Religion and Politics

Politics and Religion are two things we are often warned not to discuss. Especially at occasions where people of differing opinions may be present. I am sure this is meant as a way of trying to keep everyone civil. Yet we must discuss them. Maybe not in every conversation nor in every situation, but they are both entities that affect our lives in ways of which we may not even be aware.

These two facets of life are important to us. They draw strong and deep reactions toward anyone challenging our position. Sometimes, though, our position needs to be challenged. We need to know why we believe the way we do and we need to be able to articulate that. I am a christian, and sometimes I need to be challenged and asked for the evidence. I am called to pass that information along. To do that effectively and correctly I must refer back to the Bible. I am also told to speak in love, which isn't always easy to do. My belief is that one God has created all on this earth and He desires that none perish, but come to Him in truth and love. Not everyone that is a christian is interested in politics, and not everyone that is interested in politics is a christian. Still that does not keep these complex and far ranging issues from being important to us, and to them being at least somewhat entertwined in the world and in our lives.

There is the related issue of how much a role religion should play in our government, or how much a role the government should play in religion. This has become one of those 'hot button' issues because people on both sides have taken extreme positions that tend to divide everyone. They do not want to find a solution unless it is completely and exclusively their stated solution. The ones that say it is my way or no way are the ones getting most of the attention, but there must be a voice of reason - a still, calm voice - to bring resolution to the bitterness and bring the family back to the same table.

I believe there should be some separation between the church and state, at least between organized religion and the government. I believe that was the intention of our founding fathers and is indicated within the Constitution and other documents. That does not mean there is to be an absence of religion and certainly we want men of faith to be leading us. I believe the Bible even gives an indication of this separation when the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus and He answered, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's."

There are christian symbols and references throughout the documents in the founding of this country. Many are also incorporated into our most famous and historic buildings. The majority of our founders were Christian and so naturally included this belief system and symbolism in the basic building blocks of our country. They were also descended from the stock of people that settled here to avoid the religious persecution that had become so terrible in Europe, where the government and church had formed such close ties as to make it sometimes hard to decide exactly which entity was really in charge. So, these men chose to found our country with the express desire to avoid that happening here.

The one thing that angered me most in the 2004 presidential election was the overt, and wrong, use of the christian religion in promoting the republican party. The divisiveness that it produced in our churches. I have told many of my republican friends (and some that weren't such friends) that God is not a republican. I think some were surprised. I know I was when I learned He wasn't a democrat. In fact, I have it on pretty good authority (the Bible) that He isn't even a US Citizen. He has, however, tremendously blessed this country and its citizens.

I believe our churches and pastors have the right and the responsibility to take positions on certain issues. Those positions should be in keeping with their studies of the bible and based within the belief of their religious convictions. However, I do not believe a pastor or church should endorse any political party or candidate. I have found positions in both parties that are not exactly in line with scripture, and I have found positions on both sides that are. It is my belief that the message of the God, His church, and the pastor as spokesman for that church is of far greater importance than the message of either political party. And by taking the side of either party, the pastor/church is losing the strength of the message in trying to reach all those to whom we are called to witness - some that are members of the other party.

I believe there are cases where the preachers have abandoned God's word and have, in their political zeal, put their own in it's place. They know enough, or remember enough, to say the right words in the right way to make many of those listening believe in their message. But it has become their message and not Gods. The Bible does warn us that there will be false teachers that will lead many astray. And that they will even do great works in the name of the Lord. Still, we are warned that they are false.

One of the newer ideas/programs to come along is the faith based initiatives. At first glance this sounds like a good idea. It is a way to help our religious organizations to get money from the government to use in the endeavors they are already working in, and doing a more efficient job than our government does. So why would this not be a good idea? I have a few reasons, and most of them because I think it will hurt our faith organizations in the long run.

I lean to the liberal side overall, and as a liberal I believe that we have an obligation as a country to take care of those who are less fortunate and cannot take care of themselves. Have there been abuses in many of these programs created by Democrats for that purpose? By all means. But that does not mean we should abandon them and those that really need them. It means we should work together to try and fix the problem, not throw out the baby with the bathwater.

As a Christian I believe we are called to take care of those who need help and are unable to find it themselves. I believe we are called to help provide for the poor among us, to take care of widows and children, and to be that Good Samaritan - the one who took care of those who were unlike himself, and did so without any expectation of being remunerated.

It would seem then that the merging of these two would be a good solution. I don't believe it is. Any money coming from the government will also come with restrictions and strings. If not initially, it will eventually. It cannot be used in the same manner or as efficiently as that collected privately. As our faith groups get this money they will come to depend on it instead of the Grace of God and His provisions. The faith community will not feel it as necessary to make the donations they need to because they can see that they are already receiving so much money from the government. The faith based community by definition should be depending on God in faith to provide what they need. The US Government is not God. If we are working in God's will, all we need will be provided. These issues along with others, will create a net loss of money to help those in need.

There have been conversations, discussions, and arguments about the role of religion in politics. Some people want more involvement, some want less, and others want none at all. That discussion is likely to continue for a long time. Both politics and religion will continue to affect our daily lives. I believe that both are important. I believe in our country and I believe in God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. We are called as Christians to lead others to Christ, but we are not called to force them there. We must recognize that not all believe as we do and we need to respect that enough to lead them gently in love. Take the example of Christ. He could force us to follow Him, but instead He says that He stands and the door and knocks.

