Has the Religious Right lost its voice in American politics?

When those who comprise the politically Religious Right awoke recently to the news that John McCain was the republican nominee, there must have been a collective sigh of disappointment heard across the nation from those who for the last few decades banked on their valiant efforts in the political arena to assist in ushering in God’s Kingdom on earth.

So now what does the Religious Right have to show for decades of compromising the Christian faith to “help God out?” And what has happened to the morality of this nation during the Religious Right’s years as change agents over their country’s behavior? Let’s take a quick look at the state of the nation after years of the politically-minded Religious Right having a voice in national politics:

Teen pregnancy is still rampant.

Drunkenness and drug use is still rampant.

A staggering number of children are still being murdered in their mother’s womb every day and this abhorrent act is still protected by United States law.

Almost every unnatural and perverse sexual lifestyle is not only accepted but celebrated.

The adult entertainment industry continues to grow and pornography is now more easily available via the internet than ever before.

Children are being pumped full of drugs to combat perceived “disorders.”

Smut, filth, profanity, blasphemy, the glamorization of godless lifestyles, and the celebration of every sin imaginable continues to flow into our homes like a raging river that’s breached its banks via our televisions, movies, magazines, books, and internet.

Churches have increasingly become lukewarm at best and full-blown apostate at worst as the cancer of pragmatism has swept over the nation like the creeping blackness of a solar eclipse.

And now the Moral Majority has a candidate for president that is not a friend of the Religious Right (except during election time, of course) and is far from anyone that the Religious Right can rejoice over.

This and many other growing problems are what all that hard work has gotten the Religious Right while the true call of Christians (evangelism) has succumbed to the death of neglect.

While the Religious Right has spent enormous amounts of time, energy, and money to change the “minds” of the American populace, the “hearts” of Americans have grown colder, darker, and increasingly wicked.

So what do those who have put all their eggs in the basket of worldly politics—and who view the American political system as the answer to the decline of American morals—do now? What’s next for the Religious Right now that their exercise in the advancement of dominion theology has not only utterly failed to reverse the ills of America, but has also failed to elect a truly conservative “Christian” president?

For most, they will reluctantly support John McCain and convince themselves (through the frenzied hype of others) that John McCain is a friend of Christians. A man who Christians and the Religious Right would not have dreamed of supporting just a few short months ago, now grin and bear it–adorning their yards with McCain campaign signs and their cars with McCain campaign stickers.

Will some in the Religious Right finally sit back and take stock of the utter failure of all their combined efforts over the years as this nation’s flood of abominations continues to fill its cup of wrath to capacity? Will they finally concede defeat in man’s efforts to modify the behavior of their fellow man through legislation? Or will they go back to the drawing board to see what went wrong to try again?

May I make a suggestion to all those disciples of Robertson, Dobson, Haggard, Bauers, and Falwell? May I recommend something to all the Christians who are going to the polls to (yet again) vote for the lesser of the two evils and who still can’t seem to see that the more different the two parties are, the more they’re actually the same?

Take your sights off the world and put it back on Heaven! Get off the worldly system’s political train and get back to what Christians are supposed to be doing. Stop mingling with the world in the world’s game expecting to change hearts through legislation. Cease entangling yourselves in the affairs of the world. Quit trying to “Christianize” candidates like the Universalist George Bush when in the end the only one doing the compromising is you! Turn off the 24-hour news networks, put down the remote, and pick up the Bible.

The world has allowed you to play in its game for quite some time now but what has it really gotten you? How far have you drifted from God in the daily compromise of your faith to be able to battle in the political arena? Has Jesus Christ been lifted up and glorified and His Word honored among the nations by your political actions or has He been relegated to a “form” that you’ve created so that He fits neatly into your image of the widely accepted but Scripturaly incorrect American Jesus iconic image?

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I am not against your civic duty to cast your vote in an election, nor am I against being involved in politics. What I am stressing here is the problems that arise when Christians erroneously think that government is the answer to man’s problems when the truth is it’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ that’s the answer to man’s problems . . . and those problems all stem from sin!

