God's Political Alliances

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your ways,

and My thoughts than your thoughts."

It is gross misunderstanding of the nature of God and our relationship to Him to think that either of our political parties possesses the allegiance of God. Though it may come as a shocker to some, God's goal is not to ensure the success of the United State of America.

Yes, that is what I said, and it is what I mean. Printing "In God We Trust" on our money does not make it so. Asking God to "Bless America" does not obligate God to do so.

God may use anything and anyone to accomplish His purposes. Christians, if they have read the book we claim as our guiding document, should know this. But since many Christians are biblically illiterate, let's review.

• God knows how we should live -- in peace with one another and in relationship with Him. We were created precisely for this relationship.
• Yet, humankind, almost from the very beginning, has disregarded God's instruction and rejected that relationship. Our own rebellious, selfish actions take us away from God and eventually outside His blessing, protection, and even mercy.
• God found it necessary, from time to time, to let us experience the consequences of that ignorance. Sometimes the instruments with which this lesson was delivered were those who hate God. Was God endorsing the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Persians or Medes and their lifestyles? Certainly not.

If God, when He was working through a physical nation did not blanketly endorse the actions of that nation, do we think that now that His kingdom is not geopolitical that God will do so? Now THAT is the height of arrogance. Do we REALLY think that either party represents the holiness of heart and mind that God embodies, toward which God draws us and behind which God could cast His unconditional support?!

Now. Time has come for a little self-revelation. Because I do not argue politics and have failed to challenge blanket statements and assumptions, some of you will find this surprising. I have more often voted Republican than Democrat. Though I have have always taken each race individually, I have voted Republican for the top of the ticket in every Presidential election in which I have been old enough to vote. Why? Because I believe in small government, and low regulation of a free marketplace. But also because the Democratic party endorses a set of values too liberal for my own convictions: euthanasia; abortion; a policy of care for the earth based on the devaluation of humanity (valuing the spotted owl more than human life) rather than the caretaking responsibilities entrusted to us by our Creator; government as a parental figure that undermines and overrides acutal parental rights and responsibilities; the espousal of tolerance for everything except religious moral conviction; overtaxation and overregulation to the extent that pursuit of the American dream becomes difficult-to-impossible; and a system of aid which rewards laziness, penalizes ingenuity and hard work, and traps the poor in a vicious cycle of so-called help from which few can escape with any success.

Lest you think I level no criticism against the Republicans, they would, in the name of free business and person conscience, ignore the poor and the need for education, healthcare, fair wages, and sound business practices because many within their ranks can afford to do otherwise. I have friends that are soundly in the Democratic party, precisely for this reason. I have found many of them to be profoundly committed to their faith, and the things which they may abhor in their party do not overshadow the good they beliee it can do. Since this is precisely my conviction of the Republican party, how do I fault them? Some of them view the state as doing what the church has failed to do, and I cannot disagree with them. If true religious is care for the widows and orphans, why is there so little true religion?!

Rather than believing either party possesses God's approval, I personally believe that they both stand in God's disapproval. Neither represents His values. Neither has His purpose as their own. I believe a Christian can cast a vote for a Republican without sin. I believe a Christian can cast a vote for a Democrat without sin.

Oh, how I wish that Christians would not be the naive pawns of unions, and special interest groups. How I wish we would we would stop believing the lie that God has endorsed a party, and oh, how I wish that we could stop taking our respective red and blue bats and pummeling one another until we are all bloody!

God cares not whether you vote Red or Blue. God cares that you have committed your life to Him and struggle with how to live into that commitment with every word, deed, and decision in every moment of every day. May we go in peace to serve the Lord . . . not the party.