A Christian Fast from Politics

This post resonates deeply for me because I am coming from the exact opposite direction. I was an uber liberal lifelong Unitarian Universalist who suddenly finds herself a born again Christian... but I am often flumoxed by the whole political angle of the evangelical movement. Sometimes I wonder if Christians forget the admonission to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.
Building the Kingdom in our own communities, families, lives, is perhaps the most powerful witness of all.
Great post.

I say fast from paying attention to a lot of the media coverage for nat'l politics and elections and just vote based on simple rules like, "who among the parties that garnered at least 5% of the vote in the last election has accepted the least amount in financial contributions?"
I think we can fast from "politics" without fasting from voting and that using simple rules of thumb or listening to even-handed experts like Ron Sider are a way to do that... dlw

Sorry, but I will NOT fast from politics. I will NOT sit out this important an election. The democrats are anti-Christian and they stand against everything I stand for. Are the Republicans much better, no. But I cannot sit out this election and allow Nancy Pelosi become Speaker. Plus, how do I know you are not working for the dems. They would love nothing better than to have believers sit out the election. I will vote my faith and my faith says the best party we have to choose from is the GOP. I have given my financial support to the GOP and I have worked to help ensure our majority.

I don't know the author of this post, but it sounds suspicious to me. Why on earth would he call for Christians to sit at home and allow the far left of this country to take over? Unless, of course, that was his intention? Color me not convinced that someone who worked for Ted Kennedy and Gary Hart should be telling Christians to stay away from the voting booth.
Urging people of any faith to sit out an election is wrongheaded.
Vote! It is not only your right, it is your duty.

Sue, you may be the one who is wrongheaded, I don't know. The author does not suggest "not voting" whatsoever. If you actually read the piece first, you'll find that he explains this. And it starts here, "I'm not talking about a permanent retreat from politics. I'm not suggesting..."

Bubba, that's your opinion. Let's see who else thinks "THIS IDEA IS IDIOTIC."

Pauli writes, "That would seem to me to represent the disregarding of Christ's command in the Sermon on the Mount to be the "salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" in the sphere of politics which at all times desperately needs Christian influence." I think Christian influence is exactly Kuo's aim here, Pauli. I think it's also very safe to say David Kuo knows quite well the sphere of politics and civic duty.

This is the best that the media wing of the Democrat party can come up with? Sure we Christians know you libs have our best interests at heart. We "fast" from voting, & we get gay marriage, cut& run from the war on terror, protecting terrorists, illegal alien amnesty etc. But we will finally realize that those are christian precepts. Please excuse me while I laugh myself silly at the incompetence of the media & the dems. You are helping to assure that we Christians are going to turn out in droves to vote for the GOP. We simply will not let te satanic leftists win this election.

I can respect and honor your position on faith and politics as a person of another religion. In a way, I am fortunate to be a minority; no one is courting us, tempting us from our faith in order to "better" accomplish what we are called to do by God. Of course, we deal with the uninformed and the prejudiced...a tradeoff, I suspect.
A fast might give people time to truly think about what it is Jesus calls THEM to do...it might not be active politics, but help with the local food pantry or battered woman's shelter, or perhaps fostering animals, or making their communities a better place to live in the thousand ways that's possible. That speaks better of religious faith than any amount of preaching.

Tom Pruitt--I am a Democrat and a Christian. There are LOTS of us. We are not the enemy. We're Americans who care as much about the fate of this nation as you do. When you demonize us, you are talking with your emotions, not your head and your heart. I think you're a better man than that. In Christ, Paula S.

Bubba, "the man" has thought about this for years. This is not a willy-nilly thought. Again, if you disagree that's fine. But, pay him the respect he is due. I'm sure he would do the same. I did: I said that I'm sure he's sincere and perhaps even intelligent. But that doesn't mean this long-considered idea is a good one. After all, some people have spent years pondering socialism, and some still think it's workable in the real world.

Good time for you to have started your fast was prior to last Sunday and maybe even prior to writing your book.

I'll respond to your last post because I haven't read the first one yet, which seems to be trying to incite me in some way. I happen to think it's a good idea. This is as much of the real world to me as it is to anyone, including those who disagree, like you. I think it would be a breath of fresh air for regular people. I don't know of anyone who has thrown up the slogans of socialism just quite yet. I'd rather not label anything, again, that's the point. But you can keep greasing the wheels if you want. That's just not what it's about. Can you accept my position without conjuring up fear and chaos? Or, do you think 24 months of this would do just that? I think there is enough diversity with 300 million people in the U.S. without the need to tell someone their spiritual expression will cause doom. Think about it.

