Nevada Republican Party Held Special Caucus for Sabbath-keepers
by Adventist Today News Team
The process by which the Republican Party is selecting a candidate to run for President of the United States is a major news story these days. One piece of the story is directly related to Seventh-day Adventists. The Nevada caucuses were held on Saturday, February 4, and the party leaders organized a special caucus after sundown for Jewish and Adventist Sabbath-keepers.
This caucus, at the Adelson public school in the suburbs west of Los Vegas, has become a cause of considerable criticism over the last week. The Guardian, a British newspaper, quotes Jon Ralston, a Nevada political reporter, saying that the caucus process, as a whole, was “embarrassing to the party [and] to the state.” Channel 8, the CBS affiliate in Los Vegas, reported that “voter turnout … was down almost 26 percent from the 2008 caucuses” and it took until Monday morning to announce the results.
One of many problems with the caucuses was the fact that many of the people who turned up at the special session for Sabbath-keepers did not get the word in advance that “they had to sign an affidavit verifying their religion.” These non-believing voters in a city with a large secular segment were angry because they thought it was simply an opportunity to vote at a different time.
In fairness to the party leadership in the state, they did get the help of an experienced consulting firm in conducting the caucuses, CAP Public Affairs from Denver. The lengthy counting process seems to have been primarily due to the fact that all of the votes were gathered at the state party headquarters for certification and each of the four campaigns had to approve any problematic ballots.
“The announcement of the caucus for Sabbath-keepers did spark some conversation,” one Adventist member in the state told Adventist Today. “People wanted to know why we could not vote on the Sabbath.” In fact, it is not clear that the denomination has ever officially taken a position against members voting on Sabbath, although most would prefer not to since the Sabbath experience involves a general break from secular activities.
It is also unclear if any Adventists actually took advantage of the special, after-Sabbath Republican caucus in west Los Vegas. Public records do not include information about voters’ religious affiliation.
Perhaps there should be a list of proper actions to be done on Sabbath and those that are prohibited. There is such confusion within the denomination as well as among members.
It is usually assumed that anyone involved in the health professions is permitted to work on that day. But there are many, even new professions unheard of even a decade ago: public utility workers, EMT and ambulance drivers, law enforcement workers, those taking 911 calls; professional musicians (classical music–the same as performed in hundreds of SDA churches weekly), to name only a few.
These decisions should always be left for the member to make; however, the church's teaching has left little discretion to the members in their instruction and advice.
Where has anything been written or officially pronounced about voting? Are such civic duties considered to be breaking the Sabbath? These and many other questions cry for answers.
Our church leaders are plugged into the political landscape and thus it seems clear that we should uphold our civic duties, but I think the church would be engaging in a losing battle trying to account for every type of occasion that would exempt one from obeying the Sabbath. As you said this is the member's choice to make.
As for the assumption of certain professionals being given a pass: I don't really see that in the church manual unless you're implying the part from the chapter on Sabbath Keeping about not doing any unnecessary work and thus are saying doctor's and such are indispensable? On this point I think the focus needs to be exercising our religious liberty that we legally have…as of now.
To me the scripture that comes the closest to providing guidance seems to be Jesus healing a man's withered hand on the Sabbath…… but of course Jesus didn't send that man a bill for service rendered.
It is probably little known by Adventists that the question of voting on the Sabbath first surfaced in June of 1881.
NOTE: Documentation for what I say here can be found in: 1) White Estate Document File 274, entitled “The Des Moines, Iowa, Temperance experience.” 2) Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White, Vol. 3, The Lonely Years, 1876 – 1891, pages 159 & 160. 3) Review & Herald, July 5, 1881, which reported on a formal action taken related to the issue which resulted in the advice of Ellen White. My discussion of this issue is taken from the A.L. White book cited above.
In this early experience, prohibition was up for a vote in an election that was to be held on the Sabbath. In response the question as to whether or not Adventists should vote on the Sabbath, Ellen White said:
[quote]”Shall we vote for prohibition?” she asked. “Yes, to a man, everywhere,” she replied, “and perhaps I shall shock some of you if I say, If necessary, vote on the Sabbath day for prohibition if you cannot at any other time.”[/quote]
Adventists, who are aware of that advice, generally understand it to mean that voting on moral issues on the Sabbath is acceptable according to what EGW Said. Some would not follow that advice in their personal lives. The any right of conscience is extended to individuals regardless of any official position of a denomination. On this basis, I commend the Republican Party in Nevada for holding a special caucus to protect the ability of “Sabbath-keepers” to participate under conditions that did not violate their principles.
But, I will note that there will likely be Adventists who were willing to participate in the scheduled Sabbath caucus. In view of the advice given by EGW, their principles should also be respected.
There was nothing compelling which would cause a true Sabbath-keeper to vote in the primary on Sabbath. It was perfectly proper and in keeping with the principles of our great democracy to make provision for after Sabbath voting.
Kudos to officials who provided for this opportunity to exercise one's franchise.