Christian and Democrat? Republican?

The thoughts expressed below are in response to a facebook post, which linked to Billy Graham's website, here.

I will take this opportunity to say what I really think. There is no doubt whatsoever that the values Graham mentions are the Biblical truth. Life is a precious gift from God, and it is simply unjust to throw away a life that He put on this planet because of someone's bad decision. Biblical marriage is about God's desire for us to live in community with others (marriage being the most intimate community) and about telling the Gospel story through the parallels with the relationship between Christ and the Church. Marriage, between a man and a woman, is very, very good. Although new at it myself, I see more and more every day how awesome and right His design for us not only to marry, but to save ourselves for the one we eventually marry. I have struggled with sexual sin in the past, though I did, ultimately, save myself for my wife. In doing so, I realize more and more how good God's plan to do that is! He knows what He's talking about, because He's the one who designed our innermost being, with all its desires, of which He is ultimately the fulfillment. So yes, marriage between a man and a woman is good and godly in a way that homosexuality is not. I do believe it is a sin, but I think it is important to remember that God has reasons for forbidding something from us, the reason being that ultimately it will not satisfy us at the deepest level, the way He wants us to be satisfied in Him.

However, there are other Biblical values that Graham in this article and most conservative Christians in their politics completely overlook. The prerogative to care for the poor and marginalized in society is clear not only from the example of Jesus' life (he ate with tax-collectors and sinners, prostitutes, and interacted with many other undesirables of society), but also from the Old Testament. Isaiah speaks throughout of the call to "Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isa. 1:17)" The same idea is repeated in 1:23, 10:2, and even in Jeremiah 7:6, among others. There is, it seems to me, a growing body of young believers who see this and are passionate about actually doing it. They might even vote Democrat to see it happen. I am tempted to go this route myself, but there are some things that concern me.

First, putting our hope in earthly governments is not the answer. Those who tauted Obama as a Messianic figure in 2008 were unquestionably mistaken to do so. But Conservatives seem to have applied just as much of a messianic deification to say, Ronald Reagan. I understand that small federal government is a strong value of conservatives, but they get so impassioned about their candidates and platforms that they often say and do idiotic things because they have abandoned the Biblical value (another one Graham didn't mention, though John Piper does) that this world is not our home. All governments and government officials in this world lie, propagandize, and sacrifice integrity to gain power. That is a problem with partisanship on both sides, but I do fear that liberal evangelical Christians may vote without thinking about the fact that their candidate's words are rhetoric designed to win their vote, which means their promises cannot always be trusted. Republicans do the same thing, but my main point here is the concern that liberal Christians forget this.

The second concern is that conservatives raise a legitimate question: should it be the government's role to "Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow" and all other marginalized groups in society (the homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes, etc.)? I have heard time and again the conservative argument that it most definitely should not - instead it should be the job of churches and charitable organizations, but I can't shake the feeling that this is an excuse to do nothing themselves. Moreover, while government is not the ultimate solution, its powers should certainly, at least in some cases, be levied to address problems of poverty, marginalization, and oppression, but ideally in partnership with churches and charitable organizations. One of the few things I liked about the recent Bush administration was its support of faith-based organizations. That was good, and it was a way for government to be involved and provide some accountability without overpowering those on the ground working for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized.

All this is to say that I believe the only conclusion possible is that there are good, biblical reasons to vote for both parties. It frustrates me that such a term as "the religious right" can exist, at least without a counter "liturgical left" (or maybe something with a much more clever name). I honestly believe that if Christians are following Christ, doing what He would have us do, we will sometimes be on the right, other times on the left in our activism. Neither the right nor the left should be able to absolutely, unambiguously count on the Christian vote. As it is, all evangelicals vote Republican on the basis of only two issues, which might well be solved better by addressing the poverty, oppression, and marginalization that engender them in the first place. Right now, though, all I see is many Christians afraid to do the things that are so clearly Biblical (caring for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized - Isaiah, not to mention Jesus, again). We are afraid of doing these things because they might seem "liberal" and God isn't liberal, no sir. God doesn't give a rat's you-know-what about conservative or liberal, people! He is zealous for His glory and His sheep, many of which He has called and will call from among the ranks of the "undesirables" of society, and we need to be out there reaching them, not sitting in our comfortable pews discussing how Barack Obama or whoever the current Democratic candidate may be is the antichrist (if we must sit in our comfortable pews, at least let it be to hear the word of God being preached and challenging us to get out of those pews and share the love and salvation of Christ with people!)

The point is, again, there are strong, Biblical reasons for voting liberal, and there are strong, Biblical reasons for voting conservative. Regardless of how we choose to vote, though, we should be activists offering the freedom of Christ to, and pleading the cause of, the fatherless and the widow (and the prostitute, and the drug addict, and the homeless, etc, etc) all year round.