How political can and should Christians be?

I have sat on this post for a few months after typing it up. Today, a woman I like and admire a lot, and look up to, said something that really, really disappointed me. She said on social media "about time for a mean tweet!" I still have confidence in her, and I will never, ever be the mature Christian that she is......but why are so many Christians from the most conservative churches like mine, defending and missing something that is condemned by the Jesus we follow and serve? 

Sure, Jesus didn't specifically name out mean tweets, because Twitter was not around then......but there is plenty in what He DID say that any Christian worth their salt should know that a mean tweet would not be missed or defended by Him. So why do so many Christians defend mean tweets and miss them. By their guy of course. Obama did a lot of mean tweets, but I am sure they don't miss his. :)

The answer is simple: Christians have become too political. We would never admit it or think it, but politics is more important than loving people, spreading the Gospel.....more important than the Gospel. I have said it before, but it almost seems too many Christians toss the Bible aside when it comes to politics, other than to pull out Bible verses they can use against people.

So, onto my blog post:

A note to begin:

  I will say to begin that I am far from being perfect. There is term I have not heard for a while that was popular years ago: it referred to people getting into Heaven by the skin of their teeth. That will be me. I am not and never will be a Paul, Peter, Abraham, Noah. Were I in the Bible, I would be one of those insignificant people not even named, but just referred to as someone's servant, or by my livelihood. I am just as guilty of the next person about not having the right attitudes when it comes to politics, but am trying to do better.

How political can and should Christians be?

This needs to be said. I feel very strongly about that. Am I the right person to say it? Most likely not. But if I don't, will anyone?

This is not a Trump post, though in part it will be, because Trump is a symptom of a bigger problem. And it was finally brought about after months of frustration about a post shared and liked by even people in my own church, and unchallenged by anyone else...including the preachers on my friends list:

“True Christians will vote for Donald Trump”, followed by lengthier comments. This should have bothered even the most devout Trump supporter who professes to follow Jesus Christ. You are either a Christian or not. There are not any “not true” Christians. You are either a true Christian, or you are not a Christian. I cannot find anything in the Bible to infer there are Christians who are not "true" Christians.

So by this statement, are these people and the ones agreeing, saying that you are not a Christian if you do not vote for Trump....or any candidate?

  Do Christians even in my own ultra conservative church believe that one's Christianity and salvation hinges on your vote for Trump....or any candidate? They may not say that, but their silence and “likes” and supporting comments say that loudly. And many other Christians did so, not just in my church. It is their posting and support of it that bothers me the most.

That and what I have especially seen in the last six years or so, has caused me to question some things:
What I believe

What my church believes

If Christianity is truly better than other religions. (Oh, I know Jesus is the only way, but politics raises the question if Christianity is actually better...and yes, I believe in my heart that it is better)

And on my worst days: if I really want to be a Christian, and if God even exists. (toss in severe depression, anxiety, and other issues....not just political stuff)

And other questions:
How political can and should Christians be:

And be like Jesus

Not hinder their witness and the cause of Christ and the church

And be salt and light

And be peacemakers

Live by and obey what the Bible and Jesus teach?

Love our neighbor as ourselves?

I am a conservative. Always have been, always will be.

I was raised in the church, attended a Christian school K-12, and 4 years of Bible College.

I listen primarily to Christian music and read primarily Christianity books.

Yet I have never felt I truly belonged in the church. Partly because of struggles and something I deal with that those raised in the church are afraid to admit or talk about. (Ironically, some of the same people defending a man's serial adultery and saying "don't judge!" are quite vocal against my struggle and show judgment and no love there)

But never have I felt that way more than the last 6 years. To be a Christian and conservative and not vote for or support Donald Trump.....it is not easy. The very same people who should understand support you for not going against your conscience......did the opposite. It is not easy trying to do what you believe is right while Christians in your own church are trying to guilt and manipulate you into doing what you believe is wrong. (And yes, for me to have voted for Trump would have been wrong and going against my conscience would have been wrong. But they did not care. The very Christians so obsessed with doing things the Bible does not spell out, fail miserably at doing what the Bible DOES spell out:

Loving people, being peacemakers, etc.

I am not going to share everything, but a few things:

In the last 6 years or so:

Even though I stated I felt as a Christian I should not vote for Trump, and was voting 3rd party: Christians said my vote was for Hillary if I voted third party. That if I did not support Trump, I was for Hillary. (I view those as outright lies, and kind of wish I had called those people out for lying)
I and others have been told not to judge Trump, while his supporters judge everyone who has a D by their name, or who have an R and do not support Trump

I and others have been labeled a Pharisee for taking issue with things in Trump, speaking up, and not voting for him because of certain things....while his supporters do the same with the other candidates.

