Christians and Politics

The following is an article that was originally posted in January of 2013.  Since these issues are still prevalent in our society today, and appears like they will be for the foreseeable future, I felt that the article was still applicable (with a few edits).  Please consider it carefully.

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The last few days, I have seen a lot of discussion on Facebook concerning President Obama’s recent gun control legislation.  I have also seen a lot of ensuing discussions, often between Christians, about this topic and whether there should or should not be gun control.  Also, I have seen a lot of Christians insinuate that those that choose to have a political opinion against the proposed gun control are somehow lacking in faith or more concerned about this world.  There has also been numerous Christians point to Romans 13 as the foundation for this assumption. 

However, not once have I seen a Christian advocate going against those gun control laws once they are in place. Consider it this way: if we are to be subject to our authorities (and we absolutely are), and those governing authorities grant us the ability to peacefully verbalize our opposition to their rules, then why are we not allowed to utilize those freedoms? Must we do it respectfully? Absolutely.

Now, onto more important matters…I have also heard Christians complain because certain similarities have been noted between our current administration and the tyrant Hitler.  Some Christians still believe in supporting President Obama (meaning, they actively praise his mandates and stance on various political issues)…now, in all honesty, it doesn’t matter if you agree with him on politics.  If two Christians disagree on taxation, healthcare, or even gun control, it doesn’t matter in the end and the two should not part company because of those disagreements.  However, there ARE other areas of concern that should be viewed differently.

For instance, think about President Obama’s obvious pro-abortion stance (I could go through and prove yet again where he is possibly the most pro-abortion president that the U.S. has ever had, but I have done this numerous times).  Consider also how pro-homosexual he has been.  Do these things not contribute to the moral depravity of the United States?

For those Christians that still support President Obama and say that we should not talk about the evil nature of his politics (and yes, being pro-abortion and pro-homosexual are in the realm of politics for the world), let us make a few comparisons.  The abortion rate in America has leveled off at 1.2 million per year, which means that during the Obama administration (this includes all 8 years and assumes that the rate remains steady), an approximate 9.6 million babies will have been murdered (and yes, I understand that the president cannot single handedly stop abortion in the U.S, however, Obama has signed for additional funds for abortion, as well as allowing for it under Obamacare).  Would you like a little perspective? There were an estimated 5-6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust, which is 3.6 million less deaths than abortion.  The Germans were indoctrinated with the belief that Jews were sub-human and that it was not only their option to kill them, but their duty.  Americans have been indoctrinated with the belief that babies are not human until they are born.

How far does it have to go before we realize the evilness? Do I believe that when we get to the judgment day that God will care about my stance on gun control? No, I don’t.  Do I believe that God will care about my stance on abortion and homosexuality (and the like)? Yes I do.  Do I believe that God will hold me accountable for whether or not I did my best to rid the world of those sins? Yes I do.  Do I believe that we will convince God that since we believe in a leader’s economic/healthcare plan that we can excuse the other evil things he promotes? No, I do not.

Many say, “We just need to pray about these things.”  Absolutely we need to pray. But have you stopped to consider that perhaps God has allowed us freedom of speech so that we might oppose these things? Or that He has granted us the freedom to vote so that we can oppose them? If we pray, but then keep silent on issues such as these because we like other aspects of the leader, then do we not fall into the same category as what is found in James 2:15-17? If we say, “Well, we prayed about it,” but we do nothing else, are we not essentially saying “depart in peace, be warmed and filled” without actually DOING anything? Remember what Mordecai said to Esther in Esther 4:14: "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.  Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Consider the principle established by Mordecai in this passage; are we neglecting what God has blessed us with (freedom of speech) if we choose to remain silent?

For some Christians, speaking out against the evil that a leader promotes is equivalent to speaking evil of the leader.  It is for this reason that many Christians will rebuke other Christians for making these types of comparisons and drawing attention to these sorts of evils.  There is, however, a difference between speaking evil of a leader and opposing the evil that that leader stands for. There is a difference between opposing such evil and not obeying the authorities on issues that are not of moral concern (such as taxes, healthcare, gun control, etc). If there is no difference in these things, then Elijah the prophet sinned when he openly opposed the King and Queen in 1 Kings 18:17-40. Elijah tells King Ahab to his face that it was his (Ahab’s) wickedness that was causing trouble in Israel.

Consider how David portrays the wicked in Psalm 10:1-8 (note: David is not necessarily speaking of leaders here, but the wicked of the world nonetheless).  The wicked blesses the greedy, but renounces the Lord.  God is not in their thoughts, and both cussing and deceit are in their mouths.  In secret places they murder the innocent (remember abortion?), and they fix their eyes on the helpless to take advantage of them.  If there are comparisons to be made here, perhaps I should allow the reader to do so.

