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Q and A video – Should Christians Be Involved in Politics?
7
Posted by Ray Pritchard on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 11:16 AM
When I was at Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference in Michigan two weeks ago, a packed room of attendees grilled me with a whole range of questions. One of the questions came from an attendee whose question was along these lines: “The last election was mean-spirited and it was hard to discern between truth and lies. Shouldn’t Christians just separate from political activism and focus on “Christian work” instead?”
Watch the video below and see how I replied to this question.
Do you have any thoughts or questions about this post? We love to hear from our visitors, please ask a question here:
Visitor Comments:
August 30, 2010, 5:36 PM Brian Bill says: | |
 | Great job, Ray. I marvel at how you can answer questions so quickly and with such depth! On another note. The video quality is outstanding. Way to go Derek, for all you’ve done with the website. |
August 31, 2010, 4:59 AM patrick sullivan says: | |
 British / Australian . Retired Pastor. Hospital Chaplain. Creator and Webmaster of www.jesuschristonly.com | Hi Ray. Just for your information in my 56 years in the church being 12 years in the UK and the rest in Western Australia I have never once heard a political comment from the pulpit. Yes back in the UK in the 1930 and 1940 many churchmen marched and spoke out on issues of the day. Our last Federal election in Australia last week was marked by hidden agendas by all parties and focus group driven polices. Confusing to me. I thank God that men like Wilberforce got involved and slavery was abandoned in the UK and its colonise Thanks for the video. |
August 31, 2010, 6:40 AM Ray Pritchard says: | |
 | Pat, I think these things tend to go in cycles. The churches and the pastors reflect to some extent the culture around them. In my lifetime I’ve seen evangelical pastors become outspoken on moral and social issues. Where I draw the line is in pastors becoming overtly political. I don’t want my pastor telling me how to vote or taking stands on purely partisan issues. But I do want him to teach biblical principles and show me how they apply to all of life. It’s a fine line and I suppose thoughtful Christians will disagree on where to draw it. We must teach the Word of God and apply it to the great issues of the day without ending up sounding like we are unpaid staff members of any political party. Blessings, Ray |
August 31, 2010, 10:02 AM Richard Miller says: | |
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| Pastors, churches and christians must also carefully examine the cost of being mute on an issue or trend in society. Patrick’s example of Wilberforce is a good one (slavery). Bonhoeffer is another example because he became an activist at a time when many German pastors and christians were mute in response to the rounding up and extermination of Jews in their own villages and cities. |
August 31, 2010, 1:27 PM Brother Dave says: | |
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| As I recently heard another person say, “If Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics, then who should?”. As mentioned in several posts below, I think involvement in such matters is very appropriate as long as religious folks (like most of us on here) aren’t dictating thinking to others or being judgmental. I also feel that one of the main concerns of today is in keeping faith as an underpinning of issues in public/civil discussions. We need to find ways to use our christian underpinnings to facilitate a more unified approach to the issues facing our country. But it’s all to true that many religions divide - while we need to unite! So we should all tread softly. |
August 31, 2010, 11:01 PM patrick sullivan says: | |
British / Australian . Retired Pastor. Hospital Chaplain. Creator and Webmaster of www.jesuschristonly.com | Ray your comment about “We must teach the Word of God and apply it to the great issues of the day “. Fits well with the last letter ( below ) that John Wesley wrote six weeks before his death to Wilberforce. A man who had been converted under Wesley’s ministry and who was a member of Parliament. The letter concerns his opposition to slavery and encouragement for Wilberforce to take action for change. Parliament finally outlawed England’s participation in the slave trade in 1807. Balam, February 24, 1791 Dear Sir: Unless the divine power has raised you us to be as Athanasius contra mundum( against the world) , I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be fore you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it. Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a “law” in our colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this? That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear sir, Your affectionate servant, John Wesley Blessings Pat. (’Cometh the hour, cometh the man’) |
September 1, 2010, 6:25 AM Ray Pritchard says: | |
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| Terrific quote from John Wesley. God bless him for writing that way. May the Lord raise up an army of men and women in the spirit and power of Wilberforce in our own day. Ray |
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