A Christian Life in Politics
How can I claim to be a Christian and say I work in politics and love those who appose me? How can one be religious and still be a just and kind legislator? The two seem to be dichotomous and we as a country and culture want to make a distinction between the two. Separation of church and state has been engrained in our way of life for most Americans; a necessary aspect of society that allows government to function and citizens to practice religion freely and without governmental favoritism.
However, I think we miss an important part of life that through discarding religion in our political life, we remove a key part of our humanity. I say this because I believe our national conversation has become toxic, congress is more polarized, and religion is used more as a political tool by politicians and media than a doctrine to live by. This is not to say that being religious is untenable while in political office, nor is being irreligious a pre-requisite to office. Rather, I think it puts more responsibility on us as citizens to expect better morals from our elected officials.
I see absolute contempt come out of our leaders which has spread to our everyday life. The freshman class of congress has already stirred controversy on top of what had been established by the President, which only scratches the surface of what our political leaders have said to each other. This has worryingly made Americans more bold in stating their opposition to each other through lewd and hateful ways. I have seen friends cuss each other out for having voted differently from each other. I have been accused of wishing people dead because I am libertarian. It literally pains me to see this and receive it. What can be done? For me, it is to make a more purposeful decision to live as a Christian. I am not looking to convert anyone, but I hope some of what I will write can be applied regardless of you being Christian, another religion, or nonreligious. Because at the bottom of it all, what I advocate for is being a kind human.
This series will be a collection of writings I will be creating until I otherwise decide not to write it anymore. The purpose of this is three-fold. Firstly, it gives me an opportunity to dive deeper into my Bible and learn to live my life as a Christian with a Christian mind-set towards others, especially as a libertarian toward those that I oppose politically. Secondly, it’s to build out a framework of morals that, stemming from the Bible, can translate to common-sense ways to approach politics that anyone can use, regardless of political or religious affiliation. Thirdly, it is to make an attempt to understand how God wants me to act as a Christian working in politics and how my view of government should reflect a Biblical foundation.
An added benefit to this is to improve my writing skills and nurture a hunger to learn more about political theory and theology. It is also to help me become comfortable in writing more openly about my beliefs and provide an opportunity to develop and mature them. This will come from continued writing and debate with whoever reads this series. As such, I am making a couple of assumptions here:
- Religion in politics has been a part of life since religion and politics were invented (which one came first could be an interesting conversation). To say we can perfectly separate the two is, I think, an impossible task, but one that can be discussed here. As such, it requires a person to walk a fine line, dipping into either side with care. What this should look like will be discussed here and will hopefully build a common framework for all of us to debate from.
- I am not here to advocate for a religious revolution in our government nor am I to say that a religious person need be in office. Would I prefer a Christian in office? Yes. Do I believe it is a necessary qualification for office? No. What I will explore here is how a Biblical foundation could offer a robust set of morals that make for a good candidate. What are those morals? That is what will be discussed here and what I hope one can take to heart and use.
If you’re willing to join me, welcome! Glad to see you.