We were told “Why not pray for him instead of criticizing him?, while they criticize away if they don't like the politician

We are told no matter how bad we think he is, God put him in there......but not hearing that about Biden.

A friend of mine said Christian Trump supporters don't care how they make you feel, as long as they defend him and shut you up....and sadly, that seems to be true for way too many people.

There are people in my church who have messaged me that they agree, but are afraid to speak up around others in my church and school. Really? Oh, I believe them....but what a sad statement....and I doubt the average Trump supporter would care.

I attend a very, very conservative church. The same people who are so worried about certain outward things that are not spelled out in black and white, go against what is spelled out in black and white....they have tried manipulating and intimidation to try to get other Christians to vote like they want them to. A person may not believe in watching movies and TV, but takes no thought or care in how they treat people and react to them if it involves politics or their candidate. (Guess true Christians can do anything non Biblical if it is for the cause of their politician.)

Politics, party, our rights...they take precedence over everything else. It is more important to spread our political opinions and win people to a politician, than it is to spread the Gospel and win people to Jesus.

Jesus was not political. He was all about loving people and all about His earthly ministry.

I am not saying Christians should not be political at all, nor vote....but shouldn't we be more like Jesus and avoid being very political? Shouldn't we be concerned about how we are acting when it comes to politics? Shouldn't we be different from the world even in how we act and react about politics? Shouldn't Christians be BETTTER than non Christians when it comes to politics? Jesus avoided politic. He was too busy loving people and doing good.

Things have changed.......

Things have changed since Biden took office. It is now OK to judge away and criticize. I believe he is a horrible president, but have been shocked at what so many Christians say about him and how easily they make fun of him, call him a pedophile, etc.

I will be clear on this: I believe the Democratic Party is evil. They push the murder of babies, the sexualizing and exploitation of kids, and other evil things. (Hmm, then why did Trump support them so long? Had to say it!) I believe any politician is evil who supports and pushes for the cruel murder of babies in the womb.

But does that mean they are the exception to what the Bible says about how we are to treat others?

I firmly believe Nancy Pelosi is evil to the core, and is the worst politician our country has ever had. I saw a lot of  Christians laughing about the attack on  her husband a while back...but is that right to do? Would they have laughed if it had been on a Trump, or a person important to them?

Is there really a separate set of guidelines in the Bible for how we act towards people with a D by their name, and towards Donald Trump? (Even Republicans who do not support Trump are fair game, so I did not ask about a separate set of guidelines and rules for Democrats and Republicans). 

Oh, in case you don't know the answer: There is NOT a separate set of rules and guidelines.

I am guilty. Believe it or not, I said much more about and was much harder on Obama than Trump. I heavily criticized both men and Biden, but how much was right and wrong? ( I know what Trump supporters would say regarding him..... :) )

Here is the thing: Christians are not called to be political. We are not called to vote. We are not called to change people's opinions on candidates. 

We are called to be kind, to love, to have the fruits of the spirit, to win people to Jesus......and so much more that being very political hinders or makes impossible.

When we get to Heaven, Jesus is not going to reward us for how many people we won to our politics or politicians. What will matter is how many we won to Him.

Damage from being political

Picture this: 

“Mary” freely accuses Joe Biden of being a pedophile, and mocks him all the time on and off of social media. Makes fun of Mr. Pelosi being attacked.

“Martha” is her neighbor and follows her on Facebook. Martha is a Democrat and voted for and supports Biden. What are the chances of Mary getting Martha to go to church or win her to Jesus? You know the answer. Zilch.

There is a preacher who did a post on Facebook comparing Donald Trump to Sampson, and was using it to try to get Christians who were against Trump to vote for him. He further stated that a third party vote is a wasted vote. Several of my Facebook friends shared it, and one was even so kind to tag me. I was disgusted. Here was a minister of the Gospel trying to get Christians to vote how they felt they should not. A year or two later, my church got him for revival services. I kept seeing that post, and determined I was not going to sit under his preaching. And did not. He has been there at least another time, and I have no intentions of ever listening to him. Maybe that is wrong, but not as wrong as him using his position to do what he did.

I have been hurt, deeply hurt in these last 6 years by pro-Trump Christians. Sure, had I been silent, it may have been different....but part of me questions if they can be vocal, why can't I? - but if I, a guy raise in the church, and attended Christian school, Bible college - have been damaged by politicial Christians and it has caused me to question so much.......then what affect does it have on those who are not Christians, and have not been raised in the church?