Think also of Proverbs 6:16-18 in which Solomon writes about the things that are abominations to God.  He includes, amongst a lot of other things that each Christian should take note of and work hard to avoid, hands that shed innocent blood. 

Romans 1:18-32 discusses a society that has cast aside the will of God.  It shows the wickedness that then thrives in that society.  Which of these things is not present in America today? We have worked hard as a society to cast God out of our government, our schools, and our thoughts.  We have promoted the theory of evolution (which inherently devalues human life), abortion, and homosexuality.  It is also interesting to note that God brought Judah low because King Ahaz had “encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chron. 28:19).

Perhaps Christians should consider how to hold up the hands of those opposing evil rather than tearing them down. It seems that we, as Christians, spend so much time complaining about how someone phrased something than we do about the true evil in the world.  Are we not tying the hands of those trying to what is right when we do that? When we bog down any possible discussion because we want to complain about harshness or because we are somehow “offended” by what was said? Do we not draw the attention OFF of the topic when we do that?

In the end, I have my personal opinions concerning healthcare, economics, and gun-control, and I will most likely continue to voice those opinions until the government takes away my freedom of speech.  However, I don’t view those things as being tied to my ability to reach heaven, nor anyone else’s ability to reach that same goal…in other words, because someone disagrees with me on those things doesn’t mean that they won’t make it to heaven. On the other hand, we need to speak out against the “politics” of abortion and homosexuality, both of which are clearly condemned in the Bible (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 1:18-32; Revelation 21:8; Galatians 5:19-21).

Lacking Morality

Many non-believers, some claiming to be atheists, will ask Christians why it is so wrong for each individual to set their own moral standards.  To them, this seems like a logical conclusion and grants them the freedom to…do whatever they wish. 

Earlier this morning, I saw a news article on the topic of abortion, so I read through some of the comments.  In one interaction, a person advocating abortion called an anti-abortionist a “twisted human being.”  The advocating not ending an innocent’s life is the twisted one (Isaiah 5:20-21)?

This example perfectly illustrates the reason for which God has said that mankind is not to be trusted with self-defining good and evil; we simply cannot do it! If each man or woman defines good and evil in their own way without having a single source of authority, then it simply comes down to differences of opinion.  Many advocate the idea of simply being “good to one another,” but who defines what “good” is if there is no God? In fact, we should question the reasoning as to why we should even be “good” to one another by man’s standards; if the evolutionist advocates Darwin’s theory of “Survival of the Fittest,” then wouldn’t being “good” to one another go against their core evolutionary belief?

In Jeremiah 10:23, we read “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”  Likewise, we read in Proverbs 16:25 that there “is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”  Both passages illustrate for us that mankind is fallible in their reasoning if they try to do so without God.  God, the single source of infallible authority and reasoning, can distinguish between good and evil, while mankind makes twisted judgments based largely on emotion and misconstrued perceptions of morality.  Again, this principle is illustrated for us in Isaiah 55:7-9: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord.  ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”  Mankind cannot set our own code of morality because every single person (without God) will have a differing opinion; if we all have different opinions, then it comes down to who has the power to enforce their opinion.  Obviously, a world without God is chaos and is wicked (Romans 1 & 2).

A few months ago, I published a short article on my blog concerning logical fallacies in argumentation.  To further establish that point, consider nearly any conversation concerning “abortion.”  When anti-abortionists, such as myself, argue against the immorality of abortion, the “what about cases of rape or abuse” (red herring) argument is invariable utilized.  Why is this a red herring argument? Simply because there are so few cases of abortion in which rape was a contributing factor (check the stats if you wish).  Additionally, it is an argument that plays off of human emotion rather than logical reasoning; for instance, the argument is typically phrased in such a manner as to make the anti-abortionist feel ashamed, such as “You REALLY believe that a woman who has already suffered the pain and humiliation of being raped to carry and give birth to the seed of the man who raped her?!” This is an entirely emotional argument which is not in any way, shape, or form founded in logic.  Rarely, if ever, does the person call the baby a baby; more often than not, they use terms such as “fetus” and “seed” because such words allow a disconnect between the truth of what they are killing and the fact that they are killing a baby boy or girl.  Why is it the baby’s fault that the father raped their mother? It was not their choice, nor is there a “rapist gene” that is passed to the baby (although some pretend that if the father is a rapist, so will the baby be). 

Then, generally, comes the ad hominem attack of “you are a twisted human being.”  Obviously, there are times in which someone standing for the right takes the low road and personally attacks the person advocating abortion rather than attacking the issue at hand.  Now that we’ve noted that it does take place, let’s get back to the topic at hand.  More often than not, this is the next progression in the discussion; the abortion advocate will malign the character and intelligence of the anti-abortionist by both name calling and using phrases such as “science has proved.”  “Science” can “prove” anything we like; for instance, the science of Nazi Germany supported Hitler’s perspective of the Jewish community.  Do we wish to stand by that science? In fact, there are startling similarities between that “science” and the “science” supporting abortion; for instance, Hitler portrayed Jews as being either subhuman or nonhuman, which is exactly the image of babies intended by such terms as “fetus” and “seed.” 

