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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Christian Citizenship  /  Voting and Politics  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
David’s “casino commissioners” example argues that even local voting leaves you with “not clean hands” because you empower officials who will oppose God somewhere; how should Christians weigh moral responsibility for downstream decisions made by leaders they helped install, and what does “clean hands” mean in the context of civic participation?
Another way to ask: In the “casino commissioners” example, David says even local voting can make your hands not clean because leaders you support will do wrong things. How should Christians think about responsibility for what leaders do after we help put them in office, and what would “clean hands” mean when taking part in civic life?

Direct Answer David’s point is that voting makes you share responsibility for empowering leaders who will predictably choose some anti-kingdom actions, so “clean hands” means avoiding participation that authorizes such outcomes. Christians should weigh not only intentions but also the real, foreseeable consequences of giving officials power.

Support from Transcript:

  • David argues inconsistency: if Christians don’t go to war, it’s inconsistent to elect a “commander in chief,” or senators who declare war, or representatives who fund it.
  • He extends the point to “even local elections,” which “might seem innocent,” yet can support people who “go against the values and teachings of God’s kingdom.”
  • Real-life example: county commissioners voted to allow a casino; two were Democrats and one Republican.
  • His conclusion: “it didn’t matter which party you voted for… you ended up helping to put into office someone who voted to allow a casino.”
  • He summarizes the moral point: “when you vote, you are not going to have clean hands… You have empowered people who will ultimately oppose God.”
Discussion Follow-ups What kinds of “downstream” harms do we tend to excuse as “not my fault” once we’ve given someone authority?

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