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).