Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 3
Dean describes being shocked when an Amish patient said, “you bet I am” voting, and then a Baptist coworker pressed him: “If you’re going to vote for the commander in chief, then why don’t you support him in war?”—how does that question expose hidden inconsistencies in how many Christians separate civic participation from moral responsibility?
Another way to ask: How does the question, “If you vote for the commander in chief, why not support his wars?” show that many Christians split voting from responsibility for what leaders do?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The Baptist coworker’s question exposes that choosing leaders is not morally neutral; it links civic support to the real actions a government takes, including war. Dean presents it as a penetrating challenge to Christians who want political influence while keeping distance from the consequences.
- Dean expected Anabaptists “do not vote,” but the Amish patient said, “Well, you bet I am. I voted in the last one.”
- The Baptist coworker then asked: “If you guys vote, well, why don’t you go to war?”
- He sharpened it: “If you’re going to vote for the commander in chief, then why don’t you support him in war?”
- Dean’s reaction: “He totally got that on me… I wish all of us would get, you got that.”
- Dean describes the broader issue: some may keep a church standard outwardly but be “closet Republicans.”
- His concern is not merely voting but shifting trust: looking to politics instead of believing “Jesus Christ has the answers for humanity.”