Serious question: Do you not consider what you believe is important before voting?

Question

Not necessarily based on religion but on all your personal ideas and ideals? If you feel strongly about something do you not vote accordingly? How is that different from anyone voting how they feel best if they have a religious affiliation? Are we not aware of this when we vote for a person?

Answer 1

no i vote for the least amount of bullshit and factor in corruption

Answer 2

I don't think religion alone is a good justification for a vote. While it's a nice idea, religious affiliation doesn't take into account economics, social issues, or simply good politics.

I do not consider the religion or political party of a candidate - I consider only the candidate's platform and issues, if that makes sense. In the last two elections, I voted for Democratic candidates, but this election I am more than likely going to vote for a Republican candidate because that's who I happen to like.

Answer 3

Yes, your religious beliefs, or lack of them, is going to be important when you vote. But that is not necessarily the same as saying that you will vote for someone on the basis of their beliefs. For one thing, most of the candidates in the US are going to be Christians of one stripe or another. For another, the religious label they pin on themselves is not very indicative of their moral values or their competency for the job. Since I belong to a minority in both politics and religion, I have to weigh all the factors involved before I vote. Perhaps people in a majority position can vote by knee-jerk, but frankly, I do not recommend it.

You know, voting machines used to have a large lever for the party which would automatically pull the smaller levers for all the candidates of that party. To do other than simply pull one of these large levers was called "splitting your ticket," and tended to mark you as something of a rebel. Of course, a person waiting outside the booth could tell you were voting the straight party line, because the large lever made a different sound, and was done much more quickly. People would grow impatient with standing in line and start to grumble about "wasting time" splitting your ticket.

I'm glad we've gotten past that, aren't you?

Answer 4

Yes I vote by my ideals but being a libertarian in a two party system makes that hard. The only problem I have had with people who "vote by the book" is that the one I have met just vote for who ever is the "religious candidate" and do not seem to take any other issues into consideration. I guess one advantage of being a libertarian is that you learn to give and take because you don't have a candidate that can fit all of your ideals.

Answer 5

Depends on the country I guess. For some reason religion is a huge subject in the USA.

I vote in Holland, we have a different political system, with a lot of political parties. I honestly have no clue if the woman I usually vote for is religious or not.

And I'm very, very interested in politics. I read everything. But I can't recall her mentioning anything about her religious beliefs. And of at least 90% of the members of parliament or of our government, I have no idea what they believe.

I do know what they stand for on issues that matter to me: environment, equal rights, development aid, etc. But God or No God? No idea :)

Answer 6

Doesn't everyone base their voting on their beliefs - religious or otherwise? I consider a candidates full picture before voting. While I have had to vote for someone who was contrary of my beliefs in one area their beliefs in another area outweighted the others. I have a couple of key areas that I would never vote for that person if they were against my beliefs but there are some areas that I will let in under the curtain if need be. There will never be a candidate that you agree 100% with you have to weigh all their beliefs against yours.

Answer 7

Yes I do but at the same time, politicians need to keep their beliefs to themselves sometimes and focus on what the people want instead.

I hear too many things based on THEIR religion and the way THEY grew up. Yet, they're not listening to US... it's all about THEM.

Gay marriage against their religion and belief? Psh. What about the needs of the others and not just them?

Our beliefs should be based on how to advance in our country as in terms of goverment, taxes, healthcare, and fixing a bunch of things that need to be fixing. Yes, people CAN care about others to help out without having a religion preference.

It shouldn't even be based on religion anyways. Aren't we the UNITED States of America? Seems pretty divided to me since we all hate on each other for stupid and petty reasons.

But, in a way, it should be personal as in what you think is right but not in a way that's going to put down people (again... gay marriage). We should all think positivily and find a median to where we should meet... a compromise. A compromise shouldn't be the answer but I don't like someone meddling in my personal life and what I want to do. Gay marriage is immoral and that's why it's illegal? Psh. That's the way THEY feel, not everyone else. What business do I have to stop someone if they feel like they need to get married? It's not murder. If I choose to go to hell, then I face the consenquences of my action. I'm not taking a life and I'm not hurting anyone so how should it be illegal?

Again, it's supposed to be about the people (and the gay marriage is an example) but it's not. It's just a big campaign, parading around millions upon millions of dollars to put their ads and signs out "Vote for ME!" just to win. It's a big popularity contest.

Compare it with lawyers. If you have a lot of money, you're going to get a very good lawyer. If you're poor, you ain't getting anything.

Answer 8

That's the whole idea. I'll get back to on this...

Okay, I'm back...my old friend Thomas Jefferson had one idea for this government. He did not want any single person to Legislate, Adjudicate or Administer power. His idea was a new way to 'Communicate' the law. His Representative Democracy, as he saw it, was the fastest way to get the mandate of the majority to the central governing body. That is when our argument on "Big Government" began. Heck, if old TJ would have seen the telephone coming 100 years later, he would have allowed for us to gradually assume all of the power ourselves...those "We the People" he spoke of so highly. Somehow, over the last 200 years, business and industry have tamed Jefferson's free-willed giveaway of power and managed to keep control of our nation's course and speed. Which is not all bad...since it turns out that "We" aren't all solid people.

So, just like TJ had to figure out, how do we take this garbled message of ours, focus it, amplify it and get it working?

First, we need more choices. The 2 party system needs to go. Candidate-produced TV commercials need to go. The "Voting for Dummies" ballot system needs to go.

Okay, what's next...it's early on Monday.

Answer 9

Yes. I research what the candidates are representing and make a vote based on this information. And usually the issue is a moral one (as defined by the Bible) that is most important to me. If it not a person but a law or referendum, then I again look at moral issues if they exist, and then impact on society, as a whole.

Answer 10

Yes, I do. But what I want is a political leader who is able to make moral choices without foisting his or her religion on others. I am not opposed to religious people in office, but I'm very uncomfortable with situations like the current one where intelligence was cherry picked and the ultimate decision on whether to go to war was left to an entity that may not even exist.

Answer 11

I vote according to my beliefs- absolutely. How could we not, because no matter what you believe, you have to be true to that- or it is really a false belief. Being a Christian, who I vote for does make a difference. I have to vote according to the Word of God, or I am not true to God and His Word. Many candidates believe in abortion, for one example- if they do I cannot vote for them, no matter what else they may stand for. Granted there are many other issues to consider, however if I voted for someone that went against the Word of God I would be going against everything that I believe in.