Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Politics & God: Should Christians be involved in Politics?


Should Christians be engaged in politics?  The answer to that question is "yes!"  Christians are called to participate in society as a whole.  Christians always have been deeply involved in politics in the U.S.A. The founders of the United States were deeply religious people including George Washington, John Adams, and many others.  51 of the 55 signers of the Constitution were declared as part of various Christian denominations

But politics as a category separate from Christianity is a misnomer. If one were to lay out a map of our Christian worldview as a massive circle, you'd see on that map our faith involved in culture, philosophy, art, music, science, history, education, and also politics.
  
Christianity is a worldview.  It's a way of seeing the world that is completely accurate.  There are many competing worldviews that are incomplete, many of them false and contradictory.  But our faith is a worldview based around how God inspired the writers of the Bible to explain reality.

Therefore, our politics are informed by our Christian faith.  We're called to interact in the realm of politics.  

Many have suggested a retreat into the churches, to solely focus on evangelism.  Evangelism is important.  In fact evangelism is our #1 priority on Earth.  We're called to carry the gospel to the lost and broken of our race.  But up in the top five categories of priority, I would place political engagement.  

Why?  Because politics can ultimately dictate whether we can share the gospel or not.  In over 50 countries worldwide you can be fined, jailed and even killed for attempting to share the gospel.  Or being in possession of a Bible.  Therefore, it is wise to be salt and light to our political systems.  

We're called to obey the government.  But in our system, a Constitutional Republic, we are the government.  Every citizen is tasked with participating in our participatory government system.  Therefore we as Christians must participate vigorously.  

It isn't always easy.  In fact it's downright depressing given the situation the U.S.A.  But we've got to do it.  We've got to protect our Constitutional rights, like the right to religious liberty, or we may find ourselves in a society where we can be fined or lose our jobs for being biblical Christians.  

Here is a list of 10 issues Christians should get involved in!  I recommend for involvement, getting active with the Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action.  The Heritage Foundation is a firm defender of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, gun rights, the right to life, and religious liberty.

1. Religious Liberty - This cornerstone of U.S. liberty is under assault by the progressive movement, in the name of LGBTQ rights.  Many are seeking to quash religious liberty and force pastors to marry gay couples or lose their jobs, same with Christian businesses.  We have to take a stand on this issue, now.

2. Abortion - abortion is nothing less than child sacrifice in another guise.  We're accustomed to it, but it's pure evil.  We ought to fight to end abortion forever.  I'm a big supporter of the organization "Abolish Human Abortion."  But there are many, like the Center for Medical Progress, who took the undercover videos of Planned Parenthood executives caught selling the body parts of aborted babies for hard cash.  Abortion must be apposed.  And on this issue we're winning.  

3.  Marriage - our society ought to protect the establishment of marriage as between one man and one woman.  The outflow of the Supreme Court legalizing gay marriage is going to affect bathroom access, teachings in public schools, and Christian businesses.  It's scary stuff.

4. Political corruption - It's amazing the levels of corruption in our own government.  How can we change that?  Be creative.

5. Human Trafficking - slavery is alive and well.  Sex slavery, which is even worse than slaveries of old.  The church must take a stand, and do something special to help end this horrid, unspeakable trade.  

6. The Persecution of Christians in the Middle East - the mainstream media has been dead silent on the massacre of Christians in the middle east because it doesn't fit their agenda.  How can we raise awareness and lead the rally to help protect these people?  How can we call out the media blackout as corrupt?

7. Media Bias - How can we call out media bias?  Media bias is destroying our nation.  It's killing the minds of young people and swaying untold millions against the Constitution, religious freedom, and frankly, sanity.  The media is wildly progressive leftist.  How can we raise awareness?

8. The Depravity of Hollywood - The filth that flows out of Hollywood, Disney, the media, and the music industry is literally annihilating the minds of young people.  They have been devastated, and are being devastated into false worldviews and sexual obsession.  How can we bring a moral culture to replace this twisted one?

9. The Federal Debt - Our country is over 19 trillion dollars in debt.  That is irresponsible in the extreme.  Let's make sure we're supporting spending cuts!

10. Illegal Immigration - The Federal government and state governments are refusing to enforce immigration laws.  This is leading to crime and massive amounts of drugs flowing across our border.  How can we as Christians support enforcement of our laws?  How can we be loving, but also truthful and wise in our laws?  My great great grandparents came to this nation as Immigrants.  They did so legally.  It was tough, but they managed it.  I think we have a responsibility to encourage legal immigration, not illegal immigration.  

In closing, be active in politics.  Your presence is desperately needed.  Any Christian refusing to participate is abdicating his or her duty as a citizen and even more so, as a Christian.  I firmly believe that.  Our forefathers built a Christian nation that has prospered.  We unlike many nations, including now much of Europe, have the right to practice our Christian faith in the public square.  But if we abdicate our duty and sit on the sidelines mouthing cynical pieties, then we've in effect turned our country over to the lowest of the lowest, the Marxist leftist progressives who will finish off religious liberty forever in their mad quest to generate a Marxist utopia.

Pray for our nation.  Appeal to Heaven daily.  Your prayers are needed.  But do more than prayer: Get involved.  Take action.  And I don't mean over weeks or months.  I mean year in and year out, as an entrenched Christian activist whether in the shadows or in the light, standing boldly for Christian liberty, the Constitution, and this wonderful nation we call our home: The United States of America.  Please, please do so. Amen.










Additional Reading on Politics & God:
  1. Authoritarianism toward Christians in the name of Gay Rights
  2. A Movement of Millennials: The last hope of Western Civilization
  3. Take a Stand Like Daniel: Being a counter-culture Warrior
  4. Religious Liberty: The Great Struggle of our Time
  5. The War on Principles & the Hope in our Worldview 
  6. A Three-Fold Battle Plan to Redeem Western Civilization
  7. Five Political Presentations that will Change your Worldview
  8. The Great Pillars of Society: Morality & Religion
  9. The Illusions of Modern Society and the Gospel 
  10. An Appeal to Heaven: The Movement