Frank, I did read it. That you think he isn't calling for a fast from voting ignores his final sentence
"and two years of Christians retreating from politics won't sink us."

Bubba: If fasting from persuasion was so incredibly effective, why do you have so little faith in it? Why not fast from persuading people to fast? If I'm understanding David Kuo correctly, the point of the fast is not to "persuade" anyone; it's to take stock of our spiritual direction.
Twenty-five years of work in the political fields have not offered the harvest that conservative Christians have hoped for. So, should Christians keep doing the same thing they've been doing for years now - the thing that hasn't gotten the wished-for results? Or maybe there can be different way to solve the problems, if we fast and pray about it? Are you more interested in actually solving the problems, or are you too invested in "fighting" the other side to try anything new?

David,
The short answer to your request is "no." Just because you're disillusioned in regards to your own political experience does not mean that Christians should cease to speak up on issues of moral and ethical importance, much less lobby for them. There's a very fine line between protest and petulance. The problem with calling for a "fast" from politics is that the thing that should be accomplished, a greater focus on Christ and his Kingdom, can be accomplished just as well through action and committment. Fasting is about the denial of self to focus on God. So, with all due respect, why does your plea seem to me so focused on self? Some consistency would be appreciated here as well, such as not subtly altering the title of Colson and Dobson's conference to imply an unforgiving spirit, or perhaps recognizing that Colson, for example, despite his political involvement, continues to run one of the most effective prison ministries in the U.S. It's also important to realize that for some "nasty partisanship" is a code word for strong disagreement. Some called Jesus a troublemaker and a rabble-rouser and protested the words and suggestions he made. Jesus had some pretty strong things to say about the Pharisees and the moneychangers.
The Bible warns us to be as gentle as lambs but as discrening as serpents. I'm all for more constructive dialogue, but you won't get that by starting a movement to remove Christians from the political scene. All you'll get is more boldness from those trying to remove any influence of the church from political and public life. My suggestion: If you personally feel the need to take a break, then do so. Instead, you've turned your own disgust into just another political campaign; one that is not only quite counterproductive to the social goals of many Christians, but also to your own stated goals here. One does not retreat from political life by starting a campaign.

Frank, I see we're back to arguing that the fast will have a negligible effect: Can you accept my position without conjuring up fear and chaos? Or, do you think 24 months of this would do just that? I think there is enough diversity with 300 million people in the U.S. without the need to tell someone their spiritual expression will cause doom. Think about it.
You write: The art of persuasion is a class I took in college. Persuasion is an art and thus effective in a myriad of ways. Why would I want to fast from persuading people to participate in this Kuo's proposal? I hope we're done with this beaten path because I'd like to stay on point. This "beaten path" is precisely on point: Mark Kuo is arguing that fasting from political persuasion will itself be persuasive: "I believe that it would be one of the most powerful witnesses to faith ever," and, "Extraordinary things would happen because of it." But he doesn't trust the idea enough to fast from persuading people to fast, does he? And I see that neither do you.

I must clarify that Democrats are not anti-christians. Many of us our good solid Christians. We go to church every Sunday and sometimes every day. We pray. We support the poor by feeding and not judging them. In fact I know some conservative Christians who were surprised we had many more church services that they did. They thought they were the slackers in the faith department. So a supposed Christian president that has taken food and money from the poor, lied through his teeth and condones war and torture is better then the Democrats? We deserve everything we get for our utter arrogance in thinking we are following God's way. Shame on us all.

Attending church makes you a better Christian? Judging someone's Christianity makes you a better Christian? The Reverend maybe needs a new girlfriend. You won't last long in his profession passing judgments.

I am a former liberal who has become deeply disillusioned by the left's tendency to demonize Christians. I was privy to many private conservations where liberals would gleefully bash Christians, expressing their deepest possible contempt. In fact, they frequently said they feared a Christian "theocratic" takeover of the U.S. more than anything Islamic radicals could dish out. Never mind that whereever Islamic fundamentalists rule, the rights of women, gays, and religious minorities are not only systematically violated, but they are frequently executed merely for existing. The lack of concern by liberals for the rights of people in these countries just sickened me. Meanwhile, the left myopically and obsessively focus all of their ire on President Bush, whom they demonize and villify for attempting to liberate more than 50 million people from two of the most terrible dictatorships in world history. I am convinced that many of the same people who today heap scorn on Bush would embrace a Democratic president who pursued exactly the same foreign policy and invaded the same countries. A.M., how do you expect Bush to clean up human rights abuses by our "allies," when he is hated by the world for trying to do something about the violations of human rights that were rampant in Afghanistan and Iraq? What do you want him to do, exactly? As for AIDS in Africa, Bush has spent far more of our coin on that problem than Clinton (or any previous president) ever did. Even Bono gave Bush kudos for that.

