It was November, 1976, and I was very excited by the election results. Our new president was a “born-again Christian”! Having become born-again myself at the age of 16 late in 1971, this was the first election where the religious beliefs of a candidate really caught my attention, and Jimmy Carter’s open Christian faith helped put the born-again term on the national map. Four years later, he was (quite literally) swept out of office by Ronald Reagan, the darling of the religious right.
Rev. Jerry Falwell, leader of the Moral Majority, which was founded in 1979, had famously declared, “We have a threefold primary responsibility. Number one, get people saved. Number two, get them baptized. Number three, get them registered to vote.” And although Reagan was not known as a deeply religious man, he was a strong conservative and a consistent opponent of abortion.
As one report observed, “For the Moral Majority, Ronald Reagan was a modern-day prophet whose rhetoric on family values, school choice, muscular patriotism and personal morality echoed their own view. Both Reagan and the Moral Majority saw American culture as a cesspool filled with sludge by ’60s-era hippies, immoral Hollywood directors, civil-rights radicals, abortion-loving feminists, the media and liberals.”
Eight years later, despite the many good intentions of the Moral Majority, despite the clear voice Reagan provided on a number of important moral issues (including abortion), and despite some of the very positive things Reagan accomplished (nationally and internationally), America was still stuck in a deep moral quagmire and the abortion industry continued almost unabated. In fact, according to the Alan Gutmacher Institute, there were at least 1.5 million abortions every year from 1980-1988, the years of the Reagan presidency, showing increase rather than decrease.
Of course, religious conservatives are not the only ones who have looked for a political savior. Need I mention our current president, he of the Greek pillars at the Democratic National Convention, treated like a rock star and hailed as “the one,” as if a quasi-Messianic figure? And need I mention the extreme hostility expressed towards President George W. Bush in the last years of his second term by those looking for “hope and change”? Now the Tea Party has risen up, angered over what they perceive is happening to America, grieved over what they claim is a systematic seizing of our liberties, and determined to see radical change come to our nation.
Not surprisingly, many Tea Party members, along with many other Republicans, are people of conservative Christian faith, and most of the Republican candidates campaigning for the presidency are known for their strong (and, it appears, genuine) faith. There is Rick Perry, who called for a prayer convocation attended by 30,000 before announcing his presidential bid. There is Michelle Bachman, who will now be joined on the campaign trail by her “personal pastor,” Mac Hammond. There is Herman Cain, who was recently quoted by the Christian Post as saying, “My faith plays a very big part in all the decisions that I make. . . . I’ve been involved with the church since I was young.” And always looming in the background is Sarah Palin, baptized in a lake in Alaska after getting saved at the age of 12. Perhaps one of these individuals will be our next political savior? Perhaps one of them will ascend to the presidency and bring about dramatic, national changes?
I would suggest we take a more pragmatic approach and not set ourselves up for disappointment yet again. First, the American political system is both complicated and convoluted, totally different than, say, ancient Israel where the right king could bring about national transformation, especially over the course of his lifelong reign. Here we have two major parties (at least), often at war with each other, often fighting for what is politically expedient rather than what is best for the country, sometimes internally divided as well. And then there is the ever-present “good old boy” syndrome, with its coalitions and deals and favors. We would be naïve to think that one charmed leader will be able to overcome all this in the short period of time he or she serves as president.
Second, America is a nation of more than 300 million people, and much of the change we need must be grassroots change, from the bottom up more than from the top down. In fact, it is hypocritical to criticize big government and its overreaching arm while at the same time looking to government to save us. Third, our presidents are not superheroes, and once we get past the political panegyric, we are reminded of their humanity.
We would do well, then, to remember the Paul’s exhortation to pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-4), to vote or campaign for those we believe are best suited for the job (even with conviction and passion) without simplistically thinking that the next person we elect will somehow save our nation.
Can we hope for positive change? Absolutely. Can we expect national transformation? That will come from the nation (ultimately as people turn to the Lord) not just from the president.
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Psalm 146:3, Brother Mike – But you knew that!!
Psalm 146:3, Brother Mike – But you knew that!
Thank you Dr Brown for your consistent eloquence & defence of The Word of God. There appear to be many that attack you from Satan’s camp. Bless you in the name of Yeshua.
Here in the UK we are experiencing the same moral decline as the US.
I will ‘stand in the gap’ in praying for God’s face to shine upon our nations again.
Sage Phil, how nice to hear from you here. And yes, that one verse says it all better than anything I could have written. In fact, I should have closed with that word!
Thank you, Ian!
