If you even are remotely aware of politics in America then you know how passionate many are about politics and the parties to which they belong. Many (perhaps most) are blinded to their own viewpoints to the point that they will back their candidate no matter the mistakes he/she makes. Moveon.org, a very liberal group, absolutely hated George W. Bush, but with Obama in office over a year now and things in our country no better, they are amazingly quiet. Two people can look at the same image and see two completely different things. Such is the science of politics.
I am not writing this blog about politics. Sure, I have my own opinions just like everyone else, but I make it a point not to dive too deep into political issues. It's been said that at the dinner table you never should talk about religion or politics, but since this is my table I will still continue to discuss religious issues.
Specifically, I am fascinated with the role that religion tries to play with politics. There has been much said about our founding fathers and whether or not America is a Christian nation. The only thing that I can say for certain is that many of these men were followers of Christ and their main desire was to uphold religious freedom, not to mandate any religion in particular. And they also defended religion against the clutches of politics, making sure that there was not a state-run religious institution in America.
Over the years, Christians have become more and more vocal about moral issues that arise in the political sphere. The hottest issue has probably been abortion and many conflicts have been waged between pro-lifers and those who are pro-choice. This is an issue for Christians to stand on in my opinion, for it is one that is legislated by our government and therefore political channels must be traversed for there to be any change.
Then there are other issues that I believe those who are disciples of Christ should really not put their hands on, such as prayer in schools, posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, and having "In God We Trust" posted in public places. Do I have something against these issues? No, but I do believe that if we push government agencies so hard on these issues then what we are communicating is the opposite of what Christ preached.
Read the gospels. How many times did Jesus stand before a government board of any kind and lobby for some sort of legislation. None that I can find. Instead, He chose to take action through an institution that He not only believed it but it was one that He created: The church. Fast forward to the book of Acts and in chapter 2 you will see an incredible picture of how the church can operate. Those who were poor were helped financially, those who were hungry were fed, those who were naked were clothed. And all this was through the selfless giving of believers who saw it as their job, not that of the government, to help their fellow man.
I'm not saying that government social programs are wrong, but I do believe that when we seek out government to do God's work then we are heading in the wrong direction (let me add that in situations such as in Haiti, it takes a much greater effort on many parts to help these people, and government is perhaps the biggest way). Why does it matter if "In God We Trust" or the Ten Commandments are placed in a public building? I would think that the average man would have an easier time believing in these principles if He saw someone who claimed to be a believer living them out instead of seeing them plastered on some wall in an office or courtroom. Do you want prayer in schools? Then pray in school whenever you wish. No one will stop you. When someone in our fellowship loses his job, are we there to assist in anyway possible or do we just assume that the government will send him an unemployment check? And don't get me started on the angst many Christians feel when someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas", as if we expect the lost world to be the ones trumpeting our Messiah.
Jesus wasn't about politics. In all of His recorded sermons we don't hear of Him using it as a bully pulpit to promote a political agenda. Would He have voted if He could have? Probably. Would He be Democrat or Republican? I have no idea. Yet I do believe He would actively love people and do His best to provide for their needs. In fact, this is exactly what He did.
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