I'm still bothered by your satanic comment, frankly. I'm leaving. I won't even bother to ask what was satanic, I don't care.
I hope you take the advice of Mr. Kuo. You definitely need a fast from politics.

I am not a church goer anymore, but I do know a Judas and fool when I read and see one, and this guy is a total lunatic. Is he for real? Telling people to not vote? Shame on him. He is a pathetic slug, and Jesus would upend his table and call him the money changer he is. Selling his soul through book sales, lying on TV, betraying friends, and bearing false witness. You may get invited to a couple of parties in the Hampton, but for you to not criticize Barbra Streisand yelling and cursing at her audience unless they agree with her, to Harry Reid using campaign money for Christmas (yes, Jesus's birthday) bonuses and cheating the "little guy" when he didn't report $1.1 million dollars. Grow up, dude. You are not a religious person, you are not an American. Any real AMerican would urge anyone who is legally allowed to vote to rush to the election box. You are the worst of the worst. I hope they keep you away from teenage boys.

My mistake Sue. Mary evans' comment was who I meant to attribute that response to, not you. Let this correction be known. I'm trying to ward off y'awl and got you two confused.

to your comment about Kuo being "transparently foolish"
I've never met David Kuo, but personally, I praise him for what he's doing. Nobody can walk in his shoes except for him. He's following HIS faith and heart, which ever way that leads.

How Christian of you. You're saying that everyone who is not an evangelical Christian is wrong. You need to fast from judgments, not just politics. Jerome

I wish I could quote you some elegant line of poetry, maybe Alexander Pope, I don't know. But you've yet to explain your hopes, your dreams even what merely satisfies YOU, Bubba. I think about 45 minutes ago I explained quite clearly your entitlement to a fair game. You seem to want people to know how dangerously irresponsible Kuo's proposal is but I just don't see it that way.

I will never know your intentions, the Word of God is the Critic of Thoughts and Intents of the Heart. If I had to guess, I would say that you are having serious personal issues with your own faith and life. I can already see by the comments on this site that your only purpose with your book is to provide an "assist" to the Democrats. Isn't that "politicizing God?" Aren't you asking religious people to do something political? Choosing not to vote is also a political decision. I suggest that you fast. Before you arrogantly tell what others of faith should do with their freedom to vote, why don't you go to the middle east and ask people who were starved of freedom for decades if they are ready to fast from determining their own future. You are a sensitive, religious, and childish man. Please point us where in the Bible you draw your doctrine of "fasting from politics" from. Please explain to me where in the Bible that Jesus said that it is the responsibility of government to care for the poor. Please explain to me where it says that the government should confiscate property and give it to the poor. If you support such things as government charity, then you remove the will of people to do good themselves, personally.

Thanks, David Byrd. What do you suppose provokes people like aaron to direct so much animosity towards someone who is obviously grappling with every move he makes. I mean, David Kuo seems to be genuinely searching for a loving world where one doesn't live amidst so much turmoil. Why do people want to disparage this living spirit that dwells inside their fellow man?

Frank, get a grip. It is possible to be critical of someone's ideas without having to "disparage this living spirit that dwells inside their fellow man." At one point you wanted to stay "on track" with the discussion, now you're writing touchy-feely nonsense like this: I wish I could quote you some elegant line of poetry, maybe Alexander Pope, I don't know. But you've yet to explain your hopes, your dreams even what merely satisfies YOU, Bubba. Oh, dear, I haven't explained my hopes and dreams to our dearest Frank! How awful of me. How dreadful.

There are several odd pieces to this book and its current prominence in the debate. First, I remember most in the popular press being highly skeptical of "compassionate conservatism" and even more skeptical of merging government with religion in service of the needy. Maybe skepticism is to mild a word: lets try "cynical." Now, apparently, we are to shift and take KUO seriously (since he is discrediting his own movement). Let me ask this question: "Was he correct when he was saying government and religion should mix or is he right that religion should take a 'fast' from government?" It seems that the second agenda ("fasting") is getting a more positive response from the press than the first agenda. The press is consistent, KUO is not. I think KUO could have written a better book (not a fair criticism, as I have not read this book ;)) around the topic: "WHY WE VOTE: A CHRISTIAN DEFENSE OF CIVIC DUTY." This is a rich topic, which he has much to say about, I am sure. I think he is currently feeling defeated and cynical (a biproduct of his "slow moving government") and is coming to the wrong conclusion. Christians have fought long and hard for hundreds of years prior to the existence of the USA to improve the human condition in a variety of ways. We should never "fast" from that mission in all its variations: helping the poor, healing the sick, spreading the good news and creating a government that protects the weak and vulnerable.

