A Christian Guide to Politics (Sort Of)

By Neil Earle

Do we really want to debate issues like this?

Whew! What a political season.

In this Year of the Unexpected is there a clear-headed Christian way through the morass?

What’s a Bible-believing Christian supposed to do in the face of attack ads, pseudo-Christian claims, and the full-bore intrusion of entertainment into political reportage when the news looks more and more like Reality TV?

Well, lots.

A Biblical Primer

The Bible, read humbly and sensitively, offers clear and helpful counsel on these matters. There is a way for Christians to live forth their calling as salt and light even in the middle of the harried political process. The task is to head for the Christian high ground – to stay informed and yet be above the process, to participate and maybe even “run” as a candidate and yet retain a sense of honor and decency.

Here are a few overall recommendations as “warm ups” from the Word of God. Biblical principles touch on just about everything. There are ground rules that can help us stay grounded.

For warm-ups consider Proverbs 22:24: “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man (or woman), do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways.” Wouldn’t that change things? What would the wise application of this Scripture do for the wild and wooly campaign rhetoric that flies around at election time? Avoid getting entangled in “bashing” people if they’ve done you no harm, another wise Proverb. BTW Proverbs says anger rests in the bosom of fools, so avoid it whenever possible. There is a right kind of anger but doubtful at election time.

Matthew 5:25 – “Agree with your adversary quickly.” What a revolutionary prescription that could work wonders in Congress, at the state legislature, in city hall, at council and PTA meetings? Well, we can always dream. In discussions Christians automatically try to seek the way of peace, to head for the moral high ground. Christians, such as myself, need to be reminded of these statements quite regularly, I find.

Some leaders have known how to peacefully protest.

Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself.” Uh, oh. “That’s hitting below the belt,” some will say. “Why if we all thought that way there’d be no fun in politics at all.” Too bad. Christians are not allowed to hate (sound extreme?). They are not allowed to destroy other people’s reputations. Or even harbor long-standing grudges. Or dredge up people’s pasts. At election time we need reminding of that.

James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” There goes most of the campaign budget out the window, yes, gone with the wind. “Quick to listen and slow to speak”—man, do we ever violate these principles at our peril in the living room, the board room, the cabinet room. But, alas, we all do it.

1 Peter 2:17, “Show proper respect to everyone.” Oops, here we go again. This pops too many party balloons. At university in the 1960s I did not participate in the debating team for a reason. I soon learned that if you uncovered facts against your position you were to suppress, hide, distort or construct arguments against them. Too many politicians learn this tactic in college and…the beat goes on.

The above is a reminder of what the Christian high ground really is. Meditating on “consider others better than yourself” led one of my pastor friends to reminisce what he liked about both political parties. Historically, Democrats have had a strong bias towards social justice issues, supporting the underdog and international coalition-building (NATO, the Marshall Plan, etc.). Republicans traditionally plumb for the family unit, fiscal restraint, a strong military. Taking these values as starting points is a step along the road to being “all things to all men.” (1 Corinthians 9).

“Judging Righteously” (John 7:24)

But churches usually fall into one of five positions when politics grabs the headlines.

Emperor Nero: Christians in the First Century had treacherous political waters to navigate.

Rejectionism. “Why vote, they’re all crooks!” A bit of a sweeping generalization (which trait plays well on today’s talk shows, incidentally). Everyone knows there are abuses and corruptions and at all levels and among all parties but once again the clear, calm voice of the Son of God cuts through the morass: “Anyone who says to his brother, You worthless person, is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, You fool, is in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22). This is good advice. Followed, it would really change things. It’s the old value of self-restraint.
Irrelevance. “It doesn’t matter. Christ is returning in a few short years and will change everything.” My church had a good dose of this runaway utopianism in its make-up. Thankfully we’ve seen the error of our ways. After all, if neighbors circulate a petition that would protect children near a mine against asthma they might have a right to be offended if you dodge the issue. Most “hands off” behavior is not loving your neighbor.
Slavish Submission. “Do what those over you say because Romans 13 says they are appointed by God.” That’s right, they are. But wait here! As Martin Luther King replied to his critics: everything Hitler did was “legal” in the sense of being authorized by the state. We have to be wise and discerning. Jesus asserted his fundamental human rights when he was arrested (Luke 22:52-53). Peter clearly said, “We must obey God rather than men.” Christians have to pray for balance on these issues. It’s not easy.
The Pollyana Attitude. “I pray for kings and rulers and just leave it at that.” There’s some truth here as there is in Position Number 3. 1 Timothy 2 commands us to pray first for those over us “that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life.” We Christians fall down here tremendously. We need to pray for our leaders and the burdens they bear privately and publically much much more than we do. But…you’ll never hear that injunction on any talk show! Christians are to remember the advice of Jeremiah 29:7 to seek the peace of their city. Being salt and light involves action. And the best kind is on our knees—the unique Christian contribution.
Intelligent Activism. As opposed to “unintelligent activism.” Christians easily see themselves as victims in the political process but the truth is that they have had a big influence on public affairs since the Religious Right rose up in the 1970s. Whether its abortion, same-sex marriage or even being passive in the face of attacks on their faith, Christians are idle no longer. That is a good thing even if some Christian leaders often embarrassed many of their fellow-Christians the way they went about it. But their impact has been felt. Where Time magazine’s July, 1966 cover was “Is God Dead?” the October 4, 2010 cover read “How the first nine months shape the rest of your life?” Hmmm. That’s interesting. Episcopalian Jon Meacham just finished a stint as editor of Newsweek. Things have changed.

