The blogosphere is absolutely blowing up with discussion about the recent rally that Glenn Beck held in Washington, D.C. – with good reason. I don’t really want to retread all the discussions out there, so before I get to my topic I’ll just say this: if you are not familiar with what’s going on or why this rally was so dangerous for orthodox Christianity, go read this blog post by Dr. Russell Moore. It’ll tell you all you need to know.
It appears to me that the real issue in all of this kerfuffle is how dangerous it is to mix politics and our faith. If I wanted to use hyperbole and try to draw controversy I’d say that the only reason we had the scene we did this last weekend is because of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and company. But I won’t – exactly.
how did we get here?
The main complaint in the theologically conservative parts of the blogosphere is that Evangelicals are blindly and joyfully walking into the influence of a man who is at best an apostate Christian or at worst part of a demon created false religion, while thinking they are bringing God back to American life. Those folks are certainly right, but at this moment I want to outline, in my opinion, how this became possible, what’s wrong with it and my view of the right approach. I’m no expert in the names and organizations that drove us to this point, but the trends are clear and the influence over the last 2 decades is unmistakable.
Starting in the 80′s there was a clear movement amongst some Evangelical leaders to increase the political involvement of American Evangelicals. It’s roots really sit in the response to Roe vs. Wade and the determination that we are losing our identity and moral credibility as a “Christian nation”. The fire was really lit in the 90′s during the Clinton years when we saw increasing numbers of activist judges appointed to the federal bench, a supposedly Baptist President go through a rough sexual and moral scandal, and further advancement of secular humanism in our culture and philosophy. The 1994 GOP victory and later successes were driven largely by Evangelicals reacting to these things and more.
As a result of that reaction we sit here in 2010 there is a very strong, but incorrect, view that conservatives in general and the Republican party in particular is singularly driven by Christians and controlled by the “Religious Right”. Of course regardless of the truth of this view, this is what the media is busy portraying. The fact of the matter is that in many peoples’ eyes conservative social politics and Christianity have become if not the same thing, at least inseparable.
the problem with politics and the gospel
So, is this true? Have conservative politics and Christianity become synonymous? Well, I think that was the goal of some on the Religious Right. Sure, guys like Falwell and Robertson were preaching the Word and never stopped claiming Jesus’ name, but at the same time they got the political goals all mixed up with the redemption Christ offered us. Falwell in particular was well known for preaching explicitly political sermons to his congregation on Sundays. So I think it is safe to say that the goal and intent of these folks was clear. They wanted every Evangelical, and likely all Christians, to hear this loud and clear, “If you are a real Christian, you vote Republican”. I believe they were earnestly seeking societal redemption through politics. The minute they made societal redemption through our actions the top priority they laid down the cross and took up a new banner.
Why is this a problem? Because it fundamentally contradicts the way Jesus instructed us to interact with the world. Let’s start with the final command He gave while on earth:
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Second, we should look at how Jesus reacted to the very common Jewish view that the Messiah would establish and earthly kingdom. When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come he responded:
“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Luke 17:20-21
From a plain reading of this text (and context) it is clear that this understanding of the kingdom of God is not an earthly kingdom. If it was Jesus would have overthrown the Roman empire and brought justice via human government. But he did not. So ultimately our command is to make disciples and live by His teaching.
“But wait!” you say, “isn’t that what these folks have tried to accomplish? Bringing God’s justice to this world as best they can?” I would argue that they may be doing so, or at least that may be the intent. However, in reality what we have seen is politician after politician and the “leaders” of the Religious Right sacrifice the gospel for the sake of pursuing those political goals. The gospel is not being preached as the cure to society’s ills, at best they claim a (seemingly Christ-less) Christianity is if only we elect Christian politicians. I think for some the reality is worse and they are advocating some sort of moralistic legalism cloaked in the name of our faith. Their concern is building an earthly kingdom under cover of Christ’s name, and I do not think from reading the Gospels, or the rest of the NT that this is what Jesus had in mind.
so what’s the right approach?
This is where I want to be very careful. The Bible says that if we choose to take a position of teaching we will be held to a higher standard of judgement, and that it is a very sobering thought. A blog may just be words on the net, but in a real sense I feel the responsibility of teaching so I want to be clear that this is my personal view, and I have not found authoritative Scripture telling me to do this. After years of thinking, praying and reading my Bible with this topic in mind, here are some guidelines I have come to use personally:
- Jesus is Lord of my whole life, I don’t get to pick and choose what parts of life I let Him rule
- The most important command Jesus gave us was to proclaim His name and make disciples
- Justice is part of God’s very character and we should seek it on earth
- Jesus’ death was to atone for individuals’ sin, not a collective redemption
So how do I apply these? Honestly, it’s pretty simple. I believe we must participate in the process, to not do so is to ignore the many injustices that do take place at the hands of any government. The government however is not a vehicle for societal redemption, man is too flawed, broken and sinful for that to work. However, it can and should be used to right wrongs where it can within a reasonable scope that’s constrained by individual rights. Lastly, we must always place the cause of making new disciples above other goals. To take part in hateful, vicious or dirty politics is not Christian. To compromise on Jesus’ teachings in one area to gain ground in another is not Christian. If we are to make disciples, we must make being a disciple a priority first.
So when it’s time to engage, what does it look like? For each of us it may look different. For me there are two issues that will prevent me for voting for a candidate, both of which I feel are more than Biblically sound and defensible. If a candidate is pro-choice or clearly favors the rights of the State over the rights of the individual then I cannot in good conscience vote for them. Period. Party affiliation won’t matter, nor will other issues. It’s likely that you have similar sticking points, and if they are backed up biblically then that’s where you start when evaluating political leaders.
In the end, the principles here are no different than the rest of the Christian life. True saving faith in Christ changes you. If you have not been changed, then chances are you have not been saved. As a result our worldview should be Christ focused down to its very core. Therefore, my approach and recommendation is this: participate in the process, vote your faith. But do not let your vote become your faith.
Tags: abortion, Beck, Falwell, gop, Moore, politics, Robertson
