There was a long but incredibly interesting article in the New York Times recently that I highly recommend everyone read.
It discussed the swing away from staunch conservatives controlling the Republican Party. This is a welcome change in my book. The only thing this political activism has done for American Christianity is give it a stereotype. It has not saved souls. It has not made our country more moral or even maintained its morality. It has only isolated those who call themselves evangelical Christians from the rest of the country. We are now known for fighting tooth and nail to keep an unpopular president in office so that he could continue an even more unpopular war simply because we believe he’s a “good, spiritual man.” Whether he is or not, I can’t say and in the end it probably doesn’t matter for Christians because the motive behind his election was to change American morality with a Christian president. Sadly, the effect has been the opposite. More laws that make people act like Christians do nothing for the Kingdom of Christ. The result is that we have become associated with screwballs like Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter who spew hateful and ignorant rhetoric claiming it’s truth.
Somehow, even the older Americans have forgotten that Christians weren’t always joined at the hip with the Republican Party. It wasn’t until 20 years ago, as the article says, that the evangelical base began to affect elections for the Republicans. It’s OK to break from the easy choice. Dare to vote as an American but change American morality as a Christian.
I haven’t thought through this as thoroughly as I would like but here’s how I look at Christians in the political process currently. Early Christianity wasn’t successful because laws were passed that made people act like Christians. It was successful because the early Christians (through Christ) changed people’s lives with the gospel on a personal level. They did not band together to get a leader elected who promised to pass laws that would let everyone else know they were living incorrectly. In fact, they lived many times under governments very hostile to their views. In the same way, Christians today who want to affect American’s lives should walk to the house next door and tell their neighbors of the gospel instead of walking to the voting booth to tell their neighbor’s why they’re living their lives incorrectly. As the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention said when discussing that Christians had become too well known for what they were against (abortion, evolution, homosexuality) than what they were for (the Gospel), “I believe in the Word of God, I’m just not mad about it.”
For me, I’m just a Christian. I don’t want to blindly follow a political party because its leaders and Christian leaders have agreed to work together. I don’t want to force others to believe or act as I do. I want to change our nation and the world for Christ by my actions and testimony, not by my voting. Because I live in America, a land of freedom, I will continue to vote for people who will work to promote that freedom, the freedom to worship as I want and say what I like. I’m willing to accept that sometimes freedom means giving others the freedom to act contrary to my beliefs and I wish other Christians could accept that too.
2 Comments
November 5, 2007 at 4:50 am
Billy Graham once commented: “In a world that might say one vote doesn’t matter…, it does matter because each person is of infinite worth and value to God… Your vote is a declaration of importance as a person and a citizen.” I agree with your analysis, but I think family values are upheld by those that believe strongly in traditional family values. Because many of our laws reflect those values I will continue to support a person who feels as I do in this area. The rise in Christian influence was needed to offset the consistent liberal decisions and intolerance from the liberal side of the bench and aisle. When Christian groups are looked down upon by media groups when speaking up, which still occurs, intolerance and anti- freedom of speech is upheld. The next group pushing an agendca will be the aging AARP group that is consistently biased toward issues that affect them. Do they have a right, yes. So being a Christian doesn’t necessarily align us to any and all “christian” groups because they support an agenda. I don’t believe candidates should emphasize the christian special influences anymore than they would another group pushing their agenda. We all should to continue to vote, and evangelize and disciple the world for Christ. Is government charged with the world for Christ? No, we are for now. Will eternity be completely different. It sure will. Governments on the new earth will all work for Christ. Can individuals start that process today in their own way? Sure, but will non-christians understand and agree with those decisions that don’t support their “religious” beliefs? I doubt it, but ultimately God is in control and hopefully His will and purposes are being served by a Christian government official making decisions based on prayerful decisions. We will continue to pray this is the case.
October 17, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Here here, great analysis. I know this post is a year old, but how appropriate now.
Jim: you said “family values are upheld by those that believe strongly in traditional family values. Because many of our laws reflect those values I will continue to support a person who feels as I do in this area.”
Laws don’t encourage morality, they only make people guilty of lawbreaking. It’s the same old story of the Judaic law vs. freedom in Christ.