Brother Mike – A private message – I’ve lost your personal e-mail address. I understand you’re busy with little time for personal e-mail. News: I retired from the College six months ago, after nearly 38 years. I turned 66 and health is not the greatest – the commute was killing me. Also changes in administration and “ideology/political correctness” … if you catch my drift. Am busy re-inventing myself and when I figure out who I am, I’ll let you know. Much love, as ever – and in his care – – [Sage] Phil
There are a lot of good points here. I appreciate the perspective from your past, with Jimmy Carter, quite interesting. I can say personally how I rooted for Bush (W) in the same way, and ended up very disappointed with his full fledged attempts to divide the land of Israel (or his going very liberal in his second term in general, at least after the 2006 defeat).
I do feel nonetheless that for how strongly your words are bent towards discouraging Christians from putting (any?) hope in the political process, that you at least need to say a word to the opposite affect. Right when the battle may be raging the hottest over support or opposition to William Wilberforce’s’ *political* drive to abolish slavery … how would this message sound at such a time? For how strongly you advocate against political action and its importance (in all caps, in your title, stating somewhat of a straw man [most Christians I know recognize we need BOTH a spiritual transformation AND a social/political one]), you are duty bound to include the other critically important side of this issue:
What if we were to have stood on the POLITICAL sidelines during the few years running up to and then within the American Civil War, where Abraham Lincoln and the Whigs confronted the forces for slavery, largely in POLITICAL venues? (It was long a “Political” fight before it opened up into War). That would make us cowards, and a failure to do what is righteous and just in a critical point in history. We must fight the political war with vigor, whether it is to oppose forces like Hitlers (a political figure again), or Stalins, or maybe Ahmadinejads; while also abortion and the utter onslaught against marriage and our children. WE ARE HYPOCRITS LIVING IN A HOLE IF WE DO NOT FIGHT THESE BATTLES in BOTH the spiritual AND the “political” arenas. I appreciate that you often sound out on the need to SPEAK OUT, but usually, that refers to a non-church, secular setting. That gets very close to what could be called: Politically (‘polis’ – in our city) speaking out!
I like Ron Paul and most of the stuff he’s for, but I know he has no chance due to the “powers that be”, whatever term we want to call them, won’t let him run. We need to get away from relying so heavily on federal government and go back to state ran government.
Great article; definitely sharing.
Can we hope for positive change? Absolutely. Can we expect national transformation? That will come from the nation (ultimately as people turn to the Lord) not just from the president…
A PLACE in time is established, first by the Atonement in the fullness of time, established by our Lord. Secondly, by the response of His People in due season. The word went forth from Jerusalem and shook the known order in the first century. The kernel of faith of the People established HOPE, HIS HOPE> and that for the sake of others, in His service. They were beaten, stoned, opposed, locked up, spat upon, rioted agains here and there, and, responded to in hearts. The indelible response of the human heart to the Word of Jesus the Christ changed forever the landscape of knowledge. Knowledge moved from debate about what is truth, to discovery of THE LIFE of TRUTH, of the ONE who merged truth with GRACE.
IT is by grace through faith that the beginning of transformation, justification, and sanctification occurs. Some wise person once remarked that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God in Christ. The political landscape raises the natural tendency to HOPE beyond what appears, Hope toward a brighter future of indescribable righteous nobel consequence. We have learned that our short generational years on the planet, 40 to 70 years, motivate, involve learning, responding, building and movement. We have learned too that without a future sighted vision for purpose, there is little difference between generations as to ways and means to acheive or accept this or that consequence to our short lives. We are born, live, and die often in futility of intention, unless sparked by the eternal intentions of God formed in Christ.
Jesus declared his intention to gift human beings, and to what end??? The Apostle Paul wrote, not to preach ourselves, but Him, and ourselves as others servants for His Sake. It is time for a Generation of North Americans to shift from the pursuit of self business to His business, in expectancy of being His future Bride, now adopted into His sheepfold, to make herself ready to meet Him. Meeting Him is meeting Him on His terms. His terms are clear enough, and monumental, “love as I have loved.” “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in Love” –Paul the Apostle of direct revelation of the arisen One.
Our nations, in this great continent, are at the crossroads of a dissipated self relevancy, or a realization of need for direct intervention in the workings of forces on hearts and minds at hand. A considered self aware self life actualization by such self relevancy, or by reverency is set before us. Who can hear it, who will heed it? The love of money, pleasure, the cares of this world, and dissipation of our loyalities, hearts, energies, etc. is the way it has evolved to be for North American lifestyle. Yet the almost silent still small voice of the Lord’s presence within each and every adopted soul given in past confession to Him beckons for an alike heart and service as that of the first Apostles, those who taught what he taught by beholding Him directly. He taught His kind of love as higher than any other pursuit.
