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Christians And Politics: No Wiser Than 15 Years Ago
~ By John Lofton, Editor
Having just moved, I have come across many things I had long ago forgotten about. One was the following article I wrote for “The Christian Statesman,” the September-October, 1991, issue. This Special Issue was devoted to several people addressing this topic: “A Christian Political Party: Is One Necessary? Is One Proper?” I, alas, see no significant, noticeable improvement in American Christendom since I wrote this piece 15 years ago -- J. L.
My assignment is to write a brief answer to the question: “Should Christians work through a third political party?” Okay. So, my answer is: “I don’t know. This is not something I’m dogmatic about.” Indeed, Christendom in America is in such a deplorable, sinful mess that I don’t believe most Christians today -- or perhaps, more accurately, I should call them “Christians” -- are sufficiently fit to work effectively in any area.
The Barna Research Group in Glendale, Calif., reports that there are about 350,000 Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in our country. More than 1,100 radio stations emphasize Christian programming; 350 TV stations do the same. Over 30,000,000 of us read Christian publications regularly. In addition, more than $30 billion is donated to churches annually; another $8-$l0 billion is given to so- called “parachurch” ministries (a term I hate because it subtly denigrates God’s work being done outside official church buildings). And Christian products are sold through more than 6,000 retail stores and numerous direct-marketing agencies, with sales totaling more than $1 billion a year.
Furthermore, a recent poll of 13,000 people by the City University of New York -- the largest national sample of this kind ever taken -- revealed that 86 percent of Americans say that they are Christians. Amazing, no?
Yet, despite all of the above, a recent (mid-1990) Barna Research Group study has found that even though the Christian Church is pervasive in our society, it is not bringing forth “much fruit,” that “people, for the most part, see the Church as an outdated institution that means well, but has little to offer to a contemporary person. The Church is not viewed as a valuable resource.”
So, what’s the problem? Well, I think pollster George Gallup (a Christian) tells us. In a story carried by the Religious News Service in May 1991, Gallup say (and he deserves to be quoted at length): “I doubt if more than five to ten percent of Christians are prepared to defend their faith. Many don’t know what it means to be a Christian.” He says: “The Sunday school and religious education system in this country is not working … . While we worry about secular education we really ought to worry about religious education, which is more important.”
Amen!
Calling this “a very frightening situation, because not being grounded in one’s faith means we’re open for anything that comes along,” Gallup says that New Age beliefs are just as strong among traditionally religious people as among those who do not share these views. And he says that church involvement “does not seem to make a great deal of difference in the way we live our lives,” with church members being “just as likely as the un-churched to engage in unethical behavior.”
Gallup says that although most Americans say they believe in God, “this God is … not a demanding one. He does not command our total allegiance.”
So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the problem, in a nutshell: The overwhelming majority of those in our country who say they are Christians know virtually nothing about what this means. They are, alas, Biblically illiterate and unable therefore to apply God’s Word to any area of life. Thus, as our Lord predicted, these millions of “Christians” are the savorless salt He predicted would be trodden under the feet of men and would be, in fact, so bad they are not even fit for the dung heap!
We must, of course, continue to discuss how Christians, or even “Christians” for that matter, can be most effective in politics. About this matter reasonable men and women can, and do, disagree. But while discussing this, we must realize that our problem is far greater than this political question.
We must repent of our sin of disobedience, before God, ask His forgiveness, study His Word seriously and then apply it to all areas of life. Then, and not until then, “all things” will work together for good because we will have demonstrated by our being doers of God’s Word that we love Him, and “are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
WARNING: These items may be hazardous to your mental health -- particularly if you believe being a Republican is synonymous with being a Christian and/or a conservative.
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