LOOKING FOR ANSWER

I'm turned off by the political rhetoric in the news today. As a Christian, am I obligated to vote in public elections?
There is no question that Christians should vote. Christians can honor God and assist in guiding our nation by voting in elections at all levels of government.

LOOKING FOR ANSWER

I see no hope for the circumstances in our nation. How can I even begin to pray?
We often face problems so complex that there is no apparent solution. Billy Graham has said, "I find that the Lord never allows a problem for which He does not provide an answer."

MY ANSWER

Do you think it's possible to be a Christian and also hold public office?
Billy Graham writes, "Over the years I have known a number of men and women who were devout Christians and who also held public office ..."

MY ANSWER

Who should regulate Internet pornography—the government or Internet service providers?
Billy Graham writes, "I frankly don't know the full solution; I doubt if any single action will bring this scourge to an end."

MY ANSWER

The Bible doesn't tell us we have to vote, does it?
Billy Graham writes, "The Bible does command us to be good citizens—and one of the ways we do this today is by voting."

MY ANSWER

Every week, our pastor prays for the president, as well as for a better world. But I honestly wonder what good it does.
Billy Graham writes, "Yes, we live in a world that is filled with danger and evil—but if God's people neglected to pray, our world would be a much worse place."

MY ANSWER

Some people think you can't be a Christian and also be in politics. Do you think that's true?
Billy Graham writes, "The Bible is full of examples of men and women who gave leadership to their people, and yet did not compromise their moral and spiritual convictions."

MY ANSWER

Last year, our church had a gathering for the National Day of Prayer, but very few people showed up. Are things like this a waste of time?
Billy Graham writes, "Could anyone honestly say that our world doesn't need prayer? Since our earliest years as a nation our leaders have called us to prayer, especially during times of crisis."

MY ANSWER

Do you think we'll ever get back to the days when they allowed prayer in our public schools?
Billy Graham writes, "I know this is a complicated political and legal issue, and I have no way of knowing if we will ever return to the patterns of the past."

MY ANSWER

I work in our county's tax collection office, and I don't understand why Jesus condemned tax collectors so much. Am I doing something wrong?
Billy Graham writes, "No, not at all; you have an important responsibility, and the Bible encourages us to support good government by our taxes. The Bible says, 'Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue' (Romans 13:7).

MY ANSWER

Do you think there's any hope of reversing all these problems with our political system?
Billy Graham writes, "Yes, there is always hope—and the reason is because God is concerned about these things even more than we are, and He has the power to drive us to our knees and change our hearts if we will seek Him."

MY ANSWER

One of my relatives said I have a God-given responsibility to vote. Is he right?
Billy Graham writes, "If everyone stayed home from the polls and neglected to vote, our system of government soon would come to an end. Eventually we would lose our freedoms and end up with some type of dictatorship."

MY ANSWER

What, in your opinion, is the greatest hindrance to the growth of Christianity today? Is it atheism, or is it some political system that has no use for God?
Billy Graham writes, "Christians in different parts of the world would have different answers to your question, because they each face different kinds of opposition."

MY ANSWER

I know the Bible says we ought to help the poor, and I guess I agree with that, but can't governments do this better than churches?
Billy Graham writes, "I'm thankful for the work governments and others are doing to fight poverty and disease in many parts of the world; the task is too great for any one agency. But Christians should be in the forefront ..."

MY ANSWER

My office has become a very unpleasant place because almost everyone in it has a very strong opinion about the political candidates, and they argue about politics all the time. Why can't people just keep their political opinions to themselves?

MY ANSWER

It seems like every time our family gets together for a reunion we end up arguing about politics - sometimes pretty viciously. We'll be having a family picnic on the Fourth of July, and already I'm dreading it. How can we get out of this rut?
One way to avoid this, of course, would be to agree among yourselves that you simply weren't going to talk about politics. You may even be able to suggest this in advance to one or two people who can influence others.

MY ANSWER

I know you try to stay out of politics, but some very controversial moral issues will be coming up in the next election in our state, and some of us feel we ought to take a public stand and try to get them defeated. Should we?

MY ANSWER

People keep urging me to vote but I think it's just a waste of time. I care what happens to our country and all that, but I don't think one vote makes any difference. And anyway, Jesus never said anything about voting, did He?
Jesus didn't live in a democracy; the people of His day couldn't vote and they had no choice about who would rule them. What would happen if everyone felt the way you do?

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