A recent campaign ad by one of the presidential candidates argues that “what happens in the booth stays in the booth.” It is an ad targeted at women voters encouraging them to vote one way while saying the other. As though women voters are oppressed by male voters, especially husbands.
“What happens in the booth stays in the booth” is actually an appeal against reason and logic. I hear the appeal but it falls flat on its face within about a nanosecond. It may be true that no one can trace your vote to you. That’s the beauty of a secret ballot. No one can garnish your wages if you vote for one candidate or another. The government can’t lock you up for voting for one party over another. That is beautiful.
But the truth is, what happens in the booth is not designed to stay in the booth. It must come out of the booth. Otherwise, why vote? A winner will eventually be announced and that will be the result of what happened in the booth.
I’m unimpressed by a campaign ad that encourages misleading, hiding, winking, sheepishly plotting, etc. especially encouraging the voter to deceive her husband. If there’s something women should be offended about here it should be that this candidate thinks women are weak. But, I want to return to the illogic-ness of “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”.
It’s an idea that destroys a nation.
Is this a righteous way to behave? Lie?
The spirit of the age has grown comfortable with lying. Hollywood propaganda. School administrators instructing faculty to keep secrets from parents. Drs. performing gender mutilation surgeries. Pharmacies selling puberty blockers and baby murder pills. legislators passing laws to protect murderers. Biologists who don’t tell the truth. Geologists who lie about the age of the earth. Society has grown numb to deceit for so long it seems odd for someone to not deceive. No society can thrive like this. Nobody wants to be played the fool.
What happens in the booth does not stay in the booth. What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. What one does in the privacy of their own home might cause harm to another. What happens in California does not stay in California. What happens in the USA does not stay in the USA.
It is the glory of God in the creation order. Creation order is built upon actions that cause actions.
It matters what we do because what we do creates follow-up actions.
Christians who live quiet peaceful lives should anticipate the result of doing so to turn the world upside down.
If what happens in your church stays in your church, then you are not part of a church.
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