I know that an entry such as this can be riddled with traps.  However if someone is questioning whether they vote correctly as a Lutheran, or what is the Lutheran way to vote, or if their vote lines up with Lutheran teaching; hopefully this entry will be of some help.

Often enough on the news we hear of candidates trying to court the "base vote" of their party, or the "evangelical vote", or the "moderate vote", or the "independent vote."  How about trying to court the "Lutheran vote"?  What is the "Lutheran vote"?

You might wonder if this entry isn't a little late, after all the Missouri 2008 primary has passed.  This entry, harmonious with the Lutheran position on voting as I understand it, isn't meant to be instructive but hopes to engender reflection upon our voting.

Much can be said for the LCMS actually encouraging people to engage themselves with politics and the issues of the state.  That we do so should never be taken for granted.  The reasons and implications of this position are numerous and involved, I only want to touch on one tiny aspect of them:  assuming that the Lutheran should vote, how should the Lutheran vote?

It is a little bit disingenious of us if we suppose that we can vote without our religious convictions playing a role.  Whether we try to suppress them and vote opposite of our religious convictions in a deliberate attempt to divide the two; they are playing a role.  On the other hand many votes, I suspect, are actually cast because of our religious convictions.  Our religious convictions determine how we vote.  In either instance religious conviction are playing role; what is disputed is precisely what role they should play and which convictions are used in determing how we vote. 

I am conviced that our religious convictions are hardly contained within either political party's platform, both good as well as poor can be found in either party from a Lutheran perspective, and for that matter many forms of government.

As I understand it the Lutheran position about voting is something along these lines: One vote is no worse than any other. 

That might seem a little pessimistic, but stating the position this way avoids pitfalls that the Lutheran vote ought to avoid.  First, namely, the perception that there is such a thing as the absolute correct or God mandated vote and that we should figure out what that is and vote that way.  There are many problems if we vote while thinking like this; the least of which and yet still very significant, is that we will ascribe to the government, ask them to consider and implement, way more that is beyond their scope.  I contend, and I'm pretty sure Lutherans as a whole do also, that it is not the perogative of our government to perpetuate Christian truths, but theirs is to curb chaos and to protect their citizens from violence. 

Second, stating the position this way also encourages voting humbly; that is while the government's role is not to perpetuate Christian truths; this is the job of the Church and of Christians, my Christian convictions do influence how I vote.  Voting humbly means given all the information I have about the candidates, their parties, and how I perceive God would best care for the world in his "Left Hand Realm"-- the realm of the state, I vote my conscience trusting the checks and balances of the system and God to take care of a mistaken or misinformed vote.

And we ask nothing less than that of every Lutheran member; to vote your conscience, as sure as you can, with the information you have at hand and the way you best perceive God to care for his "Left Hand Realm", not trying to force either the "Right Hand"-- his rule in the Church or "Left Hand" realm upon the other. 

That is why, I suppose, we won't ever hear of courting the Lutheran vote.  The Lutheran vote, given we are free to vote our conscience, is as vast and as diverse as there are Lutherans.

Far from instructive, how could it be?  I hope this entry caused some reflection.