And God's Vote Goes To...

God isn't Democrat, Republican, or even Independent. He doesn't support McCain, Obama, or any one politician's agenda. He's isn't swayed by Biden's Catholic background or excited about Palin's conservative credentials. God simply hasn't blessed any political party or agenda with His stamp of approval.

Despite that fact, many Christians seem to have sworn allegiance to one political party or another and, sadly, often turn on fellow believers who sympathize with or (God forbid) support the opposing party. I'm not sure how or when these battle lines were drawn. Perhaps it's rooted in the "culture wars" between "conservatives" and "liberals". Perhaps it's fueled by differing personal convictions or political priorities. Frankly, I don't care much what your reason is — there simply isn't a valid excuse to cannibalize the body of Christ. Christians are to be known by their love for one another, are they not? Surely a civil dialogue is possible. And surely Christ's followers possess the wisdom and humility to participate in politics that transcends partisanship. No one is perfect, yet grace is sufficient for all. Amen? By all means, please participate in politics. But your Savior is not a Republican or a Democrat, and He will not rise from, or descend on, Capitol Hill.

That said, God isn't necessarily neutral on the issues. But His priorities are clear. Jesus never singled out abortion or gay marriage as "fundamental issues". Is God pro-life? Absolutely — in a far broader sense than the best of us. Does God call homosexuality a sin? Yes, He does — but it's just one sin among many. In fact, as far as we know, Jesus never mentioned abortion or homosexuality during his ministry on earth. But he did make it a point to rip the self-righteous hypocrites a new one and come down hard on consumerism (also, Mark 10) and self-interest. When directly asked to name the fundamental issues he replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...[and] Love your neighbor as yourself." Then he showed the world how it's done by dedicating his time on earth to caring for the sick, the poor, the outcasts, and sinners. Stop right now and read Matthew 25:31-46. That's how Jesus says individuals will be judged — not by whether they voted Republican or Democrat, but by whether they cared enough to act on behalf of the least of these. James 1:27 explains that religion God accepts as pure and faultless is "to look after orphans and widows in their distress". Are these the issues and causes that get us fired up? Are we humble? Selfless? Loving? Giving? I'm not saying abortion and gay marriage don't matter; I'm just pointing out that, even from a purely Biblical viewpoint, they aren't the only issues to consider when casting your vote — nor are they even the most important.

Blind loyalty to a political party isn't an option for Christians. Nor is one- or two-issue voting. As election day approaches, do your research with open eyes and a critical mind.

Faithful citizenship doesn't hinge on allegiance to a political party. God's not impressed by "American values" or "conservative" political views — He's righteous, not right-wing. So let not the American citizen boast in his citizenship, or the Christian voter boast in his vote, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows the God who isn't partisan, who judges all men, and rules every nation, tribe, and tongue. Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.

God Isn't Even American

God doesn't support America's national interests. He doesn't fight on America's side, and America has no special claim to God's blessing or protection. Americans are not God's chosen people, and American patriotism isn't a Biblical value. It's time to set the record straight.

America isn't a Christian nation. America was founded during a time when nearly everyone in the Western world believed in the God of the Bible, at least His existence, and early America was settled and shaped by religious, God-fearing people, many of them Christians. Therefore, God, the Bible, and religion featured prominently in the personal language of our Founding Fathers and influenced the laws set forth in the documents that govern our nation. There is no question that the basic principles of this country are strongly informed by Judeo-Christian ethics and the gospel of Jesus Christ. America wouldn't be the nation we know today were it not for its Christian heritage. That said, the Founders intentionally crafted the documents that govern our nation to prevent government from establishing a national religion or exercising any form of religious intolerance. In this representative democracy, everyone's voice must be respected; the majority may rule, but they never have the right to tyrannize the minority. Even this openly tolerant Constitutional principle is informed by Scripture: it acknowledges the truth that all people have equal value and promotes Christ's command to love your neighbor (even your political or religious enemies) — despite individual differences.

So, while you may (rightly) argue that America has a Christian heritage, or (accurately) suggest that America used to be a "nation of Christians" in the sense that, at one time in history, nearly every American citizen professed some form of Christian faith, the fact remains that this country has never been officially Christian in policy, practice, fact, or intent. There's certainly nothing inherently Christian about a democratic government or capitalist economy. America has only ever been as Christian as its people. If America has become "less Christian" over the decades, you'll find it's because a smaller percentage of its citizens call themselves Christian, and even fewer of those practice what they profess. This isn't a trend you can (or should) reverse with legislation.

From another angle, Christians should bear in mind that America came to exist through rebellion and selfish defiance (however heroic and eloquently justified) and, since then, many of our dealings have fallen far short of anything remotely Christ-like. Examine our history (our treatment of Native Americans, our oppression of women, our support of slavery, our racism against Japanese citizens during WWII and against African Americans and Hispanics even still) or our current affairs (our deplorable stewardship, our neglect of the poor, our national arrogance — to say nothing of the greed and self-interest that fuel the political and economic engines that drive the country). Do followers of Jesus really want this country representing Christianity to the world? Make no mistake, this is a great nation and I'm thankful for it. But God's not an American. Personally, I'd prefer it if the name of Christ and the reputation of His followers wasn't automatically on the line for every action of these United States.

Environmentalist Role Reversal

Riddle me this:

Concern for the environment — indeed, the entire environmentalist movement — is traditionally associated with "left-wing" "liberals" and naturalists, who often come under attack from "right-wing" "conservatives" and creationists as "treehuggers" with mixed-up priorities. This strikes me as a profound mystery.

Remember the part in Darwin's Theory of Evolution about Natural Selection (sometimes referred to as Survival of the Fittest)? Let's take a second and reconcile a belief in that process with, say, the Endangered Species Act. If you believe that life sprung from nothing and has progressed from nonliving matter to isolated cells and all the way to human civilization through the forces of random chance (beneficial, heritable mutations) and natural selection (better-equipped, increasingly dominant species directly or indirectly pushing less fit species toward extinction), why would you argue for human intervention when increasing human dominance threatens other species? Why should you care if the polar bear or spotted owl lives or dies? Isn't that just part of the process? Surely, if we're part of this whole natural system, then all our actions — including pollution, waste, ecological destruction, etc. — must be considered just as natural as the actions of an ape, squirrel, or flea. By what standard can they be condemned? (Before you're tempted to argue for humanity's unique power or responsibility, please consider that suggesting such things comes dangerously close to skewering the naturalist premise of your beliefs. To be consistent, man cannot be set apart or held to a higher standard.) But, if our natural actions, contrary to the natural actions of every other creature on earth, lead inexorably to the complete destruction of the planet, I must ask, how did we get to be so different?

On the flip side, if you believe God created every living thing after its own kind to work in harmony as parts of complete, complex ecosystems that by their very existence glorify God ... where do you get off not caring about the planet? Especially when your Bible says that God specifically put man on earth to take care of it. Don't give me any weak rationalizations about "having dominion" or "subduing the earth" — those verses are clearly about stewardship (everything is created "by him and for him", right?). And while you may be Biblically correct in asserting that caring for people is a higher priority than caring for animals or trees, your God asks you to do both. Whatever you do, don't shrug the whole thing off with "the whole world's going to be destroyed anyway" as if the approaching Apocalypse somehow nullifies the commands of your God (see 2 Peter 3:11). Note that He never condones selfishness or wastefulness. If you truly believe you'll one day give an account to Him, you'd better start caring about His creation — all of it.

Just some things for us to think about.