This post was written in response to Rod Heggy’s post: “Christians Not a Cohesive Voting Block” (01/18/06).
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Rod, I am also an independent, not registered Republican or Democrat. As a younger Christian, I thought that was the proper approach to politics for a committed Christian. As a matter of fact, for most of my adult life I have intentionally kept politics at arm’s length for reasons of faith. I have always had a big personal interest in politics and history, but have believed that politics is ultimately an ineffective solution to the world’s problems. If Jesus is the answer, I have thought, then our efforts should be poured into evangelism and building up the church, rather than politics. To put it another way, the only real solutions occur through change of individual hearts and lives, not changes in policies, laws and office-holders.
However, as I begin the second half of my life, I have come around to a different view. I certainly continue to believe that Jesus is the answer. But I think that perhaps the best way for me to communicate Christ now is to step outside of the church house and become more actively involved in current affairs, at the very least as one more Christian voice in this very noisy conversation our nation is having right now.
In that context, I am very interested but unclear about what you are saying in your previous comment.
* You said you have been “amused…to watch Christians attempt to mingle politics with faith.†I would have guessed that you believe we Christians have as much of a right and responsibility to participate in politics as any other citizen. Wouldn’t you agree that if we are genuine people of faith, our faith is going to be “mingled†into all parts of our life, including our politics? What amuses you about that?
* I am very surprised by your comment that “we could learn a thing or two†from the way Arabs and Jews integrate their religion and their politics. I don’t know about that. Please explain how either of those are good models. Yes, each of us must personally determine how to integrate our faith and our politics, but your comment could be interpreted as a call for the integration of church and state on the “societal†(i.e., governmental) level. Surely that’s not what you want, Rod! You recently endorsed the separation of church and state.
Please elaborate. Meanwhile, your comment about abortion is so provocative that I’m going to break it out into a separate thread. I look forward to hearing more from you on that issue, also.
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UPDATE (01/19/06): In response to the above post, Rod Heggy has written: “Faith Should Define, Not Just Mingle, with Politics.â€
