(blog lite)
I understand the frustration, anger and sense of helplessness that can make believers want to rally together and use democracy (and political contributions) to thwart the spread of evil both abroad as well as inside our nation.
Watching the nightly news on TV, it doesn't take much to start wondering what the next ten, fifteen or fifty years will have in store ... not just for US citizens, but for people no matter where they live on the planet. We start wondering why evil seems to be making such headway while the body of believers is doing so little to stop it. And it could be that some believers start imagining that what we need is for Christians to stand up, put their feet down and finally elect "a truly Christian government."
Doesn't that sound like a solid plan?
It does, at least until you start wondering if, to pick an example, Primitive (or "Hardshell") Baptists would be thrilled about seeing believers from the Catholic faith take control of the nation's political process. What about believers who handle snakes, drink poison or speak in tongues ... would it be OK for them to rule the country? Or maybe what you meant was that you'd like to see representatives from your faith at the nation's helm?
OK, but would you want members of that church across town (the one with the same faith as yours, but their congregation is too "stuffy") take control of the White House and start writing the national agenda? Or what about members belonging to your faith, but who just happen to be of a different race or national origin?
No? Then maybe you'd rather have your pastor, or the one who served before him, serve as our next President ... and then your church's deacons could also serve as his Cabinet and national security advisors. How's that sound?
Uh oh, that's probably not what you had in mind either.
What you really had in mind, maybe, is YOU sitting behind the big desk in the Oval Office, making all the big decisions, telling the rest of the country how to behave and issuing threats that make the rest of the world scared of what you might do to enforce your will.
Hmm. Wonder what the folks in your church would think about you having the ultimate say-so in decisions affecting the most important and private concerns in their lives?
I imagine there'd be singing and rejoicing in the streets, for sure.
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At the end of the day no matter what our best intentions politics, political parties, preferences and politicians are no answer at all.