Richard Mouw

This doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of excesses. Some churchgoers understandably walk out of churches which have “practice” voting booths in the back of the hall. Others were offended by the jingoistic “bomb ‘em all” rhetoric coming from many pulpits in 2003. There is no cross on the stars and stripes. Fuller Seminary’s Richard Mouw deplored what he calls the “crusading attitude” toward other nations. Nor is Mouw happy with linking cross and flag, as happened in Nazi Germany. “Nationalism and super-patriotism are forms of idolatry,” he writes in Uncommon Decency. We don’t have to say much more to see that unthinking, blinkered Christian activism is not the way to go. The box tells us more.

Holding the High Ground

Christians are trying to give balanced counsel amid the noisy public square.

I’m a pastor so there has to be three points right? Here we go.

First, escape the curse of negativism. There is altogether too much hatred, fear, rhetoric and suspicion bombarding us from talk shows, news anchors, political platforms and pulpits. Twirl your radio dial and you hear a left-leaning host expatiate on how Vice President Cheney planned 9/11. Turn it again and you’ll learn that President Obama is a secret Muslim terrorist. Whew. How did we get here? What we can do is keep turning the dial or clicking off the remote altogether. We have choices to make. Be careful of remarks we may make at the supper table, the lunch room, the local diner. After all, thousands of individual attitudes combine to make up the societal mood. It takes courage to buck the trend if you’re a liberal in a conservative workplace or vice versa.

One of the Biblical watchwords that slowly began to transform this world was Peter’s in Acts 10:34, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Or as it says in the New King James version: “God has shown me that I must not call any man impure or unclean (verse 28).” The devout Jew Peter said that after baptizing Cornelius who was a Roman, a Gentile and a member of the imperial occupying force. God was stretching Peter. These political issues will stretch all of us.

Secondly, be thankful for and exercise your constitutional rights. Paul used his on more than one occasion (Acts 16:35). Voting is still a privilege in most countries. After the Florida Presidential decision in 2000, Americans above of all people should know how every vote can (sometimes) count. Voting matters, but so does not voting. Not to vote is to make a decision that can be consequential – Christians should know that. Issues are rarely ever clear-cut and black and white and that’s why it needs to be a prayerful decision. But be of good cheer. God is more willing to give us wisdom than we are even willing to ask (James 1: 5).

Third, beware of extremist Christianity. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” is to be believed, especially at election time (Luke 6:46). In light of Proverbs 31: 9, which tells leaders and rulers to “speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy,” pastor-author Glenn Moyer outlined a few principles to look for in candidates who may deserve a second look. These include a positive track record on racial and economic justice, a bias for peace and diplomacy, a “pro-life” orientation for all stages of life including a concern for the sick and the elderly, and good stewardship of the planet. The web sites Catholic Answers Action and Sojourners can elaborate this list for you. Not all would agree with Moyer’s list but at least they make a refreshing change from the litmus test too many Christian groups apply today.

Above all things be thankful. Because we serve a master in heaven, Christian voters and even Christian candidates are truly “free in the Lord,” free to study the issues and think for themselves, free to break out of the boxes society likes to place us in, the kind you often see on a ballot sheet (Colossians 3:1-2). As Martin Luther King said, Never let a man or woman drag you down so low you end up hating them. Peace to all who love this rule.