The presidential campaign is quite fascinating to watch on a number of fronts. For me personally, I have a great interest in what the various candidates have to say about matters that relate to faith. Now I fully recognize that there is not a perfect candidate when it comes to faith matters. But there are some who are closer to holding a genuine biblical faith than others.
There is at least one candidate who really doesn’t have much use at all for the Christian faith. This one is an avowed Socialist, and has made it clear that, while he is not hostile to those who are “religious,” his socialist values really don’t have much room for considering God in his decision making. There is another candidate who has been, and continues to be, involved in numerous moral and ethical scandals, and justifies all of them basically by denying they exist. On the other end of the spectrum, there are several who are very outspoken about their personal commitment to Christ as their Savior and Lord.
Between the extremes, we have several who will acknowledge belief in God, and even express that belief if it will help to them promote their candidacy. It is not that these people are insincere about believing in God, it is just that it is not the most important influence for the actions they take as they live their lives. Those who fall into this latter category will say and do things which may sound good on a surface level, but which have an underlying motivation which is, actually, not Christian at all.
For example, the other day, when Donald Trump was speaking at Liberty University, he made several references to the Christian faith. At one point he made a big deal about how he was a Presbyterian. In his comments, he also made reference to the “war on Christmas” by making a point that in his administration, people would be “saying Merry Christmas again.” He also brought up the persecution Christians are receiving all around the world. He said, “If you look at what is going on throughout the world … Christianity is under siege.” And then, to sum up his point, he said, “We’re going to protect Christianity.”
As a Christian, I have a certain sympathy with what he was saying. But I’m not really sure he truly understands the significance of his words. It is fine that he identifies as a Presbyterian, but I want to know if he knows Jesus Christ in a personal relationship. It is fine that he wants to buck the political correctness of our current culture and say “Merry Christmas” at Christmastime. I don’t like people trying to make it “unacceptable” to acknowledge Christ when we celebrate his birth. And I have a particular desire that the severe persecution of Christians around the world be acknowledged, and that efforts be made to stop the killing, raping, and pillaging.
But the answer is not to go out and “protect Christianity.” Speaking of our faith in this way treats it as nothing more than just another cultural institution that we don’t want to see destroyed. But our faith is not simply an institution. The core of the Christian faith is an actual personal relationship with the living God based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Killing and displacing Christians will not destroy Christianity. I don’t care how severe the persecution, human beings cannot stop God working in the hearts of man. Throughout history, persecution has never killed Christianity, and never will. In the same manner, human beings cannot protect what is in the human heart. The protector of our faith is God – and God alone.
As I said, I think efforts ought to be made to help Christians who are being persecuted – and I appreciate candidates making that an issue. Additionally, it is exciting to me to see believers running for office who are not ashamed to express their faith in ways that glorify God. What I don’t like is seeing political candidates whose faith is nothing more than a veneer, and who attempt to use their faith as a campaign tool. But that’s just me.