It is written, that if His People, who call themselves by His Name, will turn, humble themselves, repent, fast, pray and seek Him, the God of Jesus the Messiah will come and heal their Land. The coming Holy Day, Yom Kippur, the DAY OF ATONEMENT, is an obvious Place in time for His People throughout our Land to begin to repent, collectively pray, and invite His intervention for the saving grace of this present lost generation. Wherever one is located, still hearing the small still voice of God in Christ, please begin by bending our knees to the acceptance in the beloved we all have based on His sacrifice of atonement. It is written that He visited in the fullness of time. Time then was His Place to affect the entire earth. We know we are limited self absorbed human beings, in pursuit of the material, experiential, and knowledge based vanity of this generation of the flesh. In the midst of such a time as this, God in Christ, has preestablished the Message and Gift for the present lost generation’s future acceptance into the fold of Faith in Jesus the Christ. He awaits us to unify as ONE body on earth, seek His face, His intervention, and yield Him to this present lost generation. Delare this Yom Kippur as the Place in Time for beginning the travail for renewal for all who call upon His Name in this great land.
It is time for us to put aside our own preoccupations and look out not only for the actualization of our own insightful temporal interests, but also for the interests of others, and, ultimately for HIS KINGDOM’s work within the present generation. On this Yom Kippur let us of this mentioned Council to CALL the Continent to prayer, begin the travail for this generation, this land, these people. The harvest is ripening, the birth pains of the coming Kingdom will accentuate into the next year, the future joining is not to be an elopement, but a carefully prepared ready action. Let the Bride make herself ready in heart, mind, and action as doers of the Word of God in Christ.
Nicholas,
Thanks so much for your comments. Please note that my article deals with our tendency to put our hope in a person, “a political savior,” but nowhere do I encourage believers to drop out of the political process. Obviously not. It is rather a reminder to keep things in proper perspective.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your nice response. While I agree with many of the points I made, I regret that, on further reflection, I was probably assuming the worse. I rejoice that you are one that calls us all to not be afraid to speak out. One of the biggest things that makes this issue so problematic is the present day prevailing current (it seems to be spiritally engergized, and growing in intensity) that says God is to be kicked out of everything political. What that really means is that God is *kicked out of our cities* (‘polis’)! Our schools, our legislatures, our court houses, and then everything else downstream from there.
Yes, many things still got worse while Reagan ruled, but under his strong leadership, millions of people were set free from the Soviet bondage. What would have happened if a Winston Churchill hadn’t been raised up? Just imagine if the Nazis had never been defeated (by real armies of men, lead by earthly governments?). It was an excellent point you made about kings in ancient Israel, but that itself shows how vitally important on-the-earth governance is to God. They are ministers of God too. Just as important an anointing, in biblical terms, as anointing for priesthood and prophecy.
While you are right that very much ends up not being accomplishable through earthly governments, much of what I believe we should care about is simply *stopping further evil from coming to rule* in the first place! I think it was on *day 1* of Obama’s coming to power that he started funding for overseas abortions, millions of dollars. So while ‘our guy’ may fall short as a ‘political savior,’ he or she can stop many onslaughts of evil from taking place in our midst. For instance, I am painfully aware that Perry is essentially saying he agrees with the Oslo accords. But I know Obama will never end the growing new holocaustic menace of a nuclear arsenaled Iran. Perry or Bachmann or even Romney give me real hope that we all will finally at least start in the right direction of confronting this threat. For how much we are already in the end game, does this give me lots of hope? No. But compared to our liberal-Islamic Obama (its an oxymoron, but true) who has essentially publically proclaimed that it is okay for Iran to go nuclear, and who despises Israel, who shuns our allies and embraces our enemies … who has in a nutshell made this world a much more dangerous place (foreign matters or social-domestic) … compared to that? You can call it a ‘deliverance’ to be delivered from his rule.
It seems a paradox in many ways but Christianity is much like ancient Israel in 1st Samuel chapter 8.
We often want an earthly king instead of God Himself and we show that by how much the church looks like the world and lusts for the things of this present age. The chatter u often hear during primaries is “he’s not presidential enough”. Meaning a candidates looks and manner of speech. Moses wouldnt have stood a chance in a democracy. In a way a politician is very much like a false prophet in that they flatter our egos with smooth words and tell us falsehoods about ourselves that we as a nation want to hear.
Isaiah 30
Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits
And of coarse we want to have our cake and eat it to in that we honor God with our lips but we love all sorts of ungodly entertainment like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and supersize everything from Cosco shopping carts, 4X4 SUVs, to the belts around our waste. I love hearing those prosperity preachers on TV saying Jesus was rich. ” The Son of Man hath no where to lay his head “…Jesus was basically homeless.
To me the election of Obama reflects our want of an earthly king and so did that of JFKs Camelot. The problem is we want to be lied to because we very often lie to ourselves as individuals and as a nation.
As did ancient Israel and Israel during the time of Christ. ” We have no king but Caesar ”
So an earthly king we want an earthly king we get till Christ returns.
And on a parallel note I think its really hypocritical for multi millionaire Newt to tell the OCCUPY crowd to take a bath and get a job…
http://cdn-media.nationaljournal.com/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=13372&format=mGallery