We recently sat down with Craig Huey to discuss how Christians can vote their values in elections. Huey is an author and a political commentator who has run for Congress, and his newest book, The Christian Voter: 7 Non-Negotiables For Voting For, Not Against, Your Values, released last year.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length. You can watch the full conversation at My Faith Votes here.
MFV: At My Faith Votes, we equip and empower Christians to pray for our leaders, think biblically and vote consistently. You address those three issues in The Christian Voter: 7 Non-Negotiables for Voting For, Not Against, Your Values. So, let’s begin with thinking biblically. How would you describe that?
CH: A Christian worldview is based upon the Bible, and so you have to know what the Bible is saying about some key things. In my book, I identified seven key biblical worldview non-negotiables.
For example, every Christian should be able to understand the importance of life, of being able to protect the unborn based upon Psalm 139 and other portions of Scripture. Protection of life is absolutely critical.
And what about the persecuted church, our brothers and sisters throughout the world? They endure torture, slavery, death; horrific things. Where do the politicians stand on advocating for religious freedom worldwide? Never before has the [global] church been under such a great attack as it is today in the area of holding on to our conscience, of being able to express our Christian beliefs without intimidation and fear that we’re going to violate some law that’s going to end up with us receiving a fine or going to jail.
So those are a couple of key issues every Christian needs to take a look at. And if a candidate does not stand in alignment with biblical values and you vote for that candidate, then you’re voting against your values. You want to vote for your biblical values.
MFV: How can pastors help their congregations understand these seven non-negotiables in the context of what they’re hearing in the media?
CH: Pastors need to stand up. The church in America is under attack like never before. Basically, we’re in a post-Christian society. We’re in a culture that’s becoming more and more hostile to Christianity.
And what do we see in Scripture? If you read through the New Testament, you see that Paul and the apostles and Christians were constantly under attack by their culture. And they were people who stood firm.
There were so many pastors in this last election who never talked about the election. In fact, they should have talked about the election and how to vote your values, not Democrat, not Republican, but key issues based upon a biblical worldview.
MFV: In your book, you talk about the war on Christianity. What are some examples of that?
CH: There are so many examples. Jack Phillips, the Christian baker, when he was asked to do a cake that violated his conscience, a cake decorated for a gay couple, he stood firm and didn’t compromise. And he’s been in the court at least eight times.
And there’s Barronelle Stutzman, a florist in Richland, Wash. When a gay couple asked her to do their wedding, she said she couldn’t use her creative talents because she believes marriage is between a man and woman in America. She went to court, but the Supreme Court decided not to hear her case. She’s going to lose her house, her retirement and her business just for standing firm in the values of her faith.
Schools cannot tell kids that we believe in the sanctity of marriage. This new promotion that undermines biblical teaching is being forced upon Christians. It’s a religion of the left, of secularism, of atheists, and it’s treating Christianity as an enemy of people. And we’re being marginalized that way in so many different areas of life. That’s why Christians need to vote.
MFV: One reason we started My Faith Votes is because we learned that there were millions of Christians not voting in elections. Some feel they don’t have enough information about candidates, especially when it comes to judicial elections. How do you help people make decisions in those instances?
CH: Judges are critical in fighting for freedom because so many judges are what we call “judicial activists.” They legislate from the bench; they’re transforming government and society from the bench.
A strict constructionist is one who believes in following the Constitution, not what they think or believe in politically, but what the Constitution says. That’s the type of judge you want. At craighuey.com we have researchers who study voting records and voluntary questionnaires for judicial candidates. We gather this data and we rate the judges nationwide on who’s a judicial activist, who’s a strict constructionist and how to vote your values.
Most people, when they see ballots for judicial races, leave them blank. Who then is able to win the election? Those who want to destroy freedom, to attack Christians. They’re the winning judges because the left is so mobilized and organized. Take a look at the campaign donations and endorsements. The donations to these judicial races are huge. It’s a planned, coordinated campaign to really stuff the judiciary during the elections. So you want to make sure you vote for the good ones. {eoa}
At My Faith Votes, we encourage you to stand for both high voter participation and voting your values. Upcoming elections include gubernatorial races in California (Sept. 14) and Virginia and New Jersey (Nov. 2). Learn more about the candidates and access Christian Voter Guides here.
My Faith Votes is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square. Website | myfaithvotes.org; Twitter | @MyFaithVotes; Facebook | My Faith Votes.
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