The Fallacy of the “Christian Right”

As a precursor to this paper, I want to establish three very important facts:

1. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.

2. This paper was the result of Prayer and study and I truly believe that it was written at the urging of the Holy Spirit.[1]

3. I derive no personal or political gain from this paper nor do I intend it to alter any Christian’s political affiliation. I only ask that members of the Body of Christ, as well as their leaders, carefully examine their political behavior.

Introduction

This paper is directed at the Body of Christ and its leaders. It is not meant to be an attack, but instead a thoughtful essay meant to provoke thought and discussion about what it means to be associated with the “Christian Right.” Part I of this paper is a short description of the events that led me to write this essay. Part II examines the fallacy of the “Christian Right” from both a Biblical perspective and a more policy based perspective. Finally, Part III examines particular issues championed by the “Christian Right” and presents some rhetorical questions.

I have a request of any Christian who happens to read this essay. Please read it with an open mind and an open heart. If it makes sense, utilize it to make yourself a better Christian and a better representative of the “Christian Right.”

Conversely, if you find my words or reasoning to be painfully misguided, I ask that you do not respond with anger or indignation. Instead, please pray for me. Or better yet, pray with me and lovingly show me (citing scripture) where I have erred.

Background

Around election time, I had the “unfortunate” pleasure of spending time with fellow Christians. In three separate meetings, a Church member raised the topic of politics. In each instance, I found a number of comments made by my Christian brethren to be extremely disturbing (some of which are set forth below). In one instance, when I commented that I could not support certain candidates that were endorsed by the “Christian Right,” I was told that the pastor of their local Calvary Chapel[2] told them that anyone that did not actively support these candidates “could not possibly be a Christian.”

I struggled with this comment and prayed. And I prayed some more . . . and the next evening, I heard a message on the radio by Pastor Brian Broderson. He cautioned Christians not to confuse their Christian beliefs with their political leanings. Furthermore, he cautioned Christians to be careful about carelessly using their faith as a weapon to support their political beliefs. I was immediately compelled to write this essay but, as explained above (footnote1), I avoided doing so for fear of condemnation from fellow Christians. I realize that my tardiness was part of God’s plan because it allowed me the opportunity to conduct some additional field research (i.e., talking to members of the “Christian Right”). In addition, it has allowed people’s political passions (which are heightened during the elections) to cool.

The Fallacy of the Christian Right

The purpose of this section is twofold. First, I will point out that politics is a worldly pursuit and Christians should be extremely cautious when using our faith to support such pursuits (especially when they claim that a person’s salvation is somehow dependent upon these worldly pursuits). Secondly, if you disagree with my first point and assert that your political activities should clearly reflect your Christian faith, then I challenge you to examine whether your daily life clearly reflects that same Christian faith.[3]

** The author admits that in an attempt to question and challenge readers, the tone may be interpreted as sarcastic or even harsh. Please note that regardless of the answer to any question put forth by the author, I neither judge nor condemn anyone. For I have put each of the challenges and questions to myself and realize that I also fall short.[4]

Failure to Support the “Christian Right”

I was (and am) very concerned with statements that a person that does not support the Christian Right “could not possibly be a Christian.” Please point out to me in the New Testament where our salvation is based upon anything other than Jesus Christ! And how is the requirement that a person support a political viewpoint in addition to faith in Jesus Christ any different than the Judiazers who required circumcision in addition to faith in Jesus Christ to achieve salvation (Galatians 2)?

The Role of Prayer in Politics

I was very confused about whom to cast a vote for in certain races in a recent election. As a businessman who has political experience, I am familiar with the political process, the political parties, and possess knowledge about several candidates. My intellect told me that I should decline to vote for either candidate from either of the mainstream parties (which infuriated my Christian brethren as you will see below). I decided to pray about it and received a very odd answer from God:

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Mark 12:17.

God told me that in most (but not all) instances, the decision whether to vote for one person or another is a worldly decision. I am not advocating the abandonment of our patriotic and political duty to vote. Instead, I am asserting that a Christian’s should not be consumed with arguing about which worldly candidate to support, much less spend precious time convicting fellow Christians.