You are false. I don't believe anything about you. I will continue to vote my conscience and disregard you and all those like you. Silly man. You'll see how very inconsequential your efforts are. You are transparent as glass. Your falsity is like footprints in the snow.

To echo the Anonymous poster, who is apparently (like me) from the Atlanta area, I'd like to reiterate one thing:
History moves. "Bill Clinton's problems couldn't sink us," true, but Islamic terrorists got increasingly bold under his watch and agreements made with North Korea didn't stop them from continuing to pursue nuclear weapons. The world doesn't stand still while we let things degrade in this country for even a couple years. Now, in particular, our enemies are watching to see if we can stand to see our soldiers killed even at historically low levels, and to see if we mean what we say about North Korea's getting nukes being unacceptible. Not being active in the political process -- allowing others to determine our fate -- when our enemies are watching to see if we flinch in an age of jihad, increasing globalization, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons is so irresponsible it defies description. Thomas Sowell recently noted that, "the question for this year's elections is not whether you or your candidate is a Democrat or a Republican but whether you are serious or frivolous." It's perfectly clear that David Kuo is not at all serious.

Frank, Are you the moderator here?

I'm just trying to figure out why Frank is "...trying to ward off y'awl...". So much so he confuses posters. Seems he has his own agenda and it isn't allowing dissenting discussion. Which is why I asked if he was a moderator here.

I spent several months in intensive Bible study recently and noticed that the "downfallen culture issues" were not mentioned nearly as much in my NIV Bible as by the powerful poltical preachers on TV.
Here are some rough numbers: Verses in the Bible: 31,000 + Verses about homosexuality: 5 Verses about abortion: 15 Verses about activist judges: 0 Verses about illegal aliens/strangers: 20 I'm sure someone can find more verses than me and I welcome correction on this.
Even if you are the most fundamental of fundamentalists, its hard to say that these isuues were mentioned much in the Bible. I did notice many verses on something rarely discussed by the powerful poltical preachers: Verses about helping the poor, the powerless, the outcasts: 3000 + Also, all of the verses I read about the illegal aliens were about how it is our duty as Christians to offer food (a precious commodity in those days) and shelter. As a Christian, I'm very frustrated by the narrow definition of Christianity as defined by these powerful poltical preachers. They have used their position to promote an American, Republican, Capitalistic God that doesn't exist in my NIV Bible. If they are clear that these are their personal beliefs and not Biblical Truths, I have no problem with their behavior. People who do not seek and find the Truth are easily misled to feel that these powerful poltical preachers have a hotline to God and only they truly know the will of God. These men use their position to control rather than guide.
In my studies of the Bible, I only remember one instance where Jesus was incredibly angry. When He saw the moneychangers at the Temple using God to make a profit, He flew into a rage pushing over tables and running them away. Makes me wonder who He would consider to be the moneychangers of present day? I long for the day when the powerful poltical preachers take a backseat to people like David. I believe that God is working through David to reach Christians distracted by worldly goals. His personal testimony of surviving a life threatening brain tumor and refocusing his life on the Truth of the Bible instead of the spin of talking point memos is incredibly powerful. I will be praying for David as he delivers his prophetic message in the coming days.

