Mixing Politics and Religion

Psalm 44:20-21 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

I read a couple articles lately on the relationship between religion and politics (the two things that will always start an argument) by Dr. Peter Lillback, professor of historical theology and president of Westminster Theological Seminary, plus Dr. Anthony Bradley, associate professor of theology at The King’s College in New York City.

Dr. Lillback explained that American, being founded a “Christian Nation”, knew that morality is the idea that there are standards for life that are ultimately beyond human opinion, but actually come to us from the very nature of reality, from the nature of creation, the idea of that God Himself has brought forth His will into the world by revelation, directly, and by indirect revelation through the created order. Our founders understood this principle of moral order. Our Second President John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” A republic, by its very nature, is giving freedom to people. But you cannot create an order of freedom that was imposed from the outside. Freedom required inner standards, inner principles. So, at the very core of a true republic is the ability for self-government. Without self-government there can’t be freedom. Our first President George Washington said that “Religion and morality are indispensable supports for political prosperity.” Religion and morality are the foundational bases on which the republican form of government rests. Ultimately, they believed that true religion, the Christian faith, gave us a grace from God that taught us to deny ourselves, to do what was right even when it was difficult because it was our duty to God and our duty to our neighbor.

Dr. Bradley explains that we are living in a context of religious, social and moral pluralism that we have not experienced in this county – ever. For the first time, religious leaders are having to lead their congregations to think about their role as men and women of God in a culture that is increasingly godless. When society becomes increasingly secular, people look for something outside of themselves to help make sense. In the West, we have cultural and social mores that have benefited from a commitment to God – and less reliance on institutions like government to define what is right and wrong and what constitutes human flourishing. Unfortunately, we have arrived at a point in our society where God has been replaced with the state. Now, what is moral is what is legal. Now, the state decides what constitutes flourishing. (not church or family). Government defines the family and the economy. Government tells the churches what they can and cannot do. Government defines marriage, et cetera. Government becomes the surrogate decision-maker for all the things free people used to do when they were grounded more securely in a personal faith that actually encourages then to live out those virtues in public.

Bradley states that change occurs from the aggregate work of lots of people doing little things, locally, in their particular context. You single-handedly aren’t going to change America back to God – but an army of people (young and old) in multiple spaces, in multiple contexts, in this country and around the world, can make a massive, massive difference. Lillback asks, “What are we, individually, going to do?” Because we can begin by changing our heart, and changing what we do in our families, and what we do with our life and our pursuit. What is a river but a lot of rain drops that started flowing in the same direction? George Washington said that the sacred fire of liberty has been entrusted into your hands (by God) – you, the American people.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Are you and I going to make a difference? Today is the day.

In Christ, Brian