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July 19, 2024: Politics and the Christian

The national political conventions have begun. And, as they do every four years, there are opposing parties proposing competing political solutions to meet the perceived problems in our nation. This election cycle finds our country facing her greatest political divisions since the 1860 election. And we see increasing numbers who—frustrated with the process—are choosing to forego their franchise. But I believe that we have been instructed to “render unto Caesar what is due Caesar.” Therefore, I am officially making an endorsement.

An endorsement is the act of giving public support to something or someone.  No, I am not endorsing any candidate or party. But I believe that “rendering unto Caesar” means that every Christian must approach his or her civic duties with sacred values— that we conduct our politics not to please our allies but in such a way as is pleasing to the Lord. Therefore, I endorse the following Christian principles in exercising our civic responsibility: first, that our political dialogue respect the human dignity of one’s political opponents; second, that we vote Christian values rather than to satisfy our own selfish desires; and third, that we always acknowledge that political answers are by their nature always insufficient.

Christians are to value the human dignity of every person. Neither Hitler nor Mao are presidential candidates in this election.   Yet, if one were to falsely believe the ad hominem attacks, that is the choice on the ballot. We should condemn the vitriol. Vitriol is a name for sulfuric acid and the caustic nature of vitriolic speech is also destructive to both those parties and our nation. This past Saturday we witnessed an assassination attempt on President Trump. It is imperative that we shift gears. Let us have vigorous debate on the issues and the elimination of ad hominem attacks.

People vote the way they do for a variety of reasons. But for the Christian our vote should always reflect our faith. There are no absolute values apart from what has been revealed by our absolute God. Let us forever discard the notion that we can separate our civic life from our faith life. Our faith must dictate our politics and never allow our politics to shape our faith.

Finally, political movements will never bring Utopia! Good government can influence good results, but even good government is always limited in its effect; no government is good apart from fidelity to God. Any government which ignores the sovereignty of God is destined for failure.

 

“Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge or Gallantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” (John Adams, October 11, 1798).

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