We are blessed to live in a nation where we witness a peaceful transfer of power every four (or eight) years. For some nations, any change in the head of state is a violent, bloody proceeding.
Nevertheless, there are perhaps few issues as polarizing in evangelical Christianity and the American populous at large as the event coming up on Nov 4: the presidential election. Instead of shedding blood with our hands, we shed blood with our words.
What are Christians to do about all of this? Should we vote or not? And if we answer that question in the affirmative, who should we vote for, and why?
I'm not here to tell you who to vote for--that is not the purpose of this blog, and besides, I'm still deciding--but I thought I would share something with you that has been helpful to me in thinking about how I, as a Christian, approach politics.
The following three articles are from Scot McKnight. He has been one of the most influential thinkers in my life in recent years.
According to his bio, "Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986)."
Here are some of his thoughts on the whole matter:
- The merits and demerits of voting for president
- Thoughts on John McCain
- Thoughts on Barack Obama
One of the topics that came up at the Off the Map conference on Friday night was how Christians engage the sphere of politics, so I have been thinking about this topic even more than usual this past weekend. I was prompted to write this blog post after Paul's message last night, upon thinking more about this verse:
"Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." - 1 Peter 1:13
What do you think? How do you, as a Christian, approach the intersection of faith and politics?
Monday, October 20, 2008
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1 comment:
I guess I don't see any disconnect between how I think about politics and how I make any other decision in life. On election day, I have choices between various imperfect options, and based on my values and what I hope is wise discernment, I choose the one that seems best. The difficulty comes, I think, in the "wise discernment" part. Is it better to reduce tax burden on all or redistribute wealth? Is it better to regulate or let market forces work? What is the best, most fair way to care for the poor? Which candidate has better character, or who is more trustworthy? It's not easy to determine the answers to these kinds of questions, so I have to think about the issues and make my best judgment. In the end, the course of history is probably shaped more by unpredictable, dramatic events that occur than by elections anyway.
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