In reply to James Gibbs.

John, when you teach people the Bible, it can't not have an effect on them. It colors and shapes their values, their thought processes, everything. Christians have the Word of God, and they also have brains. God didn't give us explicit directions for every contingency of the future because he expects us to take his Word and use our brains to apply it to each situation. We need to trust that Biblical preaching and teaching will guide people. That doesn't mean people who vote differently than you are going with "feelings instead of facts," or are being like the wayward Israelites of the Book of Judges. It just means they disagree with you. And that is going to happen whether we like it or not. What do you want--pastors to order people which party or candidates to vote for on pain of excommunication? How would that work? If I thought voting a certain way would cause me to be shunned or penalized at my church, I wouldn't let the door hit me on the way out.