Gina Miller’s article, Should Christians Be Politically Active?, inspired me to comment. But because of the substantial length of my comment, I decided to post it separately. You can read Gina Millers article at http://barbwire.com/2014/09/17/christians-politically-active/ and also at RenewAmerica.com and AmericanClarion.com. In her article, Gina responds to the verbal chastisement of a Christian who feels that speaking out against the evils done by civil government is morally repugnant and the wrong focus for Christians.
Being a Christian in America should not be perverted to mean we must drop out of politics and let the ungodly rule over us! Being politically active is an effective way Christians can love their neighbors. The goal of Christian involvement in politics is to secure everyone’s God-given rights, for which God ordains government. In a republic, the civic duty of its citizens (the “rendering unto Caesar” if you will) means participating in their representational government. At the very least, that means staying informed and voting. It means using our freedom of speech and freedom of the press to keep the public discussion of issues available to all who are willing to hear it. It also includes seeking and holding elected offices. We have the duty and responsibility of ruling ourselves. In a republic, there is no king or ruling class. By dropping out of politics, Christians are handing over the governing authority to scoundrels and fools — neither a wise nor spiritual thing to do.
As in so many other cases these days, the reason some Christians believe being politically active is wrong is because of their ignorance. And frankly, many of them are not only content to remain ignorant, but insist on doing so, resisting all opportunities to examine their position. Christians opposed to political involvement love to quote Romans 13:1, while shutting their minds to what it actually means. I challenge them to refute the book, Romans 13, The True Meaning Of Submission, by Timothy and Chuck Baldwin. It is written like a legal argument, so be prepared to use your grey cells.
Another book I highly recommend is One Nation Under God, Ten Things Every Christian Should Know About the Founding of America, by Dr. David C. Gibbs, Jr. Although we are no longer a Christian nation, the United States was essentially established by Christians for Christians. The important role played by the clergy before the Revolutionary War of Independence is described in chapter 7, The Black Regiment. “Because of the color of their robes, these patriotic clergy were known as the black regiment.” (p. 94) One member of the Black Regiment, Rev. Jonathan Hayhew, of Boston preached a sermon in 1765 in response to King George’s Stamp Act. In part, he reasoned,
The king is as much bound by his oath not to infringe the legal rights of the people, as the people are bound to yield subjection to him. From whence it follows that as soon as the prince sets himself above the law, he loses the king in the tyrant. He does, to all intents and purposes, un-king himself. (p. 96)
When work on the Constitution had been completed, Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of a government had been designed. His answer was, “A Republic, if you can keep it”. The sad fact is that we did not keep it. In the past century, we have gone from republic to democracy to socialism as secular influence has increased and Christian influence has decreased. Yet some Christians still argue that the abrogation of our civic duty is good and proper, while being politically active is an “idol”. How much sense does that make to you?
Elections will be held in a couple of months. If past performance is any indication, half of the people won’t even bother to vote. We will continue to be ruled by fools and scoundrels, whether they have a D or an R after their name. Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit to a yoke of slavery”. Freedom means responsibility. If you let others decide for you and tell you what you must do and how things are going to be for you, you are not free. But that’s exactly what Christians are doing when they don’t vote or exercise their freedom of speech. By giving up their responsibility, they are giving up their own freedom, and forcing everyone else to lose theirs.
Christians owe it to their neighbors, to their communities — for the freedom of all their fellow citizens — to participate in politics.
For Freedom - Galatians 5:1 
Excellent, Mike, as always!
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Michael, for what it’s worth, polling data seems to indicate that Christians have sat out the last two presidential elections. Romney was a hard pill to swallow for many evangelicals — myself included.
McCain, before that, garnered only 55% of the “Christian” vote compared to the 61% tallied by George W. Bush in 2004. Overall, McCain received three million fewer votes than did Bush four years earlier.
But here’s the kicker — of non-churchgoers, atheists and agnostics, Obama captured 70% of the vote. I guess Christians are just sitting on their hands waiting for the rapture.
