Skye Jethani: How Should Christians Vote?

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2016 is an election year unlike any other. Many Christians are confused about how to vote with neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump representing the policies or ideas they want to see leading the government. This video explores the hidden opportunity this unusual election offers Christians to rethink their assumptions about politics and cultural engagement.
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Read more from Skye Jethani: www.skyejethani.com
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How should a Christian relate to the culture? For generations, Christians have been told to either escape the culture to avoid its ungodliness, or to aggressively engage the culture by seeking power and control over it. But are those a Christian’s only options? The Voting Booth presents a third path for a new generation of Christians seeking to love both God and their neighbor.
Written as a fictional dialogue between Christian, a confused voter, and three spirits of cultural engagement-Exodus, Exile, and Incarnation-The Voting Booth addresses many of the questions being asked by those struggling to follow Christ in our post-Christian age like:
-How do I respond to those who view Christian faith as oppressive?
-Why has Christianity become so political?
-What role does fear have in Christian cultural engagement?
-How should I interact with neighbors of other faiths?
-Have Christians lost the “Culture War”?
-How should I think about voting as a Christian?
-What is the role of the Church in the culture?
With engaging writing and surprising twists, The Voting Booth will challenge your assumptions and leave you with a new way of imagining your place in the culture.
What others are saying about "The Voting Booth"
"As an immigrant-turned-citizen facing only my second chance to vote in a presidential election, I am troubled by the options presented. Opinions from Christians abound, complete with blogs and Bible verses, but no clear path emerges. Skye’s allegory tale succinctly- if also slightly simplistically- represents the two dominant paradigms of Christian response: the call to escape, and the call to engage. He then offers a third perspective rooted in the incarnation. While the tale stops short of instruction, it is abounding in wisdom. This is an accessible read that provides a thoughtful way to name and evaluate the subconscious grids that undergird our approach to political engagement or disengagement. Best of all, it offers us a way to reflect on our perspective, posture, and purpose in a Christ-shaped way."
-Glenn Packiam, Pastor at New Life Downtown
"Skye Jethani is one of the most clear-headed, sober voices writing on faith and culture today. The Voting Booth raises questions many Christians wrestle with and provides answers that challenge and delight. In a time of political unrest and cultural upheaval, we can't afford to ignore what this book has to say."
- Jonathan Merritt, author of Jesus is Better Than You Imagined; contributing writer for The Atlantic
“In a creative and compelling way, Skye Jethani has written yet another book that pushes the American church in the right direction. His uncanny ability to put his finger up to the wind and chart the right direction forward is a huge help to our community as we navigate the increasingly treacherous waters of the secular west.”
- John Mark Comer, pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church and author of Loveology.
"In The Voting Booth, Skye Jethani beautifully crafts a dialogue between ‘Christian' and three personified postures we can take toward our culture. Eye-opening and thought provoking, Skye clearly illuminates the dominant but destructive attitudes that have dominated the American church for the last 100 years, and then shines a light on a better way. Highly recommended!”
- Phil Vischer, creator of VeggieTales, What’s In The Bible, and The Phil Vischer Podcast.

[@kristyburton6507]

THANKYOU for helping me

[@peterkrebs-xh9mh]

This message is as relevant in 2024 as it was in 2016 and 2020.

[@shaluyt]

This gave me great insight! Thank you for showing the silver lining, this still applies. God bless you!

[@kmaidotia]

Conclusion? So what are Christians to do, not vote? You lost me. Christians have very limited options.

[@ralphsmith480]

Not sure I got much clear guidance from this video. However even though I couldn't vote for either candidate in 2016, a year after the election it looks to me like the better (though not the ideal) candidate got elected

[@venomfangnext]

What if we "chose our culture" in hindsight this makes sense. Skye is slowly showing that the culture is more important to him, and adapting to it over scripture

[@shreddog35]

Hi. Just found this video in my suggested list and wanted to let you know that I’ve been trying to encourage Christians to not vote for about the last 5 years. Romney was my last “lesser of two evils” vote. I realized I’d been married to the Republican Party since I picketed abortion clinics in high school, but that nobody I voted for ever seemed to do anything about it. I also found Christian Anarchism and realized how brainwashed I’d been all my life in the aspect of “patriotism” and what we actually do as a nation around the world with wars that have nothing to do with freedom, and everything to do with world bankers and the corporation that is the USA. Anyway!😆 thanks for your video👍🏼

[@Revdrgregmamula]

I would like to hear you elaborate further on the idea of fear and power and control. The idea that we desire and are supposed to have the control is what led to fall in Genesis 3. We were created to live in a submissive partnership with God, yet along the way we sought the control and power. Our fierce protestant, post enlightenment, reformation emphasis on autonomy is part of the problem. (I understand we are to be WITH God, but of the over, under, for, from images I felt that one thing missing from that great work was our desire to just be completely separate and autonomous from God). Our own theology teaches we are to have the control over our churches, salvation process, and more. What do you think Skye?

