Patriotic Religion?
"Your honor, she's making fun of Christianity. It's unpatriotic and I fear it will hurt the troops."
This line from last week's Boston Legal (one of my favorite shows) says a lot in just a few words. I'm generally okay with staying out of the political arena and I really don't like when politics and religion mix. However, we are in that very situation in the United States right now, particularly the southeastern US. It's as if there are some who believe it's impossible to be a Christian and anti-Bush. Or Christian and against the war on...what was it, again? Or Christian and non-Republican.
So, I have a few questions about this whole deal, but they really all boil down to one main query. As Christians, do we have some sort of responsibility in the politics of our nation? I mean, is all of this real Christianity or just mixed up with specifically American ideals? What should our role as American Christians be? Should we be creating and signing petitions, lobbying for our own agendas, instructing parishioners from the pulpit on who the appropriate candidate for office is? I don't know. I look in the Bible and I don't see Jesus speaking out about any laws of his land. I don't see him instructing Christians to rise up against even outlandish legal processes like slavery. So, what can we - should we - take from that?
I really don't have the answers to these questions. I'm just asking them and trying to think through them and am curious as to what others may think. Perhaps you think Christians should be outspoken on political matters. If so, please share. I'm seriously interested in both sides here.
Peace. Out.
This line from last week's Boston Legal (one of my favorite shows) says a lot in just a few words. I'm generally okay with staying out of the political arena and I really don't like when politics and religion mix. However, we are in that very situation in the United States right now, particularly the southeastern US. It's as if there are some who believe it's impossible to be a Christian and anti-Bush. Or Christian and against the war on...what was it, again? Or Christian and non-Republican.
So, I have a few questions about this whole deal, but they really all boil down to one main query. As Christians, do we have some sort of responsibility in the politics of our nation? I mean, is all of this real Christianity or just mixed up with specifically American ideals? What should our role as American Christians be? Should we be creating and signing petitions, lobbying for our own agendas, instructing parishioners from the pulpit on who the appropriate candidate for office is? I don't know. I look in the Bible and I don't see Jesus speaking out about any laws of his land. I don't see him instructing Christians to rise up against even outlandish legal processes like slavery. So, what can we - should we - take from that?
I really don't have the answers to these questions. I'm just asking them and trying to think through them and am curious as to what others may think. Perhaps you think Christians should be outspoken on political matters. If so, please share. I'm seriously interested in both sides here.
Peace. Out.
posted by Michelle at 10:27 AM
2 Comments:
I haven't read you blog in forever and I'm so glad I did! This is a great topic...
I think it is imperative that Christians be involved in politics (voting, signing petitions, lobbying). It is one avenue for social justice that many Christians do not take advantage of. However, my concern is what I think you refered to as "lobbying for our own agendas". To gain votes, politicians use catch phrases to play on our emotional ties. They see a trend or voting demographic and shape their campaign around that. It's not a bad thing (although, it does make me sick at times), it's a campaign-thing. But I think we don't really understand the difference between partisanship and politics. Voting party does not equate "Voting Christian" -- even though some Christian circles believe that and it's been intensified by the media.
I look at our political parties in America and see very unpatriotic, undemocratic, and unchristian points on all sides. The Church (as a body and as an institutions) needs to be vocal in social justice... it should be our duty. However, it should not be partisan. No one should have the right to say Christian=Republican or Christian=Democrat... to me, that's wrong.
Amy
Thanks, Amy, for the comment. I think I've actually started to come to somewhat of a conclusion about all of this. The thing is, being a Christian and being an American are two separate roles. We like to intertwine them, and in some ways they are related, but they're not one and the same. As a Christian, my responsibility is to love God and love people the best way I know how. Period. As an American, however, I have responsibilities to participate in the shaping of my country. I'm priveleged to live in a place where I have that opportunity (or at least the appearance of that opportunity...but that's another post altogether!). When we try to mix the two the way that some people do now, it just gets confusing.
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