Christians, to what extent should we inject our faith into politics?

Question

I can see both sides. To claim to believe something firmly and not promote its tenets is somewhat disingenuous, yet to impose beliefs on others through law-making seems to violate the Christian principle of individual liberties. Does political lobbying actually achieve it's desired effect on those who disagree (seemingly no; people usually get offended); or is Rick Warren right in that we must change hearts before changing minds has any real effect?

Answer 1

Why are you asking only the Christians? It is the non-Christians who are affected by you leveraging government to push your religion. Though, I would also argue that in the long run, it hurts Christianity, too. Your question exposes just the type of unwarranted bias that a Christian theocracy imposes.

The Christian lobbying has been detrimental to the country by lessening the affect of the Constitutionally mandated separate of church and state. This has had an effect on society which now regards non-Christians, especially atheists, as second-class citizens. As evidence of this, look at the "debate" the other day which Democrats then Republicans had to convince the public how they are all "good Christians", which really spits in the face of the Article VI, section 3 of the Constitution which says, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.".

Answer 2

No I don't think so. Even though I do not agree with the decision of the administration to go after advisers of the former administration. It seems that our system of government has been slowly being poisoned for some time now. Many people seem to think we live in a democracy which was at least not true in the past and is not the way the US government was set up. Our system is supposed to be a representative republic which differs greatly from a democracy. We have developed into a two party system that bends to the latest polls, something that became most prominent during the Clinton era. Personally I believe the entire modern structure of our government has become some kind of legislative cancer that is destroying the US. I fear that unless "we the people" regain control that our decline and fall will look very much like that of the Roman Empire of the past. We are supporting through ever increasing taxes a two headed monster that keeps fighting it's self rather than acting in the best interest of the people. The federal government continues to grow and invade our rights provided in the constitution. With the system of checks and balances, our governmental antibodies, being unable to stop the cancer. It seem just a matter of time before a total system failure.

Answer 3

I am a serious Christian. I could never do anything politically that violated my faith in God. I would never do anything politically that would require anyone else to worship or believe just as I do. Now, I do realize that anyone who is a "real" Christian will think fairly close to the way I do, not because I am right, but because God is.
Rick Warren???? Hmmm, I read his book in college, we did a study on his method of evangelism (I went to Liberty U.) He is okay, certainly not perfect, just okay. I do not agree with him on everything. But--yes, we must change hearts first. Heart first, then the mind, and action will follow. This is fairly standard. I never believe we should attempt to legislate morality-as some put it. But at the same time, we must never destroy our constitutional right to be a Christian and to exercise our belief. Our constitution guarantees us that the government can not regulate ("shall make no law") our religion or the "free" exercise thereof. However we allow the liberals to regulate us everyday. Every effort to defend the meaning of the constitution is attacked, and the "separation of church and state" baloney is brought up. And we allow our lawyers and judges to completely overlook the constitution.

Answer 4

There is no such thing as a Christian principal of individual liberty. True Christians take their mandate from God to bring Christianity to every living man, woman and child very seriously. For them, the ends absolutely and completely justify the means.

The religious right will not stop until Christianity is the State religion of the USA and all laws are in complete agreement with the 10 Commandments and other precepts as described in the Bible.

Politics is now the vehicle for the advance of Christianity in the US. If you align yourself against "conservatism" you are therefore against God's will.

Answer 5

Fireball made your point for you. I'll now counter that point - Christians who are involved in politics tend to vote their morality rather than issues, and vote for the person who publicly states their moral background (ie "I'm a Christian") and whose morality mirrors their own, rather than the best person for the job. You made a nice point about the "Christian principle" of individual liberties - the thing is, those liberties are also granted by the Constitution. When religion mixes with government, you get morality legislated to you, and oftentimes that morality (as Fireball said 'stay out of it but outlaw abortion') strips away individual rights and liberties. You can't have it both ways. Chocolate and peanut butter taste great together - politics and religion don't.

Answer 6

What you truly believe to be true forms becomes who you are. To say that a person should not bring who they are into the political arena is ridiculous.

There is no such thing as "Separation of Church and State" in the United States Constitution. It merely says that the government may not establish a national religion. It does NOT say anywhere that a person's convictions and conscience may never enter the political arena. They ALWAYS do, whether a person happens to follow Christ or not.

Answer 7

Can you give me an example of "the christian principle of individual liberties"? Every christian experience I ever had (I am now ex-christian) was a uniforming experience, not individualising.

That's an aside. To answer your main point, look at the predominantly christian founding fathers of the USA, who wisely made points of constitution to keep religion out of law and politics as much as possible. These people were *politicians* and yet even they saw the wisdom and necessity of this.

Answer 8

I have to agree with your assessment. As a Christian, I live my life based on certain principals of moral behavior so I would have to look at electing a potential leader who also had similar principals. However, this does not necessarily mean that the person would have to be religious in order to have those principals. I have seen people who do not believe in God that also live by higher standards. That would be my criteria for choosing someone.

Answer 9

Completely

Answer 10

Zero None zip zilch nada.

The role of government and laws is to protect every persons individual liberties and property rights any laws which are based on a certain groups core beliefs violates every person who is not a member personal liberties.