[@fairsky84]

What do I think? I think I couldn't say it better than you just did. Our secular age has enshrined the autonomous self and expects everything and everyone to bow to this god. Among its many problems, this god is supremely insecure and afraid, and seeks control over all things to mitigate its fear. That's why even God- or just the idea of God- is related to via the Under, Over, From, and For postures I outlined in my book, WITH. That's the paradox of the autonomous self. At the same time it claims autonomy it denies it by ceaselessly trying to use and control everything around it. The autonomous self is simultaneously an illusion and a ruthless master.

[@stevekerp1]

I spent a lot of time in Daniel 4-5 during the election. God rules over the kingdoms of men and appoints over them whoever He chooses. Among our mistakes were 1) looking for a political savior, and 2) voting out of fear, and 3) believing an awful lot of lies from the mainstream media. I appreciate your work, Skye, and hope to meet you some time.

[@IcyHedgehoger]

Did you get your ethics from Donnie Darko?

[@licoreen]

Read the book a couple weeks ago. Felt really inspired - that life might not be so dismal even with two untrustworthy presidential candidates. God is bigger than the US government, and we can trust Him. But who will I vote for? I still can't help comparing what our nation would be like under the leadership of each and asking: "Which would be worse?"

[@ConsueloCastanuela]

You owe Pres Trump a bunch of apologies, look more like Christ? Every person has used was imperfect.

[@jeffreyhughes3883]

I totally agree with this video! Fear is almost never a good motivator for any kind of cultural engagement. For too long, evangelical Christians seem to be only interested in protecting their own influence and cultural power. With the exception of abortion, we've lost the reputation that Jesus had, someone fighting to protect and defend the vulnerable. I think fear is the reason for this as we've constructed political enemies and decided fighting them is our first priority. I guess I might have to buy the e-book but I still feel pretty lost as to what to do in November. I think both candidates are corrupt and my conscience would not feel clear for having contributed in putting either in power. At this point, I do feel one candidate is worse than the other so I'm seriously considering the lesser of two evils route. It just seems the two party system is so limiting, it's hard to put your political philosophy into practice when it comes to actually voting. Perhaps the solution is to simply vote for the lesser evil yet do so without fear.

[@fairsky84]

I agree- the two party system does severely limit our options, but even if we had 10 parties to pick from I don't think we'd ever find the perfect Christian candidate. Ultimately the problem isn't just the candidates or the system, but what we as Christians expect from them.

[@elizabethszwed7851]

Pure nonsense. Obvious how you lean.

[@deniselynn7944]

Believers have more power in prayer so pray voting doesn't have much power voting is fixed prayer is of the spirit of God...!

[@cliffordishii3738]

Let's evangelize Biblical Christianity to America as an alternative answer to what Americans face ion 2016

[@tim2972]

You showed that u need to avoid vids about politics, u not good at it and lack sense. But Sick of church and Celeb pastor vids are great

[@waltode6]

Do you know Mr Moore personally, you appeared to slandered a fellow brother in Christ by calling him a nasty man with no heart. What evidence do you have to back up your claim? Was it necessary to say, in light of what you are arguing for in this video?

[@shreddog35]

Donald Trump called Mr. Moore that, not the pastor in this video. He was showing a tweet from trump that said that.

[@jademm]

The number one issue that Christians should take leadership in tackling is America's RACISM. This election and various current events (immigration, refugees, police shootings, flouting of Native rights/treaties) have opened up wounds that the American political system has NEVER had as a top priority to address within their platforms. Racism is weaved into the fabric of the nation but America is neither confronting it nor repenting of this deeply ingrained sin. What has disturbed me most is seeing how several white, male leaders within the evangelical Christian world are persuading others to vote for a man who has openly degraded women, non-whites, foreigners and the poor--the same people who very likely occupy their churches or non-profit organizations. If the Church is divided among itself, then how can it preach of unity and peace to the world? Honestly, it disgusts me and leaves me enraged. It really shows the disconnect that exists within the body of Christ (it shouldn't be this way and there is a remedy for it). I'm glad that this conversation is finally happening out in the open. We can't expect to keep doing the same thing and expect different results. As much as I appreciate this video, the question of WHO to vote for still remains. Would you suggest that, for this election year, Christians should NOT vote at all? Vote for an alternative to the Republicans and Democrats (e.g. Libertarian, Green)? Just refrain from voting for a presidential candidate but vote in everything else (Congress rep, Senators, state governor, public referendums, constitutional amendments)? Or are you leaving it up to each individual Christian's conscience to decide which option to take? I think the latter is wise but your main argument still rings true. We need to think independently and find alternatives to stale, predictable approaches that honour both God and fellow human beings.