a Republican or a Democrat?

As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organization, Got Questions Ministries is not allowed to endorse political parties or candidates. We can, however, speak for or against political issues. In actuality, few political issues are truly spiritual issues. For example, we may prefer lower taxes. However, the Bible does not specifically endorse low taxes; it simply instructs us to pay our taxes honestly (Matthew 22:15–21; Romans 13:6–7). Taxes and other issues—social security, universal healthcare, education funding, immigration, and energy or environmental policy—are not spiritual matters. The Bible does not explicitly address them. As a result, Christians can, in good conscience, disagree on these issues.

Generally, Republicans and conservatives prefer smaller government and individual freedom. In contrast, Democrats, liberals, and progressives tend to favor more governmental oversight of society and the economy. Conservatives argue for capitalism, free from governmental control. Liberals and progressives tend to favor a greater role for government and more socialist policies. The Bible does not explicitly endorse either capitalism or socialism. God has given governments the freedom to exercise whatever authority is necessary. This enables them to fulfill their God-given role of enforcing justice and building order in society (Romans 13:1–7). So, regarding the size and scope of government, Christians can be libertarian, conservative, liberal, or progressive. None of these persuasions is inherently evil or ungodly. The argument should be over which system best enables the government to fulfill its God-given role.

Politically conservative Christians argue that as governments grow bigger and more powerful, personal freedom decreases. If left unchecked, they believe the government can expand into a controlling, authoritarian, and oppressive dictatorship. Historically, there is much evidence to support this argument. Liberals and progressives argue that the government should be heavily involved in providing social services and caring for the poor, the sick, orphans, widows, and the unemployed. They often support this view by pointing to Scriptures such as James 1:27. If these social services lead to greater government control, liberals and progressives are willing to make that sacrifice. Conservatives argue that the more freedom a society and economy have, the more prosperous it becomes. Liberals and progressives argue that some prosperity should be sacrificed for the “greater good.” One economic, societal, or political system may be considered “better” than another. However, neither is inherently evil, immoral, or sinful. Both have strengths and weaknesses. Historically, each system has proven capable of fulfilling the basic biblical role of government.

Issues such as the size and scope of government and economic systems are not explicitly addressed in Scripture. However, the Bible does address certain political issues, including abortion (Genesis 1:26–27; 9:6; Exodus 21:22–25; Psalm 139:13–16; Jeremiah 1:5) and gay marriage (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9). For the Bible-believing Christian, abortion is not a matter of a woman’s right to choose. It is a matter of life or death for a human being made in God’s image. Endorsing gay marriage is giving approval to a lifestyle choice the Bible condemns as immoral and unnatural. Therefore, Bible-believing Christians should support pro-life issues and candidates. They should also support issues and candidates that oppose gay marriage and uphold the biblical and traditional understanding of marriage. Whether these two issues should trump all other issues is a matter of personal conviction.

The Bible teaches that a leader in the church should be a godly, moral, and ethical person (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9). This applies to political leaders as well. If politicians are to make wise and God-honoring decisions, they must have a solid moral foundation and a clear worldview on which to base them. If there is a clear moral distinction between candidates, Christians should take that into account. In such cases, they should choose the candidate who demonstrates greater morality, honesty, and ethical character.

No matter who is in office or whether we voted for them, the Bible commands us to respect and honor them. This applies regardless of political party (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–17). We should also pray for those in authority over us (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). We do not have to agree with them, or even like them. But we do have to honor and respect them. Politics will always be a difficult issue for Christians. We are in this world but not of it (1 John 2:15). We can be involved in politics, but we should not be obsessed with it. Ultimately, we are to be heavenly-minded. We should be more concerned with the things of God than the things of the world (Colossians 3:1–2). As believers in Jesus Christ, we are all members of the same political party. We are monarchists who are waiting for our King to return (Revelation 19:11–16).