In the 2020 presidential election, despite record turnout, 80 million eligible voters decided not to vote.
Of that number, 25 million Christians did not vote.
Sadly, new research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, led by Dr. George Barna, indicates that millions more Christians are unlikely to vote this year.
The university reported, “Barna’s latest research shows that only 51% of all faith voters (defined as followers of any religion) are likely to vote in November. That means a full 104 million faith voters are unlikely to vote this election – including 41 million born-again Christians (defined by their beliefs regarding sin and salvation, not self-identification), 32 million regular Christian church attenders, and 14 million who attend an evangelical church.”
Wow! 104 million faith voters are unlikely to vote this election? 41 million Christians not voting? That’s 16 million more non-voters than in 2020.
And the big question is: Why aren’t they voting?
The research pinpointed several reasons why Christians in particular are stepping away from the voting booth:
For Dr. Barna, these statistics reflect a deeper crisis of disengagement and distrust: “A lack of confidence in the process, frustration with the choices, and a general apathy toward the political sphere have left millions of believers on the sidelines,” he explained.
The University of Arizona further showed, “The survey showed a disconnect between the issues that congregants want to hear about and those that are being addressed from the pulpit. While 67% of regular churchgoers reported hearing teachings on religious freedom and 63% on poverty, fewer received instruction on:
The least-discussed topics included the role and authority of government (34%), the Israel-Palestine conflict (33%), artificial intelligence (18%), and immigration and border security (25%).
I would add one more critical ingredient for Christians’ election apathy: modern Americans have forgotten what the nation’s founders expected for our role in society and particularly the role of religion.
Too many have bought into the false secular notion that spiritual people (with their voice and vote) need to stay far away from worldly government and politics. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The way I see it: Re-educating and reigniting the founders’ original intent would in fact help fan into the flames the election passions of the entire faith community, no matter what your religious preference.
Our own U.S. Library of Congress documents, “Religion played a major role in the American Revolution by offering a moral sanction for opposition to the British – an assurance to the average American that revolution was justified in the sight of God. As a recent scholar has observed, ‘by turning colonial resistance into a righteous cause, and by crying the message to all ranks in all parts of the colonies, ministers did the work of secular radicalism and did it better.’
“Ministers served the American cause in many capacities during the Revolution: as military chaplains, as penmen for committees of correspondence, and as members of state legislatures, constitutional conventions and the national Congress. Some even took up arms, leading Continental troops in battle.”
Even on the PBS show, “History Detectives: Special Investigations,” it explained how “the Revolution became something of a religious crusade. Jonathan Mayhew, the pastor of the West Church in Boston, gave moral sanction to the war by preaching that opposition to a tyrant, in this case the British occupiers, was a ‘glorious’ Christian duty.
“Some ministers became military chaplains. One such Presbyterian minister, James Caldwell, famously helped at the Battle of Springfield, New Jersey, in 1780. Upon noticing that the company had run out of wadding, the paper used to hold the powder in the barrel of a gun, he ran to a nearby church and procured a pile of hymn books for the job.
“Ministers could also take part in the more clerical side of the Revolution. John Witherspoon was a political parson and represented New Jersey in the Continental Congress from 1776 to 1782. Not only did he serve on over one hundred committees, but his signature can be found on the Declaration of Independence.”
The Heritage Foundation explained the overwhelming clergy and Christian influence in the founding of our nation, including in most of those who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution: “The Founders identified themselves as Christians. Clearly, they did. In 1776, every European American, with the exception of about 2,500 Jews, identified himself or herself as a Christian. Moreover, approximately 98 percent of the colonists were Protestants, with the remaining 1.9 percent being Roman Catholics.”
One thing is clear about our founding era: Clergy, churches and Christians were the conscience of the nation. Their activity and participation in every arena of culture – from politics to education and entertainment – kept a civil, moral and religious check on our republic.
Though the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits a religious test for the election of a president, the founders preferred to elect God-loving politicians who upheld all the tenets in our Declaration and Constitution, and truly believed that we were endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.
In the modern era, however, the corruption of the First Amendment, foremost with the Johnson Amendment, has been used to prompt fear and stifle American Christians’ voice, vote and First Amendment liberties. As a result, most pastors and Christians steer far away from being involved or even giving commentary on politics or the election process.
