All my life I have heard that there are two things you don’t talk about in public – religion and politics. But since these two are such an integral part of life, how can a Christian avoid it? Religion relates to the very core beliefs that animate a person’s life. How can a Christian not talk about this and remain faithful to what the Bible teaches? And politics relates to what religious principles govern the operation of society and how that happens. How can a faithful Christian avoid that topic and still be salt and light in the world? It seems to me that the warning to avoid talking about religion and politics is an admonition for Christians to not express their faith. I don’t see how we can bow to that.
That said, when we do talk about these topics, it needs to be done with intelligence and sensitivity. One of the things I hate more than just about anything else is to watch a couple of talking heads on TV trying to talk over each other as they attempt to express their opinions. There are usually two parts of that scenario that I hate. One is that the participants show no respect for each other as they try to shout down their opponent so as not to let them express their opinion. The second thing I hate is that most of the time the arguments are totally irrational. They seem to believe that the mere act of expressing their opinion makes them right. There is no attempt to explain “why” what they believe is right, and what the other person believes is wrong. Without an explanation of why, the argument is purely meaningless babble. Indeed, discussions about religion and politics are very important, but they must be done in a respectful and intelligent manner.
Making a meaningful contribution to a discussion about religion and politics requires more than merely expressing an opinion. These topics represent elements of reality that have an objectively true expression. And the beliefs about both play out in real life as they intersect with one another. But as we think of this, it is important to note that the way they play out is an expression of people’s beliefs, and different beliefs result in different outcomes.
There are those who say they are not religious. In spite of their protestations, they actually are very religious – they just don’t recognize the tenets of their own faith. These are generally people who hold a faith position that is based on Naturalism – the belief that the material universe is all that exists. For them, morality has a relativistic foundation that requires people to create their own values based on life circumstances. These people are, typically, the ones who become totally indignant that a Christian, expressing beliefs based upon an objective, revealed morality, would even attempt to “push the values of their faith into the public square.”
So, when it comes to politics, Naturalists will say that religion should be kept out of the picture. They believe that religion should be kept in the private sphere, and that the operation of the public square should be based on a “non-religious” foundation. Their reasoning is that since there are people who believe in many different religions, using religious principles to influence public values disenfranchises those who don’t believe that way. Honestly, that does sound very egalitarian and democratic on the surface. But anyone who tries to implement public policy based on that philosophy ends up creating a massive problem that they don’t even realize is there.
The problem is, there is no such thing as a religiously neutral point of view. Naturalists believe that a person’s faith is a reflection of their politics. When you begin with a belief that the natural universe is all that exists, that is what it comes down to. But Naturalism is, itself, a faith position. The attempt of Naturalists to “remove” religion from the public square is not actually an effort to remove religion from the public square. Rather, it is the attempt to replace a set of moral values based on biblical beliefs, with a different moral value set based on naturalistic beliefs.
You see, EVERY person’s life is built upon some kind of faith (religious) foundation – and every action every person takes is based on their faith. Those who begin with a religious position that says values are relative, will live by values that seem good to them at the moment, and they will change their value system as their opinions about life change. On the other hand, those who begin with a religious position based on the belief that values have an objective, unchanging foundation, will live by and promote the same values all the time.
As Christians, when we think about who we should vote for, the value foundation is critical. Those who say that a politician’s private life is not important are simply wrong. A person’s value base is critically important because the actions they take and the policy positions they promote emerge from their worldview beliefs – without fail. These beliefs determine how a person will act and make decisions in his or her role as a politician. That is why it is so important to elect people who express good character in every part of life. Those who believe otherwise simply do not understand the connection between faith and actions.
A person’s religion and politics are absolutely connected. An individual’s politics always emerge out of their faith, and cannot be separated. This needs to be taken into account as we discern God’s guidance for us during this political season.
© 2016 Freddy Davis