Encouraging involvement in election process
Is it right or wrong to encourage members of our church to register to vote and participate in the election process? This encouragement would not include suggestions or recommendations regarding how to vote on any particular issue or candidate. Please include Bible references regarding your response. Thanks!
It is certainly proper to encourage members of our churches to register to vote and participate in the election process. What our churches cannot do, as you indicated, is endorse any candidate for political office. Doing so would be a violation of the Internal Revenue Code.
Participating in the election process is part of responsible citizenship. While the Bible does not address your topic specifically, passages like Matthew 22:21, Romans 13:1-7, Titus 3:1 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 speak of proper civic attitudes.