As a Christian I know that God rules in the affairs of men. However, He also respects the power of choice He has equipped us with. The main reason for which He allows us to choose is because He has made us rulers of the earth and partners with Him. He has given us a sense of responsibility. Our will, emotion, mind and body are gifts God bestows us with to enable us exercise the power of choice.
In the matter of elections, I have heard candidates on the campaign trail make statements such as “God will determine the winner of the election,” “The battle is the Lord’s, “Insha Allah” and so on. Now, my question is, “Which God are we talking about?” The Christian God? Muslim God? Krishna God? Which God?
It is amazing that in a democratic system, politicians will use the name of God to win elections. If we wanted God to determine who should govern us as a people, why didn’t we opt for theocracy, instead of democracy? In a theocracy, God is the source of law, development and all policies. In a democracy, laws and policies are made by the people or the representatives of the people.
In a democracy, the will of the people overrides the will of God. In Bibical history, when God rescued the Israelites from Egyptian domination, he established a theocratic system where He ruled the people according to His purposes, plans and principles. One day the people petitioned God’s prime minister to, “make us a king to judge us like the nations” (1 Samuel 8:5b)? The prime minister didn’t agree but God yielded and ordered the prime minister to grant the people’s wish. God instructed the prime minister to “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). In spite of being cautioned that the new leader would be corrupt, they were adamant, “we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations” (1 Samuel 8:19b-20a).
So they got their wish. They became like the other nations. They got a king, “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others” (1 Samuel 9:2). The new president was described as youthful, handsome and tall. How many times have we not voted for people because they had these attributes?! No reference was made to his character. Eventually, his character proved to the nation that they were wrong. His name was Saul.
Someone may say, but Saul was anointed by Samuel. Wasn’t the anointing an appointment by God? Nope. The anointing was God’s endorsement of the choice the people made. It was God’s way of saying, “I respect the choice of the people, although he is not my choice.”
In nations where elections matter, there is always a register of voters. It is only people who get enrolled on the register who get to vote. During electioneering campaigns, candidates appeal to people who are registered to vote. This is crucial, as those who are able to make the most compelling case to voters are the one who get voted for.
So why do politicians in Ghana bring God into their campaigns, since He is not listed in the voters’ register and our constitution or electoral laws do not allocate any super votes to God? I offer an explanation. Many Ghanaians are sentimental about issues of faith, God and spirituality. On the campaign trail, when a politician invokes God, they do so seeking to present themselves as God’s preference for the people – thus getting the electorate to see them as the anointed one. Some candidates also do so to borrow God’s integrity in order to gain trust with the people.
I find that approach as both deceptive and indolent. Deceptive because, God does not appoint leaders in a democracy. He does not endorse leaders before they are chosen. He endorses after the people have chosen. Any candidate who presents himself as God’s appointed is merely seeking to twist the people’s spiritual affections for political advantage. Again, which God? What about those who don’t believe in God at all.
Again, I say that indolent politicians exploit God for electoral purposes. In electioneering campaigns, candidates are expected to sell ideas that inure to the benefit of the people. In the case of Ghana, the basis of such ideas are encapsulated in the constitution, particularly in Chapter six where the directive principles of state policy are delineated. The task of crafting and promoting policies and solutions in accordance with the directive principles of state policy is an arduous one. People who are mentally lazy would want to take the easy way out by whipping the sentiments of the electorate.
As a Christian, I am happy to have a candidate who believes in God. But I will not vote for you simply because you believe in God. I will look for evidence of your faith by looking at your character and policies.
When we vote for people in the name of God, we cannot hold ourselves responsible and our candidates accountable. One of the hallmarks of any democracy is accountability. We must own our choice so we can demand accountability.
Terry Mante is an author, consultant, trainer and speaker.
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