There is a good deal of debate among the Christian community about whether Christians should be politically active. One could postulate that because Christians have chosen not to be politically active is the reason our nation is in its current condition. If the nation is 80% Christian and its elected representatives do not adhere to Biblical standards, there is a disconnect. Yet people will complain endlessly about the unethical and immoral representation in government and the moral decline of the nation. Romans 12:21 says, “Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” In a nation where we are given the right to choose our leadership, we should be choosing good leadership that leads wisely.
So, what to do? How do we change the direction of politics in this country? Those who are called to politics should be exercising that calling. The rest of us should be voting for the best candidate. There is an example in the late 1970s and early 1980s that worked really well for Christian involvement in American politics. Christians were able to elect good candidates from the county to state to national levels, including President Ronald Reagan. Christians got involved. They stepped outside the four walls of their churches and took initiative to shape the future of their country. Unfortunately, that passion was not transferred to the next generation of Christian activists. Maybe now is the time.
People often ask how do we change the direction of politics? To me, it’s going to take hard work and dedication, much the same as the pro-life movement. In politics, it takes organization. Pastors should encourage those with political interests to gather together and work with others from other churches or Christian organizations. If your pastor doesn’t want to do that kind of thing, you can take it on yourself if you are so inclined. Get involved at the local committee level. Political party people are always looking for new faces to be involved. Work with your local party committee and get elected to the leadership of the committees. Then you are in a position to recruit and select candidates. Candidate selection and backing is important.
In the Reagan years, Christians worked hard to takeover local party committees, then county, then state. They had tough skin because the moderates in the party (establishment people who said they were Christians, but stood for anything that kept them in power) fought tooth and nail to prevent the conservatives from having influence. But persistence paid off and there were many good candidates selected and elected. Christians were winning leadership positions in Congress, and we elected a president. Moreover, I believe many were led to Christ in the process. I will leave you with a quote from Noah Webster, which is representative of many of our Founding Fathers: “I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of Christianity have not a controlling influence.”