I will come back to this point later. However, the key issue I would like to focus upon is that I prayed for the guidance about what I should do in this situation. I interviewed numerous Christians and asked if they pray before making a political choice. Less than a quarter of the Christian’s I interviewed claimed that they prayed before casting their vote! If my premise is wrong and a Christian’s political choices are a true reflection of their Christian faith as opposed to a worldly decision . . . then why are we failing to continually pray for God’s guidance when engaging in that political choice?

Most answered that they “knew” that God wanted them to vote for the most conservative candidate. As I will demonstrate below, that does not always reflect the most “Christian-like” result. However, the most staggering response I heard was, “well Pastor Bill[5] endorses this candidate so he must be the right choice.”

When I inquired about the above statement, the response was that “Pastor Bill is a man of God and therefore a good Christian should vote for all of the same candidates Pastor Bill endorses.” When I asked if he prayed about it, his response was “well no, but I imagine Pastor Bill prayed and so I will follow his lead.”

Now I truly respect the Pastors of the Church and give great deference to what they say and how they act, especially the Pastor in question . . .

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you. And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13.

Thus, I give credence to this particular Christian’s justification for choosing a candidate endorsed by Pastor Bill and tread very lightly here. However, I have understood the Christian walk to be about personal communication with Jesus Christ. If we rely on others to talk to Jesus on our behalf and direct us accordingly, what makes us any different from the Catholic Church? As Christians, shouldn’t we personally pray about our choices rather than passively placing it in the hands of our Church leaders? Pastors, doesn’t that worry you that the members of your Church decline to pray about decisions because they feel they can rely upon your prayers (and political endorsement)?

The Lesser of Two Evils

One of the political races that sparked a debate among Christians involved two candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties. I happened to have personal knowledge of both candidates and did not find either to be what we would consider “Godly” men. In fact, I felt that God’s answer to my prayer perfectly summed up the problems with both candidates. I merely replaced the “Pharisees” and “Herodians” in Mark 12:13-17 with the words “Republicans” and “Democrats.”

When pressed by my Christian brethren about why I was not supporting the Republican candidate, I explained that neither candidate represented me as an intellectual or a Christian. They became quite angry and asserted that this person was “God’s Choice” because he was endorsed by the “Christian Groups” and “Pastor Bill.”

I divulged some very unflattering facts about their candidate and explained that I didn’t feel that this man was “God’s Choice” based upon his actions or intentions. I further explained that if we, as Christians, were truly trying to put the most “Godly” candidate in office, we should think about the American Independent Party as opposed to the Republican Party. The response that day, as well as the responses from several members of the “Christian Right” since that day baffles me.

It was explained to me that members of the minority parties do not have a realistic chance of winning the election. Therefore, the “Christian Right” endorses the candidate from the two major Political Parties that best represents the majority of what we believe. Although I understand that reasoning from a worldly perspective, I do not understand the Biblical reasoning.

So I pose the question to the “Christian Right:” when did it become our position as Christians that we should support one “ungodly” man because he is less ungodly than another “ungodly” man? Please show me Biblical support for this proposition because I was unable to locate any relevant scripture. Yet, I could find Biblical support that taking the “Laodicean” approach and supporting the lesser of two evils is not pleasing to our Lord:

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16.

Furthermore, several members of the “Christian Right” argued that the sins of men who support homosexuality and abortion are greater than the sins of men who support or even commit adultery and theft. When did we decide as Christians that some sins are greater or lesser in the eyes of God? “Sin is sin.” Please show me in the New Testament where any sin, other than Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31), holds a greater or lesser significance in our Christian lives.

I acknowledge that some candidates are “Godly” men, and I hope and pray that God lifts them up into positions of authority. However, in absence of such men, is it Biblical for Christians to actively and passionately support “the lesser of two evils?”

The Parable of the Two Candidates

I know two very interesting politicians. One is a Christian who attends a Bible based Church on a regular basis. Due to this person’s race, one party told him that he would be unable to win a political race and therefore declined to promote him on the Party ticket. Thus, he became a member of the opposition party. Although the opposition Party does not accurately reflect his Christian beliefs, he feels that he can do more good as a Christian if he holds a political position of power.