The fact is, the First Amendment protects religious voice and convictions anywhere in our republic, from church pulpits to congressional corridors. Yet, most have been convinced by secular progressive sources that we can’t share our religious convictions in public arenas like schools and churches. (Read the truth about the Johnson Amendment here.)
As a result, the Christian conscience of the nation has largely slumbered through decades and decades of indifference, hence enabling secular progressives the opportunity to seize and redirect our country and values.
Tony Perkins put it well in his Daily Signal article: “[Lyndon Johnson] never intended to bar advocacy organizations from mentioning elected officials, or pastors and churches from commenting on candidates. … Unfortunately, the Johnson Amendment certainly has been used in this way.
“So, the mainstream media can shape news and political opinions across our country, but church leaders can’t even inform their local parishioners to make educated votes without ‘breaking the law’?” (Read Dr. Jim Denison’s excellent article, “What should pastors say about the election?”)
Perkins added, “This ban is at odds with our own history. Since the birth of our nation, pastors and churches have been at the forefront of shaping public debate and our choice of public servants.”
Jesus himself said of His followers, “You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill, and the salt of the earth. And if the salt loses its’ saltiness, what use is it?” (Even Jesus and His Apostles opposed government wrongdoing.)
Modern America is light years away from our founders’ original intent for the First Amendment or their understanding of the role of religion in America, which was to produce and maintain civility and morality.
George Washington warned the American public about the future restrictions on religion in his Farewell Address (1796) after his two terms as America’s first president: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
How contrary are Washington’s words to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ words this past week.
Kamala was speaking on her pro-abortion presidential goals when Christian University of Wisconsin-La Crosse juniors Luke Polaske and Grant Beth in the audience (one of whom was an undecided voter) yelled, “Christ is King! Jesus is Lord!”
Kamala retorted, “Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally!”
The crowd yelled and applauded in affirmation.
The two Christian students testified later on national news what happened next: that they were “getting shouted out, pushed, assaulted, screamed at,” and then got kicked out of Kamala’s rally.
Tyranny to suppress religion (and our First Amendment) is as alive and well as it was during the Reformation and Revolution! If for no other reason, that is why we need to get out and vote!
Interestingly, Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, J.D. Vance, was speaking about his faith and politics a few days after Kamala’s rally, when he was also interrupted by an attendee who shouted, “Jesus is King!”
Vance’s response was the exact opposite of Kamala’s: “That’s right. Jesus is King,” he said.
He added, “Frankly, whether you’re a person of Christian faith or not, Donald Trump and I are going to fight for your right to live your values, because that’s what the First Amendment protects. And I think whether you’re a Christian, a Catholic or any other faith or no faith at all, when you see an American leader, when you see a surrogate of Kamala Harris insulting people of the Christian faith, I think that we should say to every single one of those people, you’re fired. We’re not giving you any more power.”
Vance is absolutely right. Kamala has a long history of anti-religious (especially anti-Christian) sentiment and actions, which will tragically continue if she is the president. See his evidence here. See also her anti-Catholic record here.
No wonder, according to Dr. Barna, Christian voters are “a game-changer” in this election, whether they refuse or rush to get out to vote.
Conservative political activist, author, podcast/radio talk-show host Charlie Kirk took it one step further by calling the present apathy of Christian voters “a five-alarm fire” for Trump, if they don’t get out to vote.
That is why I urge you, fellow spiritual Americans, to pause what you are doing today and take four immediate actions:
Friends and fellow Americans, now is not the time for indifference or sitting on the sidelines of the battlefield. We need ALL people of faith to awaken not only to their First Amendment rights, but even more importantly to their righteous role in our republic, which includes their God-given right to vote.
Former President Ronald Reagan was absolutely right when he said, ” If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
For more insight into the status of America and this upcoming presidential election, please read the recent excellent and insightful Special Edition of Whistleblower, “Kamala’s America.”
Also, my wife, Gena, and I just saw Dinesh D’Souza’s new film, “Vindicating Trump.” WOW! This is a must-see powerful, insightful and inspiring exposé and documentary for ALL Americans showing what the mainstream media will never tell you, including how legal ballots can be purchased and added to polling rolls. Please watch it this week. Stream it, buy the DVD or watch the trailer here.
