Dear Friends

It was taught in the Worldwide Church of God, under Herbert Armstrong, that members were not to vote. That was of itself a silly statement as the Church was run under a constitution that required its members to vote. When Armstrong did away with the constitution and effectively stole the Church, it was decided that people were not to go to lawyers and were not to vote. That directive was for obvious reasons. The people swallowed that line and allowed the fraud to go unchallenged.

The Churches of God have for years not engaged in warfare, but Christ gave no command to converts, and simply told the soldiers to be content with their wages. As a result, there have been a number of soldiers and centurions in the Church over the centuries.

The conduct of the nations of the world now is by the process of “democracy”, which now is a form of full adult franchise. The churches are prevented from engaging in political processes. However, it is the right and duty of each person to appoint their commanders of tens, and hundreds, and thousands, and ten thousands over them as directed under the Law. The Sanhedrin itself was run by process of voting.

The US has a voluntary voting system. Some countries, such as Australia, have compulsory voting and it is a breach of the Crimes Act (Cth) to encourage a person in Australia to break a law of the Commonwealth. Further, a public servant participating in such conduct is open to disciplinary action as well.

The Christian Churches of God, bearing in mind the Laws of God and the laws of the nations, has enacted in its Statement of Beliefs the following doctrines:

3.2.7.2 Voting

Christians are to uphold the laws of the land except where in direct conflict with biblical law. Where required by law to vote, Christians may exercise witness by voting where there is no conflict with biblical principle. The choosing of leaders by election is derived from Deuteronomy 1:9-14 and the end time or millennial prophecy of Hosea 1:11. The involvement in political struggle is seen as an extension of warfare.

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Thus we are not permitted to engage in political struggle, but we are permitted to vote where the person is upholding biblical principles.

Satan is the god of this world and it is he that manipulates the rulership of the nations. In the Last Days, he gives his power to the Beast so that it may triumph over the Whore that constitutes the mess that the Christian Church has become.

The Church of God has now very little if anything in common with the Trinitarian Church calling itself the Christian Faith. Each year, in December, we get messages from other church groups wishing us “Merry Christmas”. On each occasion we send them a message asking them to repent and attach the paper The Origins of Christmas and Easter (No. 235). There is very little evidence of repentance and, because we keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of the Faith, the offending people react against us.

The laws of the land have been used against the Churches of God for centuries. So-called Christians try to enforce or enshrine these pagan holydays in the laws of the land. In the 1960s, banks and insurance companies had to work Saturday mornings, and it was compulsory to have Sunday and Christmas and Easter off work. School holidays are also tied to this system. Thus your holidays were inextricably tied into a false religious system that sought to oppress and control you and prevent your obedience to the Laws of God.

It is a blessing in some ways for the Churches of God that the ballot box has been able to grant us better holidays and to free us to some extent so that we can work on Sundays in some areas, and so we are able to keep our Feasts and Sabbaths. The US holiday system is designed even more rigidly to enforce the pagan calendar of human sacrifice, and limits the days off work available to workers so they virtually cannot be guaranteed enough holidays to be able to obey God without penalty.

Where the ballot box enables you to redress wrongs and to keep the Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ you have an obligation to witness for the Faith.

We should respect others and not oppress them with views they as yet do not understand, but we should prevent them oppressing or limiting the exercise of the true Faith.

Let God open their eyes and ears to the truth. We should simply witness for it.

Wade Cox
Coordinator General