Weekly Opinion/Editorial
CHRISTIANS!
STAY HOOKED UP!
by Steve Fair
Tuesday is primary election day. It is important that every citizen,
regardless of their political philosophy, exercise their right/responsibility
and vote. One group of voters that have
become disengaged in the political process in recent years is the Christian
conservatives. Once a very powerful
voting bloc that could virtually guarantee the election of a candidate, the
Christian political influence has waned because many have stopped voting for a
variety of reasons. Here are three:
First, they feel betrayed and conned. Many of the candidates who campaigned on
family values and Christian principles were not doing it out of conviction, but
out of convenience. When they were
elected, the revealed their secular philosophy and failed to champion the
issues the Christian voters supported.
That betrayal has come home to roost and many Christian voters dropped
out of the political process. They
didn’t see their political involvement making a difference and they stopped
investing their time in politics. That
is all the more reason for Christians to stay in the process- to expose the
phonies and to work to get principled, ethical people elected to office.
Second, they view the world as
secular. Christians know this world is
not their home- they are just passing through.
They are sojourners. They got
involved in the political process because they believed it would further the
spread of the Gospel and that didn’t happen.
They pulled back because they believe that most political types are
pragmatists that practice situational ethics and don’t believe in absolute
truth.
Third, they believe the process is
rigged. Many Christians believe the
political process in America
is not unlike the WWE- that the special interest groups script out winners and
losers. They think only those who will
go along to get along can progress in politics and real people don’t get
elected and if they do they can’t make a difference. You can’t argue with their
logic when you see the fruit of many elected officials.
So what are Christian voters to do? Drop out because they are not seeing the
needle move? In Romans 13, Paul
admonishes the church at Rome
to stay engaged in secular government.
He tells them that a sovereign God rules in the affairs of men and that
installs(and brings them down) kings and elected officials into their
positions. Elected officials may think
they are in charge, but in fact He is the real power behind the throne. That should encourage the Christian to know
that God is in control of the situation.
Even when secular progressives win and take office, God is in
control. Jesus said in the Sermon on the
Mount that believers are to be salt and light in society. If that salt and light is removed from a
culture, it will only get worse.
Christians must stay engaged.
They must be the salt and light otherwise our culture in America is
doomed.
Noah Webster said: “When you become entitled to exercise the
right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God
commands you to choose for rulers, “just men who will rule in the fear of God.”
The preservation of government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty.”
Senator James Lankford says, “Washington
doesn’t fix America- America fixes Washington.”
His point is that individual
citizens working to make a difference in their families, their church, their
community will change our culture and our society. President Garfield said: “Now more than ever the people are
responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant,
reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance,
recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is
because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the
national legislature.”
The level of a person’s involvement in the
political arena is a personal one.
Whether they choose to become very engaged in campaigns and Party
politics or to simply be an informed voter is a decision between them and their
God, but no one should drop out. Men and
women in uniform have fought and died for our right to vote as a free
people. Never take that for
granted. Christian- cast your ballot on
Tuesday.
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