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A telling aspect of these voting patterns is that they are based on the personalities of the major national candidates. If they don’t like a presidential candidate, they don’t vote. This is another part of the ignorance that shapes the electorate. Elections aren’t really about personalities. The fact is that a significant portion of what is on our ballots has nothing to do with the virtues or faults of the candidates. Ballots also contain important local and state measures that shape and change our government and directly effect our lives: laws, taxes, bond issues and changes in state constitutions. When Christians opt out of their duty to help make these decisions, fools rush in to fill the vacuum.
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Michael, this just in. The Pew Research Center reported the results of a survey on religion and politics in America. Forty-nine percent of respondents (up six points in four years) believe that churches should be more politically active. Only 47% and 29%, respectively, believe that the Republicans and Democrats are supportive of religion.
http://www.breitbart.com/system/wire/upiUPI-20140922-183232-4918
(Disclosure: For the courtesy of your readers I also post comments under Messiah Gate.)
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Being active in politics is very biblical and is expressed in Ephesians 6:10-13. . For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wrestle in the Greek concordance means to throw (more or less violent or intense), cast out, thrown down, thrust. Against again means superior to, above. Flesh which means the body as opposed to the soul or spirit or as a symbol of what is external or by implication human nature with its frailties (physically or morally), carnally minded. What is interesting to me is that body is used to explain flesh and not soul or spirit. This implies that our fight is not against the human nature but doesn’t imply human wickedness. Blood means kindred. So, we don’t fight against human nature but against principalities… Principalities in the Greek concordance mean chief (in various applications of order, time, place, and rank); magistrate that is a judge, officer of the state with power to administer and enforce law. Also, principality means to be first in political rank or power, chief, prince, ruler. Never in the Bible does it say that Satan or his demons judge but only deceive, kill, steal, and destroy with their lies. Therefore, principalities aren’t demonic. They are human influenced by satanic deception. We as a church are called to cast out, throw out with superiority these principalities. When you look at the Greek concordance meaning of power, you discover a choice of how a ruler reigns. It is not the same kind of power given to the church and definitely not the same kind of power that Jesus exercises. Power means privilege, force, freedom or master, delegate influence, liberty. Our rulers have a choice to be tyrannical or to look at their position as a privilege and honor human rights to freedom. Do you see our current officials both federal and state looking at their position as a privilege? Do they operate with freedom or master? We have a duty as representatives of Christ to throw them out if they do not operate under the principals of God which are freedom and godliness. We have officials who don’t even believe in God and because of that they are being influenced by Satan and deceived by his wiles. Are we as a church going to stand by and do nothing? The Bible says we are not supposed to be passive but offensive. Do we believe in the Word of God or not? Is Jesus our Lord and Savior or not? If so, then we will be obedient to His Word and take an offensive stance against the officials who are destroying the principals of this Country which are “in God we trust”, morals and virtue. Take a look at the videos on messengrforGod youtube channel, especially Part 1 of the Armour of God or divided version of Armour of God Eph 6:10-13.
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Thank you for your thoughtful and studied comments. I tried unsuccessfully to find the youtube channel you refer to. There were links to Islamic sites. I found a video by John MacArthur titled The Armour of God Ephesians 6:10-13, but nothing identified with the messenger for God you tube channel, so I cannot comment on the videos you mention.
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You have to go to http://www.youtube.com and put messengrforGod without the “e” before the r. When you do it takes you to messenger of god and right beside it there is a blue link that says messengrforGod. Click on that and it takes you to the videos. This is one of the links. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tagXikEUJ7c
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Upon further consideration, I disagree with your contention that “principalities aren’t demonic”. Ephesians 6 is clearly about our spiritual battle, not political. Although I hasten to add that there are definitely spiritual influences present in politics. And that is the context which is presented in Scripture.
Ephesians 2:2 refers to, “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience”. Satan here is given the title of a prince, someone who indeed does have rank, rule and power.
Christianity is essentially spiritual, not political. However, our faith should temper all our activities and relationships, including our citizenship responsibilities.
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