How do christian religions rationalize involvement in politics?

Question

The bible says to be be no part of the wold just as Jesus was no part of the world. The Jews tried to make him a king but Jesus said his kingdom was in the heavens not on the earth.
(James 4:4) 4 Adulteresses, do YOU not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.

Answer 1

Wow, I think you're taking James 4:4 very much out of context here.

Why you're doing this, I don't know -- innocent mistake, overly literal interpretation of Scripture, or a desire to shoo Christians away from the public square so as to leave the secularlists to run things. I have no idea.

Regardless, James is speaking of being too attached to this world so as to lose sight of our promised eternal life in the next.

James is not speaking of distancing ourselves from processes which involve the public good.

The church to which I belong -- the Roman Catholic Church -- never endorses specific political candidates.

It does, however, whatever it can to educate people on the serious issues that matter the most to Catholics, and to help us evaluate political candidates based on their stances on those issues.

There is absolutely nothing in the Bible which specifically commands Christians to be uninvolved with the political process. We can vote, we can campaign for candidates, and we can run for public office ourselves -- all with God's full blessing.

Answer 2

The anti-christ changed that by saying everyone is to obey their God led leaders. As if somehow leaders of the world are led by God more than their own self-interests. Time and again the Bible shows us that Gods leaders are not the ones mankind choses, but we haven't seemed to learn this important lesson very well.

Answer 3

Christian 'Dominionists' (Reconstructionalists, Theonomists) have largely usurped the local level political apparatus of the Republican Party, and are engaged in a sub rosa process to politically motivate moderate Christians under the false cover of religious issues such as morality and family values. The goal is nothing less than the takeover of all elective offices in the USA.

Their doctrine comes from the Bible, starting with the term 'dominion' at Genesis 1:28... “And God said unto them, [Adam and Eve] Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have DOMINION… over every living thing.” They interpret DOMINION as: “... a supremacy in determining and directing the actions of others or in governing politically, socially, or personally.”

They want to remake the USA as a theocracy... and they are succeeding.

Its most common form, Dominionism, represents one of the most extreme forms of Fundamentalist Christianity thought. Its followers, called Dominionists, are attempting to convert the laws of United States so that they match those of the Hebrew Scriptures. They intend to achieve this by using the freedom of religion in the US to train a generation of children via home-schooling and in private Christian religious schools. Later, their graduates will be charged with the responsibility of creating a new Bible-based political, religious and social order. One of the first tasks of this order will be to eliminate religious choice and freedom. Their eventual goal is to achieve the "Kingdom of God" in which much of the world is converted to Christianity. They feel that the power of God's word will bring about this conversion. No armed force or insurrection will be needed; in fact, they believe that there will be little opposition to their plan. People will willingly accept it. All that needs to be done is to properly explain it to them.

All religious organizations, congregations etc. other than strictly Fundamentalist Christianity would be suppressed. Nonconforming Evangelical, main line and liberal Christian religious institutions would no longer be allowed to hold services, organize, proselytize, etc. Society would revert to the laws and punishments of the Hebrew Scriptures. Any person who advocated or practiced other religious beliefs outside of their home would be tried for idolatry and executed. Blasphemy, adultery and homosexual behavior would be criminalized; those found guilty would also be executed. There are two conservative Christian pastors in Texas who have advocated the execution of all Wiccans. Ralph Reed, the executive director of the conservative public policy group the Christian Coalition has criticized Reconstructionism as "an authoritarian ideology that threatens the most basic civil liberties of a free and democratic society."

By failing to openly confront this insidious agenda, we have sown the seeds of our own destruction, while these religious wing-nuts are paving the way to Armageddon with gleeful anticipation.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/reconstr.htm
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/HistoryOfReconstructionMovement.html
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/Clarkson_RiseOfDomionism.html

Answer 4

if you are jesus and king in heaven then dont get involved, but we need to get involved to try and elect godly men to run our country. this does not make you a friend of the world, it is you standing up for christ.

Answer 5

This way they can force their religion on other people through legislation. This is the only reason that same-sex marriage isn't allowed.

Answer 6

Christians don't vote? Ah so they don't care about who their elected official is, or even what religion their elected official is? Talk about seeing through rose-colored glasses.

Answer 7

by avoiding the question