I am unclear on a connection.What do you think?
Why are so many of the younger evangelicals, the ones skeptical of The System and weary of the culture wars and more interested in The Kingdom than in The Nation, so enamored with the Democratic candidate and political liberalism? The DNC historically is about more and bigger government, about governmental answers to the nation's social ills, and their current presidential candidate has only promised more of the same.
This does not compute.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Political Confusion?
Jared asks an interesting question:
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6 comments:
As a former ultra-liberal Democrat and now moderate Republican, I can say that the Democratic ethos may seem attractive to many younger Christians because it is big on "helping people." Obviously, the reasoning seems to go, helping people was important to Jesus, the apostles, and the early church. Therefore, shouldn't evangelicals get on board with whatever political party that makes the biggest, loudest sounds about "helping people"?
The problem is, the Democratic Party's ideas about *how* to help people are right in some places, and terribly, fundamentally flawed in others. A major part of the Democratic mindset for helping people is government programs. Now, I firmly believe that certain government programs can help some people *sometimes,* (which is where I differ from many libertarians), but certain programs can also be inefficient and damaging to some of the very same people that they are intended to help.
For example, I'm not in favor of doing away with all welfare (or all government disability benefits, as I am disabled and still looking for a job! Keep praying for me, bro!). However, welfare, administered unwisely and often without thought, seemingly, has devastated individuals and even generations of families.
Democrats try to help people, but they do it in a way that is often unwieldy and without careful thought. (It's also usually without a healthy doctrine of the inherent sinfulness of human beings.)
Republicans also try to help people, but they often seem not to understand that "stimulating the economy" through tax cuts and de-regulation of businesses is not sufficient alone. Even rightly telling people to "work hard" is not always sufficient alone.
Both Republicans (I speak as one) and Democrats (I used to be one) need more of a Biblical understanding of man's problems and the Biblical solutions to those problems. The Republicans are closer (many of them seem to "get" that we are all inherently sinful), but both parties really need more Biblical understanding and wisdom.
As a younger evangelical placed in a similar situation, I would say that the shift is not in political alignment so much as a shift of paradigm. Rather than feeling distrust of one or the other side of the political spectrum, we have seen that, to a certain extent, we can not look to politics to solve the world's ills. The current allure of political liberalism is the downright un-Christian leanings that have become increasingly powerful within the right (in particular the Religious Right). Still, many evils have come from either political affiliation (and many goods have, surprisingly, sprung out of terrible governments).
The thoughts of two Christian Russian existentialists come to mind. First Solzhenitsyn: "The Soviets honored Christianity by trying to destroy it; the Americans insult Christianity by trying to domesticate it." And then from Dostoevsky: "If they drive God from the earth, we shall shelter Him underground." I feel these statements epitomize the way many of my generation see politics. They can be trusted if kept at arm's length. To quote the world-weary words of my Baptist religion teacher here at Baylor, "Liberals and conservatives are unwittingly in bed together."
Whether people are Democrats or Republicans has no bearing on their being a Christian (and any insinuation of such is an outrageous slander to the many hard-working and devout brothers and sisters who see the world in a different way).
Ray,
I hear what you are saying and agree with much of it. I don't wish to be a part of any political movement that seeks to either "domesticate Christianity" or "drive God underground."
However, I'm not so sure that the "Religious Right" has nearly as many un-Christian leanings as the "Liberal Left." Maybe the question is, how are we defining "un-Christian"?
As for the Right, as Christians, we can discuss and debate the wisdom of entering and continuing the Iraq war (especially with hindsight, which is always helpful). We can discuss and debate the question of whether the Republicans' economic policies are always the best ones to help struggling families and poor people generally (without making the blanket statements that some liberals sometimes make, such as "The Republicans just don't care much about poor people," which is untrue).
However, as Christians, can we seriously morally debate the Democratic Party's embrace of both same-sex marriage and the general agenda of the homosexual lobbyists, when God states that practiced homosexuality is an abomination? Can we seriously morally debate the Party's enthusiastic embrace of "abortion rights," when God states that murder (*not* self-defense in war) is a deliberate sin against His clear, unequivocal commands?
As shown by my first comment above, I'm not a huge cheerleader for either the Republican or Democratic Parties. However, while the Republicans may have some policies and methodologies that need more nuanced thinking, or perhaps even more Biblically sound replacements, the modern Republican Party does not have the quite the same track record of supporting open abomination and atrocity (as defined by the Bible) as the modern (meaning, since the early 1970s) Democratic Party.
I suppose we must agree to disagree here. As a Christian, I can't in good faith say I support either party because I have seen so much hurt and damage come from the platforms of both (both personally and to others). We must seek the truth behind all positions and, as my priest said this morning, reject the allure of power inherent in willfully joining the kingdoms of the earth and subsist there while be a citizen of the kingdom of God.
On the subject of specific issues, I can speak from experience. As one who has struggled mightily with temptations to homosexuality, I can tell you that many well-meaning Religious Righters have shat upon the grace of God and mistook hatred of sin for oppression of sinner. And I have also been subject to an awful row with privatized insurance that has me intrigued (but certainly not sold) with socialized health care. Life has taught me that no party is right, and believing in any moral superiority of one over the other is a nullification of the kingdom of God.
What is intriguing about asking someone else to pay for your medical treatment?
Ray,
Brother, I am very, very sorry that any people on the "Religious Right" (whether self-identified as such, or classified by others in that way) have treated you sinfully because of the struggles that you have. If they showed you a lack of love and compassion in the midst of your battles (which I respect and encourage you for fighting!), then that was sin on their part, plain and simple.
There are many Christians who are conservative politically (I am one of them, although not as conservative as some) who would not treat you in such a way. Please don't take those people to represent all, or even most, Christians on the right. They may be some of the louder voices, but they aren't necessarily the majority.
I also feel for your struggles with health insurance. I myself am on Medicaid (I'm physically disabled and looking for a job), and I have had quite a few battles with Medicaid, trying to get them to pay for important things. I'm not sure that universal health care is the answer. I hear that many Europeans are very satisfied with their socialised health care. I have also heard some horror stories. The same is true of the American health care system. I'm honestly not sure where I stand on this issue-- which further proves that while I am a Republican, I'm not always a "hard-core" Republican! :-)
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