I suppose I should begin with a “trigger warning:” what follows is entirely political, though I write not primarily as a citizen but rather as a priest. I write because I feel the need to, though I also write with fear and trembling. No one has asked me what I think about the election in my vocation as a priest, and no one is obligated to read this reflection. I do not speak for any of my ecclesiastical brothers or superiors nor for my parish or diocese ; in fact, some (perhaps many) will certainly disagree vehemently with my convictions. Such is the nature and risk of faith in a time of civic confusion and distress. We each seek the wisdom of Scripture and Tradition, we each pray and fast, we each use all the spiritual “tools” of discernment we have, and we each stumble forward into the fog trusting that the Lord can use our very imperfect understanding and obedience to his glory.

The Wisdom Literature in Scripture and in the Judeo-Christian Tradition lays before us two ways, the way of life and the way of death, the way of blessing and the way of curse, with the intent that we choose life and blessing. We often do not. But, we cannot say we have not been warned in history and law and proverb and psalm and prophecy and parable.

Scripture and Tradition teach us to chose rightly between good and evil. In his Spiritual Exercises and Rules for Discernment, St. Ignatius of Loyola teaches us to choose prudently between greater good and lesser good or, perhaps, to chose which of equal goods God might wish to bless in our lives. What sometimes seems lacking in Scripture and Tradition is clear teaching on how to choose between bad and bad, discernment in those times when we are presented with two evils, on how to deal with Woody Allen’s assessment of our cultural moment (presciently made several decades ago):

“More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.”

This seems to be the choice facing us as the Presidential election looms: despair and utter hopelessness or else total extinction. I am not overly prone to hyperbole, so the actual situation is likely worse.

On the one hand, we have Donald Trump. Let’s consider Mr. Trump in light of the scriptural two ways tradition.

The Way of the Flesh

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, 20 sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21, ESV throughout).

The Way of the Spirit

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:22-24).

A similar comparison is made in Colossians.

The Earthly Way

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another (Col 3:5-9a).

The Spiritual Way

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Col 3:12-15).

Judge for yourself which way Donald Trump has chosen, but as for me, I see in him no evidence of any fruit of the Spirit.

On the other hand we have Vice President Harris who is now apparently the standard bearer for a modern day cult of Molech which champions the penultimate idolatry of near total human autonomy leading inexorably to the child sacrifice she euphemistically calls “a woman’s right to chose” or “women’s reproductive rights” and to the idolatrous ritual mutilation of bodies young and old through gender “reassignment” therapy. It is not that she defends such rights as tragically unfortunate but allowed by the Constitution; no, she actively promotes them as positive goods which should be enshrined in law.

Despair and utter hopelessness or else extinction: how do we even pray for the wisdom to choose? How can we choose prudently, how can we choose Christianly when both choices are worse than foolish, when both choice are anti-Christian?

I do not see a way for a Christian to vote for Donald Trump qua Donald Trump, that is, to vote for him precisely because he fails to exhibit any of the fruit of the Spirit. “What we need in the White House is a liar, a sexually immoral, angry, jealous, divisive man,” is not a Christian sentiment. It is nonetheless possible to vote for Mr. Trump in spite of these things, if one determines through prayer and prudential judgment that the Republican platform — on the whole — aligns more nearly with Christian moral teaching than does the Democratic platform: not for the moral failings of the candidate, but in spite of them. Frankly, what concerns me most is the cult-like embrace of Donald Trump by many Evangelical Christians, the too-ready acceptance of Trump precisely because he is Trump, the “Trump will be Trump” wink and smile endorsement by those who think and hope that Trump will use the ways of the world to bring about the Kingdom of God. Vote for him if you choose, but surely with prayer, fasting, and lament that it has come to this.

I do not see a way for a Christian to vote for Kamala Harris qua Kamala Harris, that is, to vote for her precisely because she champions abortion and anti-godly anthropology. It is nonetheless possible to vote for Vice President Harris in spite of these things, if one determines through prayer and prudential judgment that the Democratic platform — on the whole — aligns more nearly with Christian moral teaching than does the Republican platform: not for the abhorrent convictions of the candidate, but in spite of them. Frankly, what concerns me most is the all-too-ready embrace of Harris by many social-activist, culturally imprisoned Christians who have replaced the struggle for obedience and holiness with the demand for self-invention. Vote for Harris if you choose, but surely in sackcloth and ashes, with personal and national repentance that it has come to this.

In other words, my concern has far less to do with what either candidate might do to the country and far more with the seduction each has for the Church and the great damage that has already been done and will surely yet be done to the Church’s witness.

There is another option. Here I refer not to a third party candidate, though some will choose that route. No, the option I have in mind is to fast from voting, to determine that the evil of each candidate or party is so grave that one simply cannot be complicit in it by voting. I state this as my personal conviction informed by Scripture: it is not a Christian duty to vote. It is our Christian duty to seek the welfare of the city/country where we are in exile (Jer 29:4 ff). And we certainly are sojourners and exiles in the United States (1 Pe 2:11); we are resident aliens whose citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). It is our Christian duty to pray for governmental authorities (1 Tim 2:1-2), primarily that they might leave us alone to lead godly lives. It is our Christian duty to be subject to such authorities (1 Pe 2:13-17) to the extent we can within our primary obedience to God. But, it is not our Christian duty to vote. Sometimes one must simply say to modern day Nebuchadnezzars that he will not bow down to the idol when the music plays and that no seven-times hotter furnace can coerce him to do so. Sometimes one has to relinquish the notion that one’s vote is so important, so determinative of the future that everything depends on it — chariots and horses instead of the name of the Lord (Ps 20:7). Sometimes one must “clutch one’s pearl (vote)” and not cast it before the swine of either party. Refusing to be complicit in evil is a powerful form of Christian witness.

Here is what I know with great certainty: many of my good Christian brothers and sisters — with prayer and reflection — will vote for Donald Trump, and many of my good Christian brothers and sisters — with equal prayer and reflection — will vote for Kamala Harris. And I love all such brothers and sisters. I also know this: the Kingdom of God will not come through this or any election. Jesus is Lord; Caesar — in whatever persona he or she appears, to whatever party he or she belongs — is not. Come, Lord Jesus, come.