Earlier this month, President Obama announced his support
for same sex marriages, a decision that according to him had evolved over time.
It goes without saying that the President’s announcement made some Americans
happy, and some were disappointed. As for me, I was not surprised that he came
on the side of the issue that he did.
Anyway, have you noticed that as the White House and Congress have been fighting their way through social issues like abortion rights, don’t ask, don’t tell, and same sex marriage that religion keeps coming up? And I know that many people are sick and tired of religion being so prevalent in the political dialogue. Their preference would be to keep the two, politics and religion, separate.
So what does it mean to be a doer of the Word? It means that as Christians, we should strive to base our daily actions on the teachings of the Word of God. Accordingly, the teachings of the Bible should have bearing on what we do in the voting booths. So it’s a good thing that during the election campaigning, social issues are being discussed and debated. These discussions allow us to see where the candidates stand on important social issues.
Anyway, have you noticed that as the White House and Congress have been fighting their way through social issues like abortion rights, don’t ask, don’t tell, and same sex marriage that religion keeps coming up? And I know that many people are sick and tired of religion being so prevalent in the political dialogue. Their preference would be to keep the two, politics and religion, separate.
I submit to you that it’s just not going to happen. I can’t
speak for all other communities of faith, but as for Christians, we can’t
separate religion from politics because the Bible has much to say about issues
pertaining to morality. More importantly, the Bible commands Christians to, “Be
ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 2:22). The point here is the
Christianity is not simply religion, but it is far more than that. It’s a way
of life.
If Christianity were only a religion, we could attend a
local church to go through rituals of worship and to be hearers of the Word of
God and take it no further. But we are called to be doers and not hearers only.
So what does it mean to be a doer of the Word? It means that as Christians, we should strive to base our daily actions on the teachings of the Word of God. Accordingly, the teachings of the Bible should have bearing on what we do in the voting booths. So it’s a good thing that during the election campaigning, social issues are being discussed and debated. These discussions allow us to see where the candidates stand on important social issues.
The reason Christians can’t separate religion from politics
is that although politicians must debate social issues and state their
positions, it is God—not the President of the United States, not Congress—who defines
what’s right and what’s wrong. As a Christian, I want political leaders whose
moral values are close to mine. My values are based on my understanding of the Bible.
And God is always right on the issues. Moreover, “Blessed is the nation whose
God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12)
Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights
reserved.
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