His opponent is not a Christian (and in fact a devout Mormon). However, this person was selected as a perfect candidate because he does not drink, opposes abortion and homosexuality, believes in family values and supports prayer in school. Thus, his political party as well as members of the “Christian Right” roundly endorse him.

So I ask you, who is more worthy of our support: (i) the Christian who does the wrong thing for the right reason or (ii) the non-Christian who does the right thing for the wrong reason? Strangely enough, as long as I omit the word Mormon (even though I did specify that the person is not a Christian), the members of the “Christian Right” I spoke to unanimously picked the latter. Even when I added the fact that the candidate was Mormon, over 50 percent still picked the Mormon candidate!

But how is that Biblical? In the New Testament, membership in a supposedly righteous group (i.e. the Pharisees or Sadducees) did not afford anyone favor in the eyes of Jesus Christ. In fact, the members of these groups received the harshest rebukes from Jesus Christ. So why does being a member of the Republican Party or the American Independent Party automatically grant a candidate the support of the Body of Christ? When did we decide that the works of a politician or their political party is more important than their personalized faith (Galatians 2:16)?

I have heard many argue that leading a Christian life means abhorring abortion and homosexuality and other amoral practices that are not openly rebuked by the Democrats. Thus, supporting the Democrats (i.e. Candidate 1) is tacit approval of these practices and is not very Christian. For the most part, I must concur with that sentiment. However, that does not automatically mean that our support should be thrown towards the Republican Party and failure to do so would mean that a person “could not possibly be a Christian.” I respond by asserting that support of an ungodly candidate just because he is part of a righteous group, is just like supporting a Pharisee simply because he is a Pharisee. So be wary of whom you are supporting before you damn those who choose not to support such men.

Raising up “Men”

I watch members of the Christian Right actively campaigning for certain candidates. In many instances, they do not know these men personally and merely support them because they belong to a particular party.[6]

What baffles me even more is the amount of time Christians spend raising up men they do not know personally, while neglecting a God they know intimately. I chuckle every time I see a political rally and see a bunch of grown men in silly hats and buttons jumping up and down exalting their candidate. These are the same Christians I see passively sitting in Church during worship looking at their watch. If you can get excited about a political candidate who is merely a man, how can you fail to be excited during the worship of the Creator of the Universe! If Christians can display buttons and bumper stickers for Bush-Cheney, why can’t they display a bumper sticker for Jesus Christ?

In fact, I cannot find any place in the Bible where the apostles took time from spreading the Gospel to try to influence a political election. If it was so important, shouldn’t the apostles have tried to recall Pontius Pilate for putting Jesus to death?[7] Although I could not find any place where we are commanded to interfere with politics, I clearly found support for us to spread the Gospel.

I recently noticed members of the “Christian Right” donating two to three hours of their time to sit in front of Target with a petition to try to recall our Governor. Why not trade in the Recall Petition for a Bible and petition people to know Jesus Christ. Similarly, I see Christians spending the majority of their break around the water cooler pushing the recall effort, yet they have never shared the Gospel with a co-worker. Again, I put the question to the Pastor (and fellow Christians) who claimed that failing to support the Christian Right means you “could not possibly be a Christian” . . . show me where in the Bible our faith is tied to our political activity and then show me where it says that this should somehow take precedence over the Great Commission.

Some Final Thoughts

First, I listen to members of the “Christian Right” continually harangue liberal politicians. I have heard many of the same people call Bill Clinton or Gray Davis or any other liberal politician the “Anti-Christ.” Let’s be good Bereans and remember exactly who the “Anti-Christ” is supposed to be (or the many “anti-christs” that will come before him).[8] The Anti-Christ is a “pseudo” Christ or “false” Christ. Satan does not deceive us by putting a wicked or immoral person (i.e. Bill Clinton) before us to follow. Anti-Christ is a deceiver who makes us believe that they stand for the same things we Christians desire.

