A friend messaged me on Facebook and wondered how I could vote the way I do when my God promotes anything but the anger and division we see today in politics. I responded to her queries (in italics).
Q: What I am trying to understand is the disconnect I see between faith and how it’s being used in politics. Do you feel like your faith is truly reflected in the leadership being supported?
I don’t look to politicians to be my faith leaders. I have those in my life, and they are steeped in the Scriptures. My mayor, my congressional leader, my governor, et. al. are not my spiritual leaders. I don’t look to them for my faith or to better understand Scripture. I look to them to lead my town, my state, and my country in the best way as I see it. There is not one politician on this planet with whom I agree 100%. Only Jesus Christ! I vote for percentages. If I agree with one candidate’s views more than another, then they have my vote. I literally would have to run for office myself to agree 100% with a politician! People are sinners, they are human, and they have a fleshly, selfish nature. Not one human is perfect; we are all flawed. There can be no perfect politician.
Q: Do you believe this country is actually living in the spirit of Jesus Christ?
I believe that the Christians in this country are living in the spirit of Jesus Christ as they understand Scripture and intention. I would never hold anyone outside the faith to the tenets of the faith. As with any group, there are factions who believe certain things. Long held traditions, church doctrine, and varied interpretations of Scripture lead to disagreements among Christians on how the Christian faith should be lived out. For instance, I believe that female pastors can teach from the pulpit to both men and women. I believe that is supported in Scripture. Many would disagree with that! And, that’s just one issue!!
Jesus said it clearly: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. He acknowledged Himself as the Messiah, who came to take away the sins of the world. Therefore, faith in Jesus as our Savoir is the crux of Christianity. Any other issues are just things to quibble about. My close friends and I have a saying: If it’s not an issue of SALVATION, then we can disagree…and it’s okay! The belief that Jesus Christ, God in human form, came to pay the penalty for our sins is tantamount to being a Christian.
Q: Do you think the political use of religion has stayed true to its original purpose?
People have been politicizing religion since the beginning of time. Today, some like to point out recent US history without regard to thousands of years of world history. Remaining in the realm of modern times makes for punchy soundbites, but discounts the larger reality: every nation has used every religion as a political weapon since the dawn of time. There is nothing new under the sun…no matter how titillated we are by a snappy catchphrase.
My takeaway from this discourse with my friend is that our country benefits from the separation of Church and State (we are not a theocracy), and profits from a populace that adheres to Christian principles–about 70% of us do. Our country was founded on Judeo/Christian principles, and the Declaration of Independence ends with an invocation that appeals to the supreme judge of the universe.
Who is that supreme judge?
Jesus himself (Leviticus, John, Revelation).
John Adams (a founding father, first VP, and second POTUS) famously acknowledged: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.“