“Science” changes and is fallible, but God’s word is not.  Likewise, mankind’s opinions and reasoning is fallible, but God’s is not.  How logical is it to advocate the murder of an innocent child, but condemn a serial killer? How logical is it that a woman can legally murder her child without the knowledge or consent of the father, but if she is herself murdered while pregnant, the murderer is charged with two murders? Mankind cannot even follow their own twisted logic!

If our nation is to rise above the current immoral mess, then we must not only verbally acknowledge God as the only source of authority, but actually adhere to His standards…not ours.  We must also seek out faithful older men and women in Christ to learn from and set them up as “heroes” in the eyes of our children rather than earthly, wicked celebrities. 

What do Brittney Spears, Miles Cyrus (Hannah Montana), and similar celebrities have in common? What about Robin Williams and Heath Ledger? Elvis Presley and Philip Seymour Hoffman? In each of these examples, immorality has ruined their life; both Spears and Cyrus quickly degraded from a Disney poster-girl to, if we are honest, slut; both Williams and Ledger committed suicide; and Presley and Seymour both died because of drug addictions.  These are examples of mankind setting their own moral code.  These are but a few examples and one might argue that they are the minority.  But are they? They are not! This IS the norm for that kind of lifestyle, and yet many Christian parents point to such celebrities as examples and even encourage their children to get into such professions.  Some parents say “but look at the fame” or “look at the monetary value!” Perhaps the best argument against such a lifestyle and such immoral choices can be found in the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:26 where He asks two questions: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

We are not to base our morals on our own opinions, nor are we base them others who have ignored the will of God.  God’s word is not an opinion and it is not fallible.  Unlike mankind, He is able to properly distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil.  Following the so-called “logic” of mankind will only cause our eternal soul to be lost.  We need to follow the principles of God’s word and not human emotion (although they do occasionally coincide).  We need to ensure that we do not fit those in Romans 1:22 who professed to be wise, but really were fools.  If our principles are built on a foundation other than Christ, then we have the wrong principles. 

The "Opinion" of God

"The Bible is a very precious book.  It is the word of God.  In Hebrews 1:1,2, we have these words: 'God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.'  It is very important to us that God has spoken by His Son, but just now I want to notice that 'God has spoken."He has spoken on many subjects, and when He speaks we ought to listen.  There are some men for whom I have very high regard, and when they speak I like to be there to hear.  What they have to say is worth hearing.  How much more so are the things that God has said.  Sometimes I think we act as though the things He has said are trivial and of little importance."[1]

In our society (39 years after this quoted text was written), we have a similar take on the “opinions” of God.  Since our society has “freedom of speech,” we have elevated our opinions to the status of “fact,” and we have downgraded truth to being a subjective interpretation.  Is God's word merely an "opinion" that may contain good advice, but no command(s)?

Often, when Scripture is quoted, it is responded to with some phrase such as “in my humble opinion,” which is generally followed by an argument far removed from Scripture.  Since when do our lowly opinions weigh as heavily as God’s truth? This is the point that Mr. Irven Lee was driving at; when God speaks, we should realize that it is more than worth listening to. 

“Our way is simply a more efficient method” and “it is similar to what we are already doing” are phrases continually utilized (or some variation of these phrases) to justify adding activities that are unauthorized to the repertoire of Christians, whether collectively or as “individuals.”  These are decisions based solely upon opinion and not upon the Scriptures.  To further accentuate the point made by Mr. Lee, consider how in 2 Samuel 7 David has decided to build a house for the Lord and Nathan, without inquiring of the Lord, tells him to do whatever is in his (David’s) heart.  Why does Nathan do so? Because he believes it to be a “good” deed, even noble.  However, God uses the phrase in the following verses: “…have I ever spoken a word…” In Hebrews 1-2, God says that He has spoken to us and has given us His word and will, but in 2 Samuel 7 He says that He has not spoken.  What principle are we to glean from this juxtaposition?

If we downgrade God’s word to the level of an opinion, add what we think is a good idea without having the proper Scriptural foundation, and proceed without inquiring of God, then we are seeking to direct our own steps (Jeremiah 10:23).  While we may think something to be a good idea in our own “humble opinion,” it will only lead us to death (Proverbs 16:25).  As illustrated numerous times throughout the Scriptures, our opinions do NOT hold as much weight as God’s truth.  Proper Biblical authority, or do not participate.

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[1] Lee, Irven.  Good Homes in a Wicked World.  Hartselle: 1976.