"How can you call yourself a Christian if you are a Democrat?"
Ever heard that one before?
"Republicans are heartless, compassionless, and greedy."
Ever heard anything like that?
OK, my church background left me one political option - Republican. Since all Democrats wanted to kill babies, promote sexual promiscuity, and make everyone gay, what choice did I have? Since Christians and Republicans are all about family values, what else is there to discuss?
It was an open and shut case.
No longer. I still vote Republican (for the most part), but I do so holding my nose rather than walking with a swagger. OK, I don't really know how to walk like that, but I am not proudly voting Republican either.
The problem is that being Christian and questioning anything Republican can get a guy into trouble. And depending on your context, it can get you into real trouble. For example, your very faith can be called into question for merely mentioning that gays should be heard, respected, and honored just like anyone else. Verses will be quoted. Tempers will have to be restrained.
The cop out answer to the political dilemma is to opt out of politics. Don't vote, don't make yourself aware of things that have a any political side, don't run for office. No, bad option.
At the same time it is a bad option to get too interested in politics. When politics is equated with faith, then the political idolatry has already begun. Right now it is the Republicans who are most vulnerable to political idolatry. However, in the past two years I have seen a resurgence of Democrats guilty of the same idolatry.
Case in piont: I shudder when I hear political figures telling me what God wants and what God is doing. I don't care if it is Ray Nagan or Mike Huckabee - it's scary.
Can't we just be political and not let it get confused with our faith? Jesus respected political realities, but was not carried by them. He found a way to pay the tax, but would not seek to co-opt political power for the advancement of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not so small the one political party has a corner on it.
So let's be CHRISTIANS and then be democrat or republican
5 comments:
Chris-
I love this post - and I fully agree. Like you, I don't want to fully disengage from the process, but neither do I want to invest my hopes for the world in politicians and political systems. They will fail and disappoint. The Kingdom of God is the only hope for the world.
whoo-eey! Chris, you and I know a guy that almost got into a fistfight during 2004 when he told a brother in Christ that he votes Democratic. He almost got punched.
Try this one in Sunday School next week--point out that the number one reason cited by women who get an abortion is that they were afraid they could not afford financially to care for the baby. Just citing that statistic will light the fire, in someone's soul, fan the flame . . .
Well stated.
There will be no party caucuses in heaven. And it's not because they'll only be admitting GOPers.
Chris,
I totally agree with you here. I still vote Republican, though I consider myself libertarian. I think the two part system has caused problems in that people stake out interest groups in order to win elections, and then people force you to toe the party line... even if it doesn't make sense. If you are for helping the poor, you have to also be for penalizing success of others. If you are pro life, you also have to be pro death penalty.
I think most drugs should be legalized, but its hard to say that to a conservative christian audience. Its also messed up that I think that laws should be to protect my rights, not infringe on others.
I think facism exists in both parties. Someone telling me that I can't have sex with someone of the same gender is just the same as someone telling me that because I make x amount of money, I should be forced to give my money to the government to pay for those less fortunate than I. Sure its a good thing to give to the poor, and being gay may or may not be something that is morally wrong, but making laws about it isn't going to change hearts. It makes people bitter. Plus, when government tries to do stuff, (like help the poor) it can turn into politics and bureaucracy to the detriment of those who need things. When I give my own money and my own time to help people, as kingdom people should, it will likely help people to gain independence rather than making them dependent.
Anyway, just two cents from a 21 year old libertarian trying to look at politics through a kingdom googles.
Post a Comment