Why Are Conservatives Tiring of Religion in Politics?
Friday August 22, 2008
Among the interesting bits in the new Pew poll is the finding that conservatives fear there's too much religion in politics. In 2004, 30% said churches should stay out of politics. Now, 50% do. Among white evangelicals, the percentage jumped...
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I don't think it's disillusionment about what political involvement has gained the Evangelical movement. I think it's a slow realization that being an Evangelical Christian isn't all about which button you push in the polling booth, and that there is a vast realm of Christian responsibility and Christian power that has nothing to do with government. Finally!
I agree, Rob. I think many people are looking for more than what the political system is capable of providing. Winning elections has not done that much to advance the cause of Christ, and I think people are waking up to that.
But I also think there is a small part of this that is coming from folks who see the conservative movement losing its exclusive hold on Christianity as a political tool. The success of a number of liberal/progressive Christian organizations in calling attention to other issues besides homosexuality and abortion has shown that the right no longer can count on being the only political group with a connection to faith. And that has some people calling for less involvement of faith in politics. Now that the other side has learned how to play the game, they feel it's time to change the rules.
For me, I am happy to see these results. Perhaps the Spirit of God is moving in the hearts of His children to call them back to their first love...the Gospel and the ministry of Christ. If so, hallelujah and amen!
For years I have been asked how I, a Christian, could vote for a democrat. For years I have been saying that the Republicans have only given Christians lip service and have rewarded "the Devil" with their failure to provide for the needs of its citizens.
I have seen the Religious focus groups spread lies and innuendos about candidates and even refuse communion to believers just because they have supported democrats. And yet as thousand of our young men and women go off to fight a war, American jobs are shipped overseas and goods are on the shelves of our mega-stores that were produced by child labor, I hear these same people say that to vote for a democrat is to vote for sin.
I don't always vote for a democrat, I just don't vote for people that I feel live at the corporate pig trough.
It could be that in the end, conservatism and religion don't mix very well at a lot of levels. Conservatives don't want government telling them how to live and that is what religion, in the end, is all about, telling other people how to live.
Perhaps religious conservatives have gotten tired of the abuse of the Lord's name for political gain. Perhaps they realize that Christianity is not defined only by abortion and the gays. Perhaps they realize that we are a country of laws based in the US Constitution and not the Old Testament. Perhaps they realize that government and religion are best served seperately.
Perhaps religious conservatives have come to realize that eight years of carrying the water for the Republican party has yielded them NOTHING but endless war, economic unrest/uncertainty, world instability and is not compatible with the goal of winning souls for Jesus Christ.
Maybe its because after eight years of "Compassionate Conservatism" and six years of GOP dominance of all three branches of Government abortions have nor decreased but increased. States have passed laws granting "same-sex" marriage and they are now out of work, losing their home and paying twice as much at the pump.
Maybe we need a liberal government so that we can return to the conservative values we shared when Truman was President. ( My God, has it been that long ago?)
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