Any Christian who believes that we should not get involved in politics or social issues should not shy away from considering legitimate biblical questions
Listed below are just a few of many scriptures that may be hard to justify if God's intention was to place an invisible barrier between what He considered "sacred" and what He might label "secular", or between religion and reality. Likewise, the question must be asked, "Is there any closet in this world God does not want His light to illuminate, or any arena of life He does not desire to be sanctified?
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” (Matt. 5:13-16)
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. "(Ezekiel 3:17-18)
"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1)
Why America Matters
“The guns are silent in this [cultural] war, but frontiers fall while those who should be warriors prefer neutrality. If Freedom is lost in America, there will be no other place in the world for the persecuted to escape to” – Ronald Reagan
“I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter – from the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government - from their carelessness and negligence.” - Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” - Patrick Henry
“Impress upon children the truth that the exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself and that every measure he supports has an important bearing on the interests of others as well as on his own.” - Daniel Webster
When the Church Refuses to Get Involved in the Issues of the Day
“Congress never reflects the values of a nation. It only reflects the values of those who voted in the last election. Based on voting statistics, it is apparent that Christians could stop all abortions in one election cycle. The fact that we haven't indicates that we don't know that we have this strength and this power, or we don't care, or we don't wish to stop it. Either way, the blood of the innocent is upon our hands”. ” – David Barton, Wallbuilders.com
Why Don’t Christians Vote as They Should?
They’re not typically encouraged to become informed or involved by the church (not all churches, but most)
Even though we’re commanded in 2 Corinthians 10:-5 to “pull down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”, churches in large percentages are not involved in this battle. Why?
Many involved in have succumbed to the bad idea – the illogical and unbiblical premise: “Religion and politics don't mix”. The reason is because the paradigm for pastors was diverted away from addressing the moral issues of the day specifically in the 1950s. Thus, today’s pastors have been taught to not speak about political/social issues. But before the 1950s, politics and religion were spoken of together, especially in the church. Why? Because we deal with morality and that's what government is all about. Government establishes laws and legislation to protect people from unrighteous behavior and to encourage right behavior. That's morality in action.
Christians are the hope of the world because we’ve been given the perfect moral laws of God with which to influence society. Christianity holds the keys to the truth and knowledge of the Creator of heaven and earth in the words of the Bible.
If we don't speak up, if we don't take part, especially in this American government which gives us that moral responsibility to choose and oversee our leaders, we're effectively giving the culture over to the enemy by default and our “salt” is trampled upon.
What If Christians DO Participate in the Battle?
There are approximately 60 million Evangelical Christians who are of voting age in America. That’s 60 million out of about 246 million eligible voters in the United States. Thus, one in four people claim to be Evangelical Christians. Of those 60 million Christians, 24 million (or 40%) are not even registered to vote. Of the 36 million who are registered to vote, a large part do not. This matters because the average margin of victory in the last eight presidential elections has been less than 5 million votes. If just 15% more Christians voted biblical values, this would add over 5 million Christian votes toward promoting righteousness in America and Christians could turn back the tide of today’s rapidly declining culture in virtually one election.
Now, this isn't an exact science because the political landscape of America is so diverse, state-by-state. But the principle is the same: If we do what God calls us to do, He'll make up the difference where we lack.
Wisdom from the Founders
President James Garfield said, "Now more than ever, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body is ignorant, reckless, corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it's because the people demand these qualities to represent them in the national legislature. If the next centennial does not find us a great nation, it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."
“If we and our posterity reject religious instruction and authority, violate the rules of eternal justice, trifle with the injunctions of morality, and recklessly destroy the political constitution which holds us together, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” - Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster
“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever.” - John Adams
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Benjamin Franklin
“Timid men...prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of liberty.” – Thomas Jefferson
“It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted. For example, if exorbitant ambition prevails among those vices? If public spirit is much lacking in this area, should the pastors not aggressively teach this great virtue? If the rights and duties of Christian magistrates and subjects are disputed, should they not explain those issues and show their nature, ends, limitations, and restrictions?." – John Adams Novanglus, A History of the Dispute with America, from its Origin, in 1754, to the Present Time, 1774 (emphasis ours)
For over 60 years now, many pastors have taken the position that showing patriotism* to America is unbiblical, yet the Bible clearly called the nation of Israel to be set apart from all others, and - per Acts 17:26 - determined the boundaries of every nation. This principle applies also to America – the only Judeo-Christian nation to codify biblical principles into its governing documents.in the history of man. However, when the Christians of the country disregard their responsibility to oversee the government they elect (to give to Caesar what is Caesar's), the nation drifts away from virtue. (* PAT'RIOTISM, noun - the passion which aims to serve one's country, either in defending it from invasion, or protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen.(Webster's 1828 Dictionary)
The history of America's founding has been forgotten and twisted in this nation, and what we are seeing today in our society is eerily similar to Israel's attitude in the desert. If we despise our history - if we ignore the miracles God performed to create this nation "under God" - we are despising the God who placed us right here, right now , and for “a time such as this”.(Esther 4:14) Without knowing the history before us we have no context for our lives today and no perspective for knowing our purpose for tomorrow.