Second, even if politicians and leaders are becoming more immoral and wicked with each passing election, it is only the fulfillment of Bible prophesy. Our governments are destined to become truly corrupt in the “last days” before the Rapture of the Church. And for those of us that believe we are in the last days, losses by candidates who endorse Christian social values should not be surprising. I am not asserting that we should passively sit by while political conditions worsen. However, we should complain less (Philippians 4:11) and take comfort in the fact that much of this is merely a prophetic precursor to our trip to meet our Lord.

Third, we need to be intelligent Christians. If you are going to discuss politics with a non-believer, then please represent the “Christian Viewpoint” with wit and wisdom. For example, do not claim that a victory by a liberal candidate for the position of California Secretary of State is going to “cause widespread abortion.” The Secretary of State lacks power to make or affect any law concerning abortion. In fact, neither does the Governor or even a member of the United States House of Representatives.

The United States Supreme Court that has struck down (and will continue to strike down) laws restricting abortion and homosexuality. The nine members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. Thus, only two elected positions even indirectly affect many issues on the Christian agenda. Again, I am not advocating an abandonment of Christian candidates at any level. Instead, I am asking Christians to be wise and informed when injecting Christian viewpoints into every potential measure or political race.

Finally, be true to the Word and be true to God. As you will see below, it is our own hypocrisy that has undermined the credibility of the “Christian Right” and our political viewpoints.[9]

The Fallacy of Our Political Positions

Prayer in Schools

Many members of the Christian Right claim that their political beliefs are motivated by the need for prayer in schools. However, I have several questions for every Christian who demands prayer in schools.

1. Do you pray with your children on a daily basis?

I find it very difficult to understand how a “Christian” can criticize the public school system for failing to mandate prayer when they do not make it a part of their everyday life. Have we become so lazy that we desire our schools to take over our parental duties? It is our Biblical duty as Christian parents to teach our children to pray and to instill the importance of prayer in their lives. It is not the duty of our public schools to require our children to pray (as you will see below, allowing our schools to teach prayer is a dangerous proposition).

2. Do you encourage your children to pray at school on their own?

Once again, I find it difficult to understand how Christian parents can blame schools for failing to pray, when their children are not taught to do it of their own accord. I have three very important points with respect to this issue.

First, our children have the RIGHT to pray at school if they choose. Although the United States Supreme Court has held that school sponsored prayer is unconstitutional, they have also held that a school cannot prevent your child from exercising his or her individual rights to pray. Let me repeat myself to be clear: a school cannot prevent your child from exercising his or her rights to pray. In other words, your children SHOULD pray in school whenever the opportunity presents itself (before the day starts, in between periods, recess, etc.).

Too often, we Christians concentrate on what we do not have, as opposed to what we do have. Christians are persecuted and killed in some countries (i.e., Sudan), yet we bitterly complain because the government will not require our children to pray! We should rejoice that our children can pray!

. . . for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11.

Second, even if the school has a rule that prevents your child from praying, this is a rule you should encourage your child to break. Although Christians are instructed to respect the law, we are also told to disregard rules when they force us to break God’s law. Chapter 6 in the Book of Daniel clearly provides the Biblical basis for disregarding any rule or ordinance that prevents prayer to God. In other words, Christians should spend their time teaching their children to pray and encouraging their children to exercise that right instead of spending their time trying to make the schools assume their parental duties.

Finally, I want to take the issue to its logical conclusion. What if the “Christian Right” were successful in mandating prayer in public schools? Who would lead the prayers? I personally would not want a Catholic teacher or a secular principal to be leading my child in prayer. What kind of prayer would be mandated? Would my child have to pray to God on Monday, Allah on Tuesday and Buddha or some other “Higher Being” on Wednesday? That is a clear violation of the First Commandment. How would the schools properly fit prayer into a system that promotes religious and cultural diversity?

In essence, a constitutional or political mandate that requires prayer in schools may be even worse than the current situation. I plan to teach my child that there is no substitute for our Living God and any watered down prayer or prayer to a “Higher Being” is worse than no prayer at all.[10] Christian Brother . . . be careful of what you wish for . . .

Homosexual Marriage

This is another interesting area where the “Christian Right” troubles me. During a conversation with a fervent member of the “Christian Right,” one Christian said, “I hate those gays and I am compelled to vote for any person or initiative to keep them from doing what they do.” The same individual went on to discuss how the homosexual couple that lived three doors down made him “absolutely sick.”

