Mike: Now that we have the idea of solidarity with those being oppressed established, I think we should turn to the how. We have talked about the right to vote as one area to subvert. In an election year as epic as the one getting ready to take place in the U.S., this is more important than ever. I have been commenting about this on Josh Brown’s blog as well. I argue that voting, even if for the best candidate that has ever run, is participation in the kingdom of man. And participation is merely an extension of condoning a system of power that has many oppressive elements. What are your thoughts?

Chris: Well, I think between us (and most people that read this blog) that would be apparent. I personally do not vote and will not vote in any election. There are a few different reasons for this. Voting is a right granted to U.S. citizens by our government, whether our current representative process works is irrelevant. By exercising this right, for one example, we order and out our government into place. Therefore, any actions the government takes are our direct responsibility. There may always be a few good actions for a lot of bad. I personally feel by participating in putting that authority into place and validating it’s position by my participation that blood and injustice is on my hands. In the last post I mentioned some of the people that our government’s actions directly affect that don’t have our right to a say in those actions. By not voting we can show solidarity and love for our neighbors who are feeling the adverse affects of our decisions without having a say in them. By taking this action and not voting, we are in a position to be a witness and talk to people about why we have decided this. The third reason is simply that I personally am an anarchist, I don’t believe in any sovereign authority but God. If I were to willingly participate in this government (which acts in direct opposition to what I believe is the nature of our loving God) I am legitimizing that authority in place of God’s rule over my life. I hope that doesn’t come off as self-righteous, these are just a few reasons for not voting that I have thought about quite a bit.

Mike: I would add that even if you voted for the other candidate, the government’s actions are still your direct responsibility. How? Because you conceded victory to the other candidate, you approve of the way the system works. Had your candidate won, you would have expected those in opposition to concede. Therefore, by conceding, you are saying the other candidate’s future rulings and decisions have authority and will stand…even if you don’t like them…even if you hate them.
So if you are a McCain/Palin supporter but the Obama/Biden ticket wins and they end up sending massive amounts of troops into the deadly quagmire that is Afghanistan, you are responsible because you conceded the power to them.
Likewise, if you are an Obama/Biden voter but the McCain/Palin ticket wins and they end up nuking Iran, or unleashing some sort of crazy christian holy war, by conceding power to them, you are responsible.
This is why the kingdom of God cannot mix with the kingdom of man. Like oil and water, you can shake it and it looks mixed, but eventually, they will separate because they are utterly opposed to one another.

Chris: Absolutely. I checked out that blog and one thing I found interesting is everyone still spouting off the old “If you don’t vote, you don’t have any reason to complain”… Which is absolute nonsense. I think, if you choose not to vote, that’s the only way you still have integrity to criticize. If you vote, like you said, you are giving your legitimacy, your stamp of approval, to the outcome. The fact is whatever the outcome, the real outcome is going to have some degree of violence. Can we support that? Every politician in this country will say that (at least part of) the violence is done to protect us (or our interests). By voting are we supporting this claim as well, that we condone violence and receive their protection? Does our protection not come from God not Caesar? Look what Caesar did to our savior, can we be any safer in the hands of authority? If we hire (vote) someone to do our killing for us, we are still guilty of the act are we not?

Mike: I think we are hiring out our safety. Of course this brings up the issue of just war and defensive actions, but that is outside the scope of this topic. When looking at our defense, we in America have a very skewed idea of safety due to our positioning physically. It allows for a safe existence. Events like those that took place on September 11th are not sustainable, even if our government tells us they are. Therefore what we are voting for when it comes to war is who we think is going to allow us to be prosperous. It is our bloated prosperity, our idea of a never-contracting economy, which oppresses others and causes us to go to war these days. I don’t think we will see a politician who has a chance of ever winning basing their policies on truth and living within our means a country. Ironic, since we live in a so-called christian country, with christian leaders and christian government.

Chris: Great point. I have tried to continually remind myself since I stopped voting that when I did vote, it always seemed to come down to the lesser of two evils. The lesser of two evils is still evil. Voting for the lesser of two evils is a major compromise of one’s integrity. So what about those who choose to not vote? Maybe we can brainstorm a few ways to be vocal about your reasons and shed some public light on the issues at hand. Got anything?

Mike: I say we open that question up to everyone.