Let us have a government that is ruled by good men and women. Some of faith, some of differing faiths, and some of no faith. Let that government protect the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. And let us follow the example of our founding fathers and provide the individual rights that we believe to be inalienable - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - along with the belief that we are all created equal.

Democrats and Republicans

There have, for the most part, been two political parties in the United States since the founding of our country. Two differing philosphies of how we should approach the issues faced by our country, with one common desire to make this country strong, prosperous, and free. Today those two parties continue as the Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats began as a political party in 1792 under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson. The Federalists and John Adams were the beginnings of the Republican Party, though not completely. The Republican party was formed officially in 1854.

In his farewell address, George Washington warned about the formation of political parties and the dangers their formation could pose to the welfare of our country. I wondered for a long time why he had this concern. They seemed to be a natural and logical way for a person to find a common place for those of like philosophies to gather and promote their ideas and ideals for our country. In the last few years though, I am beginning to understand his worry. Our politicial parties have become more and more divisive in their campaining, and have been more prone to support strongest those on the more extreme points of their philosophical leaning and fewer in the middle. Along with that is the penchant for shading and sometimes avoiding the truth in a concerted effort to gain advantage and power. Using powerful words and phrases that sound good, but often do not describe the policy being enacted at all. This is something we need to correct. We must demand that our leaders on both sides of the aisle be true to our vision, clearly stating our position, and enacting policies that match our words.

Many people in this country will tell you they are a democrat. I am one of them, as are many of my friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Many others will say they are republicans, of which of which I have many friends, some relatives, and many acquaintances. Still others will say they are libertarians, some will claim the green party, and a large number will say they are independents. Our country needs all of these citizens, and we need them to be actively involved. Active and informed. While I believe everyone should vote, I am becoming reluctant to always recommend those who do nothing to inform themselves of the issues and platforms. And it is getting harder and harder to find unbiased information. Our once pretty reliable news media has become adept at spinning stories one way or the other. Journalistic integrity seems to be reaching a very low point in this country. And it is dangerous to our country to vote based on only biased reports.

But what does that party label say about a person? Does it prove whether you are a Christian or not? Does it guarantee you to be of good character or to be a scoundrel? Will it show you to be a patriot or a person only out for your own gain? Does it even tell where you stand on 'hot button' issues such as guns, gays, or abortion? It does not! History shows us christians and non christians on both sides, good people and crooks on both sides, patriots and otherwise on both sides, and there are people on both sides of the aisle that will take one side or the other of all the hot button issues. Every democrat is not extremely liberal and every republican is not extremely conservative. In fact, most are moderate with a leaning one way or the other. And many times they may lean the opposite way on individual issues.

So what does a party label say about the person. For the most part it will indicate that the person subscribes, at least for the most part, to the basic philosophy of their party. The real differences will show up in the policies enacted by the party in power. It shows up in to a lesser degree in the debates when the party is not in power as well. You still need to be aware of what the policies are, and not just listen to what is being said.

You can ask a hundred people why they are a member of one party or the other and you will likely get at least a hundred different answers. It may be because of the family they grew up in and they just continued to be a party loyalist. It may be because of the friends they have, or those they trust and respect. They may choose one or the other based on only one issue that they believe in passionately, or on a few that they find to be important. Some follow those that have the power, some go on their gut feeling, and others are swayed by a particular political leader that impacted them at some point in their lives. Many do study the issues and the parties to find or remain in their political home.

I have long been a believer in the strong two party system as we have had in practice in the United States. I believe that both sides need to be strong and they need to try to work with members of the other side to find the best answers for our country as a whole. There will always be some differences that are almost impossible to work through completely, but there are enough areas that we can work on together to get us through. I also believe those independent, swing voters are essential in keeping the balance as well.

There is no way to fully describe the differences between Democrats and Republicans in one short article. And whatever differences I describe will not pertain to every single republican voter, party member, or official. However, it is historically provable in the policies of the parties.

I believe the very basic differences in the parties is that of their economic approach and philosophy, along with where they believe that power should be placed. Where does each party place the emphasis of their efforts and who do they protect or promote first.

The Republican party believes that for the country to be strong, the large corporations must be protected. Their policies will favor the protection of the corporation and large wealth over that of the individual citizen. This is seen in their policies - their resistance to raise minimum wages, their weakening or not enforcing many worker protection laws, their cutting of taxes and allowing multi national corporations to use less of their real income for taxable purposes, their lowering of environmental standards to allow corporations to make greater profits, and the tendency to having higher unemployment rates during republican administrations as a way to keep inflation lower. Much of this is sold in the belief that less government interference in business is better.

The Democratic Party has the philosophy of putting the individual first, of protecting the poor and middle class. The working class and the hope of raising the standard of living for all citizens is at the heart of the democratic policies. This is seen in their policies that place minimum working conditions of safety for corporations to provide, their policy to protect the environment for the health of our country and citizens (and to have the polluters to pay for the cleanup of what they are making profits on as they pollute it), of providing programs to help those unable to help themselves, of creating social security to give our seniors dignity in their old age, and in supporting a tax system that places less burden on the poor and middle class who are already strugging to keep going.

Neither party is completely pure in these endeavors, but even a cursory examination will show that they lean in these directions. There are good ideas and policies enacted by both parties. I am proud to be a democrat and I know many that are just as proud to be republicans. The truth is that we are all in this together. Our common dreams are far greater than our differences, though that has been a difficult position to take in the last 6 years. I see some hope of it getting better now. Let's keep working.

Albert Einstein said, "Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." I think we can find some of that same sentiment in the founding documents of this country.