Reasons to not Support Mitt Romney: Number 4: Fear God – not Barack Obama

by Steve C. Halbrook

(posts in this series: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5)

4. We should support candidates on the basis of the fear of God, not the fear of man (such as Barack Obama)

Some professing Christians seem to realize that Mitt Romney is a bad candidate, and yet choose to support him anyway. Their philosophy is “anyone but Barack Obama.” As long as a candidate – no matter how bad he may be – is not, in their judgment, as bad as Obama, then that candidate should be supported if he appears to have a chance of beating Obama in the presidential election.

The idea is that Obama is – or is at least potentially – so tyrannical, that he must be defeated at just about any cost.

Why such a pragmatic approach? It boils down to this: FEAR. And this fear has so paralyzed these Romney supporters that they would be willing to put into power a representative and promoter of a spiritually dangerous, seductive cult that masquerades as Christian.

But rulers are not to be chosen on the basis of the fear of man, but the fear of God. And when considering the fear of God, voters must base their decisions on God’s requirements, which means candidates must be biblically qualified to rule.

This requires us to “Choose … wise, understanding, and experienced men …” (Deuteronomy 1:13a); to ”look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe …” (Exodus 18:21b). Thus, “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3b/KJV). Candidates must look to Christ, the King of kings, as the highest political authority:

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:10-12)

Romney then is far from being qualified. He is not a man who is wise, just, fears God, and acknowledges the sovereign rule of Jesus Christ. 

If Romney was wise and just, he would attempt to rule by the Bible’s civil code – the only standard for wisdom and justice in the civil sphere. Moreover, as a Mormon, he does not fear God nor acknowledge Christ’s sovereign authority. Instead, he is an idolater who opposes Christ.

Therefore biblical ruler qualifications disqualify Romney from being an option as a civil ruler. And, given the fact that he promotes a false religion that purposes to infiltrate Christianity, he is much worse than the typical unqualified candidate.

Given then that the Bible requires choosing rulers who meet certain righteous qualifications, the lesser-of-two evils philosophy that many Christians use to justify supporting Romney is unbiblical. Although I’m not even sure if Romney is the lesser of the two evils; in any case, Romney and Obama alike are each far from being biblically qualified. 

(The lesser-of-two evils approach, when consistently applied, also leads to the absurdity of supporting Hitler in order to keep Stalin out of office. After all, Hitler killed fewer people in comparison – but I don't think many pro-Romney pragmatists would support Hitler. However, given that Mormonism advocates spiritual murder, which is worse than physical murder,  is Romney much of a better choice than Hitler?)

Note that the Bible nowhere states that we are to choose rulers negatively, based on the other candidates' demerits, but positively, on their own merits. The Bible requires choosing “men who fear God” – not “men who seem to hate God less than the other candidate.” 

Moreover, the Bible does not tell us to "choose men [such as Romney] who promote a religion that attempts to lead professing Christians astray with a false gospel” – in any circumstance.

The solution to defeating evil then is to do good, not evil. We are not to do evil that good may come (Romans 3:8). We must not violate God’s standards for choosing civil rulers, but adhere to them. Scripture says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Supporting Romney, however, is an attempt to overcome evil [i.e. Obama's evil influence] with evil [i.e. Romney's evil influence and violating biblical ruler qualifications].

The approach to voting that says WE MUST choose the “lesser evil” assumes, via its pragmatism, that the moral direction of civil government all depends on man, which, consequently, denies God’s sovereignty over rulers. And in denying biblical ruler qualifications, this approach denies the electorate’s moral responsibility before God. 

To deny God's sovereignty and man's obligation to obey God is to consider God irrelevant. There is a word for considering God irrelevant: atheism. The lesser of two evils approach then is based on atheism.

Moreover, the fear inherent within the lesser-of-two-evils philosophy is contrary to the fear that should motivate one’s decisions. Scripture says,

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Christian voters should heed the warning given to the Israelites:

If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. (1 Samuel 12:14, 15)

Helping evil men in their political ambitions, such as Romney, is a very dangerous game. When Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, helped the wicked King Ahab, God’s wrath was upon him:

But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 19:2)

And when the Israelites insisted on a political leader on their terms, instead of God’s terms, they were warned that they would undergo tyranny at the hands of that leader (1 Samuel 8).

This is all to say that professing Christians who adopt the lesser-of-two-evils strategy when supporting candidates need to seriously rethink their position. It is much worse to incur God’s wrath than Barack Obama’s. And it is also self-defeating to attempt to gain liberty when the means employed can result in being judged with greater tyranny.

When no candidates are biblically qualified, fear of God should motivate one to not support any. One should not insult God's holy majesty by deeming himself wiser than God by rejecting God's holy standards for candidates. To help God's enemies (such as Romney or Obama) gain political power by voting for them is to share in the bloodguilt of their wicked deeds while they are in office, just as one who helps someone else accomplish murder is a party to murder. (And remember, Romney's Mormonism is in the business of the worst kind of murder – spiritual murder.)

The first question one should ask then before supporting a candidate is not "how can I control the outcome of the election?", but rather, “what does God require?” God is in sovereign control, and has already predetermined the presidential outcome. As Nebuchadnezzar would realize after being humbled by God, “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:25b).

Our job then is merely to fear and obey God: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). (The  lesser-of-two-evils approach, however, at best says that fearing God and keeping His commandments is the partial duty of man.)

The duty is ours, the results are God’s. To reject this approach is atheism. FEAR GOD – not Barack Obama. Romney is not worth provoking God's wrath over.

(Some at this point may be asking, "If I can't vote, is there anything I can do?" Yes there is. More on this, Lord willing, in part 5.)

For the basic beliefs of Mormonism, see Mormonism 101 by Kevin DeYoung

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photo credits: 

Barack Obama

© Elizabeth Cromwell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY -SA 3.0)

Romney Speaks in Detroit
© Austen Hufford / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)