Christ & Politics
First and foremost: Let we, the American citizens, never forget that our country was primarily founded for religious freedom. We could discuss what exactly that phrase means, but I find that burden of proof sides with anyone who would like to claim that we are NOT founded on that principle.
Government is inextricably linked to values, and since values are inextricably tied to theology. Thus it is completely reasonable for theology and goverment to tend towards to the same arenas. I fully reognize that this makes plenty of people uncomftable. However, one statement has wrung like a bell in my ear for a decade : “Voting is always a matter of whose values we will legislate. Values always drive legislation.”
For some reason my wife and I enjoy post-dinner discusions of contemporary topics like:
- The American Addiction Surveilance[1]
- Modern Police Brutality
- or more broadly: Race Relations in America
- Defunding Planned Parenthood
- Christan Perspectives on Climate Change
- Misplaced Definitions of American Exceptionalism
- America’s Stance Against Foreign Evil
- Russian Elections Tampering
(I intend to write a post about each of those)
The point is that I have given extensive thought to each of the topics, and as much as it pains me to admit that some of these issues have a clear Biblical mandate, and others do not. I am convinced that the Biblically clear issues should be more important. However I can not force my self to be more intereted in topics just because of a clear Biblical mandate.
For example, I can explain all day long why Planned Parenthood is toxic for Women’s Rights. But somewhere mixed up in a lot of emotions is a central belief that birth starts at conception and that all life is sacred. (as stated prior - this really deserves it’s own post)
On a different topic entirely: “The American Addition to Surveilance” is something I care deeply about. I could explain how the programs that the government has set up are unconstitional, how they have been proven by republicans as widly-ineffective, how we jeopardize american technology business by continuing to wage these mass-surveilance programs. (again deserves its own post) But the sad truth is that this issue does not have Biblical direction. The best I can summarize is - The government is lying or at least obfuscating the truth from its people, and claiming that’s what it takes to keep us safe. So unclear. The Bible never said that governments had to be transparent, Jesus never said all communication should be protected, nor did Peter, Paul, John, Timothy, or James write about the need for privacy to be protected.
There is a basis for obeying the laws of the land, until those laws or regulations fly in the face of God’s laws. The idea that the government should be transparent is a uniquely American ideal. I think it is one of our best governmental innovations. It, however, creates conflicts for governing agents aiming to weild power with “bad optics”
So what to do - I don’t know. I know that I am open to feedback. And I know that God has never lost control. I know that American’s believe the president is responsble for WAY more than the office actual controls. I know that I am troubled by my president. So I sit befuddled at how to proceed.
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