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When Politicians Become Theologians

bonhoefferWhen politicians begin to position themselves as society’s theologians, at that point politics is no longer a spiritually neutral arena and the question isn’t whether or not the church is becoming too political. Rather, it’s to what extent is the government attempting to replace the Bible.
 
That’s why it’s not only appropriate, but it’s absolute necessary for believers to step up and voice their support for those candidates that champion a platform that’s in line with Scripture. Otherwise, you’re leaving the door of the fence open and all kinds of pain, hurt and corruption make their way on to the property and the only ones that are happy about it are those that walk up to God every morning as He’s sitting on His Throne and tell Him to get out of their chair.
 
Regulating the outward expression of one’s faith to taking care of widows and orphans is to qualify God’s command to influence our world according to singular gestures as opposed to a comprehensive ministry. The fact is, we’re supposed to help all those who are in need. But you fail those same people by obligating them to contend with a sinister society as opposed to a godly one by remaining silent when it comes to the way they’re governed (1 Chron 12:32; 1 Tim 2:2), educated (Dt 6:5-9; 2 Tim 2:15) and informed (1 Thess 5:21). In short, looking after the downtrodden includes the improvement of the world they’re living in and not just the house they’re sleeping in.
 
The ideal that is America is worth protecting and promoting. It’s unique among all other nations in that our approach to government is based on Divine Absolutes. It’s that premise that attracts people from all over the globe to our shores whether they’re able to articulate that reality or not. Dismissing any kind of passion or resolve when it comes to the maintenance of who and what we are as far as the motto on our coinage as “white nationalism” is irresponsible, ignorant and downright wicked.
 
When you place the Liberty Bell alongside the Iwo Jima Memorial, the graves at Gettysburg, and the Vietnam Wall, you’re not looking at a paradigm that was created to promote a specific race. You’re looking at a biblically based ideal that was designed to promote all races because of the way all races are created equal under God. The personalities that have used an American flag to facilitate an evil agenda are not representative of what we are as a country. The baggage and sin they bring to the table is theirs alone and not a systemic anomaly let alone a national transgression. To believe otherwise is to embrace a campaign that seeks to portray America according to the faults of some of the fools we have within our ranks in order to usher in a godless philosophy that is as toxic as it is treacherous.
 
Moreover, the term “white nationalism” reduces the substance of what generations of statesmen and soldiers have sacrificed their lives for to something self serving and vulgar. Not only is it outrageously disrespectful, it ignores the obvious manner in which our Constitution facilitates the rights that are ours according to Scripture. Where there is room for improvement, that space is built into its design. You don’t evaluate it according to the character flaws of those that wrote it as much as you evaluate it according to its substance and those who are critical of if forget that their criticism is allowed because of the rights guaranteed by the very document they supposedly despise.
 
Bottom line: Believers are the keepers of the philosophical and spiritual foundation upon which our nation is built. To say that God doesn’t particularly care about politics or that Christ followers are allowing themselves to be distracted when investing any time and energy into governmental affairs forget the way in which God works through rulers and elected officials to either prosper a nation or run it into the ground. Our obedience makes a difference. To withdraw from the conversation – to be ignorant or apathetic – is to be disobedient and it’s not enough to merely informed, you have to be wise.