Two views on Christians and politics

An unpopular truth

[Reprinted from Issues & Views August 9, 2004]

In "Churches and the Corrupting Influence of Politics," John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute, a civil liberties advocacy organization that supports religious rights, ponders the future of the church, especially in light of so many church members' active participation in politics. Here are some excerpts:

The evangelical church in America is in real danger today. As if the effort to save people's souls wasn't enough to deal with, today's church must also grapple with sex scandals, skyrocketing divorce rates, debates over gay marriage and a nation in the midst of what seems to be an escalating religious war.

Sensing the vulnerability of evangelical churches and the potential power of the church to influence large numbers of individuals, those in politics have already begun circling. And given the fact that religion is now the biggest predictor of vote, after party identification, it is evident why churchgoers are being targeted heavily by both parties during a presidential election that could be determined by a few swing states. . . .

These attempts to turn the pulpits of tax-exempt churches into political platforms seem to fly directly in the face of current IRS guidelines for non-profit entities such as churches. Indeed, these guidelines make it clear that churches or other religious organizations may lose their tax-exempt status if they actively participate or intervene in any way in a political campaign.

Despite the problem with the law, I believe there are much bigger issues to be considered as Christian congregations are encouraged to dabble in politics. These concerns have to do with the true nature of the church. The church, as Jesus Christ proclaimed, exists to teach the good news (i.e. "the gospel") that there is a God who loved the world so much that He was willing to sacrifice His own Son. This universal sacrifice necessarily means that Christ's message is for everyone, irrespective of their status in life or their politics. . . .

Christians should stand outside the status quo. This includes politics. We often forget that the founder of Christianity, when questioned by His executioners, clearly said that His kingdom is not of this world. Christ, therefore, was apolitical.

Unfortunately, all too often Christians wrap their religion in the flag, so to speak. For the Christian, country and faith are never synonymous, and they are not two equal loyalties. As Francis Schaeffer noted, "It must be taught that patriotic loyalty must not be identified with Christianity." As Christians in past regimes have found, identifying with the establishment, as much of modern evangelicalism is doing, can present a grave danger—the establishment may easily become the church's enemy.

In "Our Hope Is in the Gospel, Not Politics and Government," on LewRockwell.com, Bill Barnwell also takes up the issue of today's Christians. He admits that not so many years ago, he believed that political activism and "getting our guys in governmental positions" was the correct route to take for Christians who wanted to positively impact the country's social problems. He saw the political system as the "most potent vehicle to reform America."

Having left such notions behind, Barnwell now believes that reform lies not in coercive government policies, nor in the actions of politicians. "Fruitful ministry should be our motivation," he writes, "not fruitless politicking." Here are some of his further thoughts:

Christians, I ask you to be honest with yourself right now instead of just resorting to righteous indignation. Realistically look at the fruits of all your efforts. Where have they gotten Christianity in America? How many successes can you point to? How many converts have you produced because of your political and governmental reform efforts? How many people have a more positive (instead of more negative) view of the faith?

The reality is nothing much has changed in society as a result of all your hard work. The Christian Right has wasted a colossal amount of time, money and energy in the 25 years since they became a potent political force and they've accomplished little of purpose. Think about it. Religious liberties continue to be lost; the huge issues we yell about are not getting any better (abortion, homosexuality, feminism, etc.) and are just continuing to be more and more accepted. If anything, things like homosexuality are more accepted now than they have ever been.

Millions and millions of dollars, and hours and hours of manpower have gone into dividing people through politicking when it could have done much better showing others the love of Christ and preaching the Kingdom of God. Not only that, but Christians are looked upon more negatively today by non-Christians than they were 25 years ago. Just ask yourself, zealous Christian, how much more could we have accomplished if all that money and time was pumped into church plants, missions work, evangelism, and meeting social needs instead of wasting it on failed political endeavors?

My guess is that there would be many more converts today if we followed the alternative route. I further presume that much of that money could have been better spent on less fortunate individuals rather than on rich and very fortunate politicians. . . .

Deep down inside, Christians know their hope should be in Christ. Yet today many act and behave as if that hope belongs with the State. How many more millions need to be wasted, how many more politicians need to disappoint us, and how long do our wheels need to spin in the mud before we realize that we need to change course?

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