Frank said: [i]Thanks, David Byrd. What do you suppose provokes people like aaron to direct so much animosity towards someone who is obviously grappling with every move he makes. I mean, David Kuo seems to be genuinely searching for a loving world where one doesn't live amidst so much turmoil. Why do people want to disparage this living spirit that dwells inside their fellow man?[/i] David responds: You're welcome, Frank. On the subject of what motivates somebody to strike out, I can only speak of my own experience when I was in a more mainstream Christian church. Most of mainstream Christianity teaches a message that humans are inherently sinful, born into sin, and it is only because of God's mercy that they are not immediately zapped from the Earth and sent straight to Hell. The message goes on to say that for God to have granted this mercy required the intense suffering and death of an innocent to quench the bloodthirst and vengeful nature of God. But, even with this redemption, it is still possible to do something that puts one back into that sinful state again, dooming oneself to eternal torture and punishment. That's quite a bit of emotional baggage to carry around, and I believe that at some level, we don't really accept that this is true. We struggle with the idea that we were created in the image of God, and that God looks in the mirror and hates the reflection he sees. At some level, it doesn't make sense, and we are hard pressed to reconcile the contradictory thoughts. We are also taught that the very act of struggling with and questioning this set of beliefs makes us just as evil as somebody who doesn't question it and just goes against "God's Will". The result of all of this is an internalized self-hatred that I do not believe was [i]ever[/i] intended by God. We prefer not to think about it, and when we see somebody else point out the contradictions, we are forced to think about it, and we lash out at that person for reminding us that it doesn't make sense. Everything else in life has to make sense, we think, yet God is able to live outside of human common sense--something God created, incidentally--and, again, to question that "truth" makes us evil. Just based upon the book excerpt and the blog entries I have read, David Kuo is dealing with a major amount of disillusionment. Many people who have done what they considered the "right thing" to do, only to find out that they were being used to further a cause that contradicts their values would experience the same feelings. David Kuo has exposed what some of us already knew: a political party is very willing to leverage the influence of a group of people if it gives them the numbers they seek at the ballot box. This is just as true for Democrats as it is for Republicans, Greens, Right to Lifers, Communists, Libertarians, and whoever else there is out there. David Kuo is also pointing out a valuable lesson: if you find yourself beating your head against a wall, the first thing to do is not blame the wall for your headache, but to stop moving your head toward the wall and keep moving away. Take a few steps back, recouperate, and you might just find that a door was there all the time, or you won't feel like going through the wall again. Another point that most people seem to have missed is this one: taking a vacation from politics would send a much stronger message than continually screaming and shouting. No party likes to see its support fall away, and if enough conservative Christians pulled their verbal--and financial--support from the Republican party, they would get the message, and get it quickly. Think about it. God gave us the mind to think, so I don't believe God would mind if we used it every once in a while.

I read your comment about how things hadn't improved much in the past 28 years; well, I just had to think how bad they could have gotten if it weren't for the conservative voice of America. I believe that during this time, God gave us one more chance to prove that we can't make it on our own. Will we now, once and for all, give it all over to Him? This may be our last chance!!!

Good for you, Colin!

I hope everyone reads Cato's comment from 10-17-06. First, it may help us understand a bit more of where David is coming from politically, and also help us understand more about the timing of this book. Second, since Karl Rove and crew are not exactly uninformed, they must have known about David's background. Yet, they welcomed him in to the White House. I think this says a lot about George Bush's political breadth, as opposed the the far-left, which always wants to make this generations's LBJ look like a far-right-winger.

I am continually astounded at the amount of people who ignore David's words i.e. "As I've been doing interviews on my book, I've been proposing that Christians "fast" from politics. It has been mischaracterized as a call for Christians not to vote. That's not what I mean."
It was in the first three sentences, people! He's not advocating staying at home on election day. That's what the man said and I, for one, think he can be taken at his word. What, then, does he mean? I think (and I realize some will not agree with my understanding; please when you rebutt, use the man's words) Kuo advocates a redirection of our energies. He wrote: " Let's take every ounce of energy we currently expend on politics and divert them to other things. Instead of sending letters to congress and engaging in political arguments with friends and listening to political talk radio and canvassing door to door for candidates and volunteering for campaigns, let's spend our time in different ways. We can start with the things God has commanded us to do pray, learn, listen to him, and serve a hurting world." He's asking us to seek the Kingdom of Christ instead of the Kingdom of Whatever Political Party You Like.
And let us not forget, there are many different ways to fast. We can abstain from only certain types of food, or all food, or water as well. We can abstain from sunup to sundown, all day and night, or between two set hours. Perhaps that principle could be applied to each person's personal 'political' fast. We can all ask God to show us what changes, if any, need to make in our spiritual and political lives. Perhaps Kuo's community fast is overreaching; the Christian community in this country has, sadly, not been the parragon of unity we strive to emulate in the book of Acts. But each person can still "Give to America what belongs to America," to paraphrase the words of Jesus. And what America deserves is thoughtful and informed citizens who participate not blindly, but with care and concern for all of their fellow citizens.
And a sidenote, I, too am a liberal, Democrat Christian, and it hurts my heart to hear my brothers and sisters decide my agenda is evil and/or dangerous. Democrats aren't some faceless crowd on the other side of the aisle. We are people who love this country and love that this country allows us to disagree and live in peace, at least theoretically. Who will start the praying for one another that we are commanded to do? It's really, really hard to pray for President Bush for a myriad of reasons, but I still feel it's my duty as a Christian and as an American. When I think about it, that man needs all the prayer he can get. Thanks to anyone who read this far. I hope Kuo's suggestion sparked serious thought and contemplation instead of knee-jerk, emotional reactions that are neither logical nor Christlike. I know it did for me.

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