There is no command, example, teaching, or precedent found in Scripture where Christians are supposed to get involved in their nation’s political system to enact change or to enforce Christian values upon the populace. The Apostle Paul never once tried to run for public office or finagle his way into the political system to change Rome’s poor moral condition.

We are called to evangelize the lost, not coerce the masses through legislation to be good moralists whose outside is washed white but whose insides are full of filth. We are called to proclaim to every creature salvation through Jesus Christ, not “God Bless America.”

If your desire is to “take this nation for God,” then stop trying to do it the world’s way and start doing it God’s way . . . preach Christ and Him crucified!

So in answer to the question, “Has the Religious Right lost its voice in American politics?” I can simply answer no . . . you can’t lose something you never had to begin with.

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Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

9 thoughts on “Has the Religious Right lost its voice in American politics?

  1. Don’t despair… John McCain has enlisted the likes of Rod Parsley (a Pentacostal Dominionist) and John Hageee (Christian Zionist) to pray for him. And Palin is bringing her Pentacostal witch-doctor Thomas Muthee to the party.

    Read about McCain and his loving ties to Christians at SERENDIPITY

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  2. WOW! Excellent post! I’ve been trying to convey this message for over a year, only to be accused of being self-righteous. I’m no better than a murder, just better off for being saved by his grace. My eyes are opened. I pray that my brethren will wake up. I too was once asleep.

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  3. Kristine:

    You too? It’s funny, I got called judgmental and self-righteous when I dared to suggest professing Believers should either act like Christians or change their names!

    What a concept; a Christian who actually resists sin, reads his Bible, and strives to conform to Christ and not this world is often looked down upon by those in the visible church. It makes them very uncomfortable. And in this case a Christian who actually puts his (her) trust in Christ and not secular government also gets the same treatment.

    But I encourage you Kristine (and others) to stay the course and never compromise. You have found friends and bothers and sisters here . . . welcome.

    Sincerely,
    – The Pilgrim

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  4. Yeah, except I don’t think you can vote for anyone these days without picking the lesser of three or four or five evils. Why not be happy with the king that you have and stop putting another one over yourselves so you can collectively be to blame for putting them in office? Don’t vote at all – your citizenship is in heaven.

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  5. Pilgrim, I agree that “professing Believers should either act like Christians or change their names!” Unfortunately, many people think that being born in America (or growing up here) automatically makes one a Christian. They do not understand what a Christian really is, and the pastors who have preached the message of “repeat this prayer after me and you will be saved” have created a multitude of false converts who never really encountered the Living God and repented of their sins.

    Because of this confusion about the definition of “Christian”, instead of asking people if they are Christians, I now ask if they are followers of Jesus Christ, if they are actively doing those things which He commanded His followers to do. This rephrasing has been very effective in getting people to take a serious look at the differences between what they are claiming to be and what they are in fact.

    As far as being part of the political process, I believe that God wants true Christians to have a voice and to be involved whether seeking political office or just voting for godly leadership. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Our involvement does not guarantee that everything in society is going to change for the better or that true Christians will be elected. We know from Jesus’s own words that the world will grow more and more wicked. But, we still have a duty to speak the truth and to proclaim God’s moral law even if our vote or time seems wasted because our candidate did not win. (And “our candidate” does not have to be one of the major players on the ballot. We still have the right to vote for a write-in candidate.)

    Also, we are to pray for those in authority over us, especially that they might “come to the knowledge of the truth” and be saved. Maybe we need to remind ourselves to look at the candidates not as a face for a political party but as individuals who need Jesus to save them.

    1 Timothy 2:1-4
    1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
    2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
    3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
    4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

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  6. I couldn’t possibly commend you enough on this article. The way the American church has conducted itself is nothing short of scandalous, if misguided and well-intentioned. They have lifted up men and political parties bove God and so enmeshed themselves with all things American and the system, that they have been vitually purveying a picture of Jesus as white, republican, and American.

    It’s a crying shame and plays right into the hands of the enemy to turn people off anything and anyone purporting to preach the Gospel. Obama has been likened to the antichrist and McCain as the defender of all things Christian. Truth is, they both need Jesus and not the religions that pass themselves off as Christian these days. Lord help us and have mercy—I mean that!!!

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