Christians and Politics

We have been studying 1 Samuel these few weeks in bible study. Honestly, Old Testament studies always freak me out a little because of all the historical references. I can never remember the names, places or one gagillion Levitical laws. Sometimes the OT feels so out of my depth. But everytime we actually study it, I am reminded that OT is not so much about history and factoids. It's about understanding God and His view of the world, the status quo and - as always - the state of our hearts.

This is a great little article about the inherent ickiness of Politicised religions.


I am uncomfortable when politicians talk about God as their ultimate supporter. I don't really like the way American politics is shaping up into a trash-talking, brow-beating fight between the Christian Democrats and the Christian Republicans - each wanting Jesus to be their Homeboy, so to speak. It seems as pointless to debate about whether Jesus is Right wing or Left wing as it is to debate about whether God is a Man or a Woman. The answer is THAT'S NOT THE POINT! geez. Jesus' concerns go beyond our political parties. God is a Self beyond the notion of gender. When we try to compartmentalise Jesus or God to fit our social and political agendas, something crucial is lost along the way.

This is not to say that Christians should be apolitical and not care a bit about what is happening in the world. In fact, I think Christians ought to do their best to take some serious interest in what's happening in global politics, economics and cultures. For anyone who lives in an information-rich developed nation, there should be some rudimentary grasp of world affairs at least.

I understand if Christians are clueless about stuff happening around the world - but really, if we know we are ignorant, we can do two things...

a) we can start educating ourselves since if we profess to care about the world, it helps to put money where your mouth is and take some teensy first steps towards understanding how it REALLY works

b) we can stop shooting our mouth off like we know alot when we don't! nobody expects you to be a know-it-all. Its better to humbly admit we are not that well read in a certain world or societal issue instead of making our minuscle knowledge sound like a PHd Thesis.

I went to a service where I heard a pastor say quite benignly, "The Middle East is the product of Abraham's mistake with Hagar. All those problems we have there now - terrorists, Muslim fundamentalists, bombing - are all one man's mistake. So let's be careful in our lives....etc etc"

My dad - a non Christian - also told me how pissed off he was when he went to a church and heard some Christians chitter on about the Middle East being all violent because they were non-belivers. Before I became Christian, I remember being brought to a church where the minister declared the Kobe Earthquake killed off so many Japanese because they did not believe in Jesus. I was in my early teens - a bit of a navel-gazing ninny - and even then, I thought, "what the $*?#$????"

GAH! oh don't even get me started on listening to some Christians talk/write about poverty, homosexuality, economics etc. Don't pontificate when you don't know that much. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

The more we read about what serious academics - both secular and Christian - have to say , the less likely we are to offer quick-mix, instant-pour answers that offend anyone with some discernment. We become acutely aware of how big the issue is, and how much work there is to be done in human hearts, minds and hands. We see why God needs to convert the very nature of a Man, in order to stop the vicious cycles we see in our civilisations.

The kind of problems we have in the world today warrant some genuine attention and respectful study. No matter what station we have in life, we owe our fellow human beings basic respect of the depth of what they are going through. It is only proper and humble to do so. Nobody expects easy answers. Nobody expects us to be PhDs. But definitely, few can tolerate a PhD wannabe with a Big Fat Know-It-All Answer. Least of all, the people going through the difficult issues - the poor, the homosexuals, the AIDS victims, the divorcees, the states struggling with terrorism or the victims of natural and man-made disasters.

k. getting off soap box now.