I responded with a simple question: “have you ever taken the time to share the Gospel with either of these individuals?” Why is it that Christians can support “lukewarm” candidates and the enactment of “laws of restraint”, yet we cannot walk three doors down the street and share the Gospel as we are commanded to do? Why is it that we convict others for failing to support a man or a man-made law, yet we do not convict ourselves for failing to obey the Word of God?

Romans 12:9 may teach us to abhor that which is evil, but it does not command us to “hate” another man. Nor does the Bible tell us to avoid spreading the Gospel to individuals who are living a life of sin. Jesus spent most of his time ministering to the sinners. Isn’t it our duty to share the Gospel with those who need it most?

Again, I want to take this point to its logical conclusion. Is enacting a law against homosexual marriage going to stop homosexuals from practicing sin? They cannot marry now, but that does not stop homosexual couples from living together and practicing sin. Even if we could enact laws preventing the practice of homosexuality, a law does not guarantee that homosexuals will repent and live Godly lives. In the broadest sense, do you want these people to stop “doing what they are doing” because we enact a law or do you want them to stop because they asked Jesus into their heart and realized that they were living in a manner displeasing to God?

Taxes

Unfortunately, my discussions with my Christian brethren led me to discover that taxes tend to play a far greater role in their political agenda than the social issues discussed above. I find it disheartening that Christians would care so deeply about the amount of taxes we pay to our government.

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Mark 12:17.

Jesus did not take a position upon the taxes, yet we Christians continually make it a central theme in our lives. This is especially startling in South Orange County where we all tend to make far more money than we actually need. What is even more disheartening is that almost 80 percent of the Christians I talked to complained about how the government was taking “my money.” Christians, it is not your money, it is God’s money (Acts 5:1). In fact, when you receive your big refund checks from the government you pushed so hard for, how much of it do you plan to give to God?[11] Are you even going to pray about it?

But I digress. It is the political issue of taxes that is most bothersome here. I have heard many members of the Christian Right compliment our government because they recently cut taxes. Yet, that same government who spent $350 billion to put our investment dollars back into our pockets was unwilling to spend $17 billion to extend the same courtesy to the low-income taxpayers who really need that money. In fact, the rejected tax item was a child tax credit provision! Why is it we want people to stop aborting children, yet we do not want to extend any help to the low income tax payers that actually have these children? What political message are we sending?

Furthermore, the same party also rejected a $20 billion dollar provision to fully eliminate the “marriage penalty.” The “marriage penalty” makes it more economical for working spouses to remain single instead of marrying. When did the “Christian Right” decide it was acceptable to support a tax system that penalizes those who marry and deny benefits to low-income taxpayers who actually keep their children? When it puts more money into our pockets, that’s when . . . it’s called greed folks, and that too is a sin.

Programs for the Poor

And while I am on the topic of greed, why is it that members of the Christian Right become so enraged when I discuss government programs for the poor? The typical response I get is that they don’t support “social welfare.”

If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Matthew 19:21

The more clever response is that they do not like the way our government spends their tax dollars and they want to personally determine where their money is spent. However, when we benefit from a tax cut, I do not see large sums of money being poured into local charities, much less the Church agape boxes. Instead I see a proliferation of new SUV’s in South Orange County.

(In light of Matthew 6:1-4, I am a little uncomfortable making the next statement) I personally donate time and money to several local charities.[12] Yet not one of the members of the “Christian Right” I interviewed have donated a single hour of their time to any particular charity! And less than 30 percent donated money. Again, I pose the question to the “Christian Right,” is your aversion to taxes truly the fact that you disagree with the method by which the government spends on the poor or is it that it takes away from your pocketbook?

Pro Business vs. the Environment

When I think of our Earth, especially those pristine areas that have yet to be developed by man, I realize what an awesome God we serve. It is truly a thing of beauty.

