In order to avoid exercising leadership over men contrary to "the order of creation," WELS women do not vote in church meetings. By what right then do women exercise leadership over men and vote in political elections?

There is no biblical basis for claiming that such actions and participation are a God-given right. We would approach the question not from the point of view of right, but of how to best fulfill our duty to uphold the biblical principles.

The reason we do not have women voting in the governing bodies of the church is the scriptural command that women should not exercise authority over men, which is, as you say, based on an order established by God at creation. The voters' assembly in our form of church government is the highest authority of the congregation under the Word of God.

Concerning actions in society, WELS' statement on "Scriptural Principles of Man and Woman Roles" says, "Christians also accept the biblical role relationship principle for their life and work in the world. . . . We therefore strive to apply this role relationship principle to our life and work in the world. Scripture leaves a great deal to our conscientious Christian judgment as we live the role relationship principle in the world. In Christian love we will refrain from unduly binding the consciences of the brothers and sisters in our fellowship. Rather, we will encourage each other as we seek to apply this principle in the world" (Theses 20 and 21).

Since the principles of male and female roles are a good thing established by God at creation, we have no basis to limit their application only to religious matters. But since the Bible does not give us a set of rules and regulations specifying the application of these principles to work in the world, the church does not make such a set of rules. Rather, the church teaches the principles and gives its members help in applying the principles in their lives.

Christian women may have many motives that would lead them to vote in national elections other than a desire to exercise authority over men--for example, to oppose the voice of women who are advocating abortion or other causes contrary to Scripture.

The principle is not "don't vote." The principle is "don't exercise authority over men." There might be out-of-the ordinary occasions, even in the church, where honoring the principle might allow or even require women to vote. In one such case, in a church that allowed women to vote, several women who normally didn't exercise that privilege voted when it came time to uphold the biblical principle and change the constitution to disallow their voting. They correctly understood the principle and acted in a way that would uphold it.