Politics and Religion

Think About It

Politics and Religion

(Of Donkeys, Elephants, The roaring lion, Sheep, and the Lion of Judah)

Politics and religion do not mix. I’m not sure who first made that statement. It is quoted often.

In the 4th Century, Rome adopted Christianity; (or a facsimile), and “Voila!” The Roman Catholic Church as we know it, was born. Maybe it is a little too simplistic of a synopsis, but I wish someone had convinced them that religion and politics do not mix. It sure would have saved a great deal of bloodshed through the centuries, but I digress.

Fast-forward to today, and American politics and Biblical Christianity make an interesting combination. Regardless of the misinformation that infiltrates educational institutions (including some Christian educational institutions) under the guise of history, the United States of America was founded on Christianity and Biblical principles. Certainly, many of the framers of our government and writers of our invaluable founding documents were not Christians themselves; however, with Biblical influences from their parents and the closer-to-Biblical-truth education that they received, the Founding Fathers realized that there had to be a better form of government for the establishment of “a more perfect union. Our founding documents are richly laced with freedom for those who sought it. Those who sought it were willing to die (and many have) to obtain it and to maintain it. Thus, across the fruited plain, we are quite unique in our purpose as “one nation under God” from the earliest settlements, to the official founding of this nation, to finding our place among the nations of Earth.

The question is often asked, Why didn’t Jesus, Paul, and the other Apostles talk about mixing politics and religion (or, more accurately, politics and Christianity)?  You never find anything in the New Testament -- the Gospels, the Book of Acts, or Paul’s epistles -- where Christians spoke against politics or politicians. Well, let’s take a quick history lesson.

In the time of the New Testament (during Jesus’ life on earth and for some time following), Rome was the world power. Rome ruled with an iron fist led by an Emperor, Caesar.

Caesar was a title that was usually followed by the actual given name (eg. Caesar Augustus in Luke 2:1). Caesar wanted allegiance from everyone throughout the Roman Empire. He ruled various nations and their towns using a hierarchy of governors. In Israel, Rome controlled the Jews’ Herod Dynasty of Kings (Herod was also a title). Caesar -- whichever one ruled at any given time -- was usually quite self-absorbed and demanded a reverence akin to worship. Caesar and his government demanded loyalty; therefore, Roman leaders hated Jews, and, even more, these “Christians” and delighted in severely persecuting both (feeding them to the lions or making human torches of them, for example).

Rome, like Greece, worshipped various gods (idols) connected to superstitions and legends (Acts 17 is an example concerning the Greek gods). Rome had no true and living God, no Holy Scripture, and no spirituality based on such things. They had only spiritual darkness, moral relativism (“if it feels good do it”), and philosophical emptiness (“what is true for you might not be true for me”;) within the context of a ruler with absolute power. Meaning was found in power, money, and sensual pleasure (sex, drunkenness, and other vices).

Taxes were collected to pay salaries for less-than-desirable authorities who fell all over themselves to please Caesar. In New Testament times, given Rome’s absolute political power, Christians did not, and, even more so, could not, be vocal about the government, and politics, in a negative way. What is the difference in our time?

Let’s understand something quite important to put this all in perspective. People who object to Christians (pastors are Christians too!) and our “criticism of the government”; and “mixing politics and religion”; or, my personal favorite, “being too political,” need to understand two important truths:

First, our nation has a First Amendment that assures the freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Every citizen of the United States of America has those freedoms. That freedom does not cease when an American citizen becomes a Christian. If there is any objection to that, someone PLEASE send their same complaints to the “reverend” Jesse Jackson, and the “reverend” Al Sharpton and their ilk. Apparently, they are unaware of this phenomenon of “being too political.” Our Christianity should never silence our voice, but rather it should motivate us to speak up! As the late Dr. Jerry Falwell often said concerning cowardice when it comes to moral and spiritual issues, “;there is a deafening silence in America’s pulpits.”

Second, a great number of Americans, including Christians of various denominations have fallen to the ever-so-cunning deception from our infernal enemy (the “roaring lion” of 1 Peter 5:8), that certain issues and topics are “political issues” when they are, in fact, spiritual and moral issues. Some examples are abortion, same gender “marriage,” exploiting minors by teaching them sexual perversion in the name of “education,” and the list goes on.

Those who have had “the wool pulled over their eyes” (sheep led astray?) have fallen prey to the thinking that these issues are political issues to be determined by donkeys or elephants.

Not so! These spiritual issues are addressed in both the Old and New Testament by the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5).

Stand for what is right. Even when you have to stand alone.

Think about it.

Barry