It is easy to say a Christian is doing damage to Christianity, the Church, and the cause of Jesus if they have differing political views than you do....and if they criticize your guy.

  But the truth of the matter is, no matter your political views, you and I are doing severe damage by being very political. Whether you support or don't support Trump, whether you do or don't support Biden, whether you are conservative, liberal, libertarian, Republican, Democrat, third party, or no party.....our loud political views and attacks on politicians – and yes, over the top support in some cases - is doing so much more damage than good.

“True Christians” realize how close we are getting to the end. Instead of screaming how great or bad a politician is, and instead of using social media to spread their politics, they should be screaming that God loves everyone – even Biden and Pelosi – that Christianity is the best and only option. That Jesus is the answer, not politicians or politics.

There was a  wonderful lady I had the pleasure of being friends with on Facebook, and was blessed to eat and visit at her place once. She died from cancer last year. Avis was not political, ever...with the exception of once. A certain former president said something so arrogant that pretty much made him equal to Jesus, that she called him out. But other than that, she was all about spreading hope, encouragement, and love. She used her life on – and off – of social media for good.

And there are others. Not everyone is politically outspoken on and off of social media.

I do believe in voting for politicians who above all are against killing babies in the womb and want to stop that horrible atrocity. That is my main thing when it comes to voting, though there are others. I believe one should vote for who they feel God wants them to. I am not saying that is not important.

But Christians have made it too important. They view politics and politicians as the answer, when they are not.

I believe part of the problem is we have become obsessed with our rights and freedoms to the point that they and party have eclipsed God, dying to ourselves, and so much else that should be our primary focus.

Not that rights and freedoms don't matter. But it seems it has caused so many of us to lose our way. The devil can use anything to sidetrack Christians and cause them to fall away from what they should be. It isn't always the big things the Bible warns against like adultery and stealing. I believe politics has become one of Satan's best and most useful and powerful tools to divide Christians and the church, and to take attention from what truly matters.

Imagine if all the social media posts and fervor of the last 6 years – and more – about politics had been put towards things of God and the church? What a difference could have been made.

I have gotten a lot of crap over the last six years or so because I did not vote for the man so many others did, and that I have dared criticize him. I have found myself wondering how Christians can be so pro-Trump, and defend or ignore everything he does, such as gun control and vulgarity. I will never understand that. But the bigger picture and issue has been the focus of this blog post: how Christians can basically set aside what the Bible says about how we are to act, and then say things and treat people in ways that are damaging to the cause of Christ.

Our political posts on social media are never going to change anyone's minds. But they may change how they view God, Christianity, and the church. We will never win anyone to God with a religion of politics, but with one of love. And love is missing in our political posts. 

I don't know where the line is. We should not be silent about concerns, but wherever the line is, many of us are so far over it we can't even see it. And sadly, people don't consider it, nor care what their political posts might do.

And there are Christians who are never political on social media, as I previously mentioned. I believe they are closer to being what God wants than we who are political. People don't need to hear our political opinions and bashing or defending politicians. They need to hear about Jesus, and that they are loved. No matter who they do or not vote for.

I don't want a political Christianity. I don't need a political Christianity. Nor does the world.

And lastly, I truly am bothered and concerned. I think being on the opposite side of so many Christians, and getting what I got so much of opened my eyes. I hope this post isn't offensive, and does what I intended it to do: make people think, and maybe wake some others up.

What the World Needs to Hear by the Booth Brothers.
(Video at end of lyrics)

There's a teenage mother who's left all alone

Waiting for someone already long gone

There's a lonely old man whose children don't care

And a black sheep that's knocking, but nobody's there.

What the world needs to hear is John 3:16

That God loves them just as they are

His grace is sufficient to bring them to Him

Wherever they've been, no matter how far

There's hope for the lost and the helpless

Faith will replace every fear

The Gospel of Calvary

That's what the world needs to hear

To the sinner who thinks he's too bad to save

To the dad who just put his young son in the grave

To the man with the bottle who can't let it go

To the wife of a soldier who will never come home

What the world needs to hear is John 3:16

That God loves them just as they are

His grace is sufficient to bring them to Him

Wherever they've been, no matter how far

There's hope for the lost and the helpless

Faith will replace every fear

The Gospel of Calvary

That's what the world needs to hear

Salvation's story of Christ

Is the solution for all

Whoever you are

He'll hear you when you call

There's hope for the lost and the helpless

Faith will replace every fear

The Gospel of Calvary

That's what the world needs to hear