I find it strange that the “Christian Right” loves to champion the cause of “business” and support “pro-business” candidates. We promote our worldly businesses at the expense of our God given environment. What Biblical purpose does it serve to allow multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies to increase their worldly profits by developing or tapping into natural habitats created by God? Does keeping gas prices down justify the destruction of our beaches or wetlands? When I see a beautiful stretch of land, I think of God, when I see an oil well upon it, all I think of is man and his greed . . .

Abortion

I saved abortion for last because it is a very heated topic and I did not want it to detract from the key message in this essay. Many members of the “Christian Right” pointed to abortion as the key issue in any political choice. I am not going to disagree with their rationale. However, I put forth a challenge: if abortion is so aberrant that it is the key motivation for your political indignation, then is merely punching a couple of chads at the ballot box every few years good enough? Have you tried to witness to women who are planning on having abortions? Do you donate time or money to adoption agencies? Do you witness to young teens to counteract the sexual messages they are continually bombarded with in the media? If it is so important, what are you going to do about it?

Which brings me to one final point. Explain to me how it is “Christian-like” to shake cars and throw red paint (blood) at women as they enter the parking lot of an abortion clinic. How “Christian-like” is it to spout hatred, scream “murderer” or use profanity at these women? In many instances, this is a scared teenage girl who has made a mistake and is about to make another one. Shouldn’t we be witnessing to these people with love and compassion like the Bible commands? Where does the New Testament give us the right to assault or kill these women or the doctors who perform these procedures even if they are doing evil?

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Romans 12:17.

Again, it’s the hypocrisy of the over-zealous or uninformed members of the “Christian Right” that undermines what we as Christians truly represent in all things . . . Love.

Conclusion

I hope you find this to be a thought-provoking essay that encourages us re-think our commitment to politics and our commitment to Christ. I do not advocate the abandonment of a Christian’s political affiliations nor do I advocate leaving the “Christian Right.” I merely pray that Christians exercise caution, wisdom and judgment when supporting political causes, candidates or political parties. Furthermore, I pray that Pastors exercise caution when endorsing political causes or candidates or political parties. And finally Christians (especially Pastors), in your political zeal for a candidate or cause, please do not promote the fallacy that failure to support the political cause somehow means that a person “could not possibly be a Christian.”

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[1] In fact, I did not want to write this paper. Although the Holy Spirit has been urging me to speak out on this topic for months, I was afraid of backlash and ridicule from fellow Christians.

[2] I do not use the Pastor’s name because I do not want to embarrass any person nor do I believe it is necessary to make my point. I would further like to point out that I did not hear this comment in the first person. This person was quoting the Pastor and, although I have no reason to doubt their sincerity, may not have clearly reflected this Pastor’s intentions when making the statement.

[3] And to those of you that live Godly lives and truly represent what is good and true about the Christian Right, I urge to “abound more and more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1.

[4] And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Matthew 7:3.

[5] Once again, I do not wish to identify the Pastor’s name and merely used “Bill” because it is a common name. Furthermore, I am not taking issue with that Pastor’s political endorsement. Instead, I am taking issue with the Church members who feel justified in making a political choice without seeking individualized prayer.

[6] And on a side note, shouldn’t our Pastors be very careful about endorsing political candidates in front of the Church Body? I remember hearing an interview with Billy Graham, who admitted that one of his biggest mistakes was associating too closely with the politicians.

[7] The author acknowledges that the Jews were technically a subjugated people and did not have the power to vote, much less recall Pontius Pilate or any other Roman governor. The analogy was merely made to point out the absence of political complaining and campaigning by early Christians.

[8] 1 John 2:18

[9] For example, I found it almost comical that the Congressman the Republicans originally chose to lead the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton was guilty of having a 30-year adulterous affair. Again, it is hypocrisy that undermines the Christian position.

[10] I believe that watered down prayers to some “Higher Being” is wrong. Note that in the Book of Exodus, offering up “strange fire” to God was punishable by death.

[11] Even the legalists who rely upon the 10 percent tithe stun me. They provide 10 percent of their net income, and then take a deduction for it on their income tax returns! Yet they fail to provide 10 percent of their refund check to the Church. It does not take a genius to figure out that does not equal 10 percent . . .

[12] And I am the first to admit I do not donate enough and I pray that God directs me to better spend his time and money.