Political Questioning

Christianity Today has a good column entitled "One-Size Politics Doesn't Fit All." It deals with the growing public diversity of political beliefs and opinions among Christians. Here are a couple of highlights:

Actually, restricting evangelicals to the narrower agenda of "conservative views on politics, economics, and biblical morality" is the bigger problem. This plays into convenient mainstream stereotypes of Christians being obsessed with sexual issues or pawns of the Republican Party.

... This diversity--even if it risks misunderstanding in the media--is something we should celebrate. That a wide spectrum of evangelicals feel called to engage in social justice is good for evangelicalism, the nation, and the world. But determining priorities and strategies is a matter of prudential judgment, and anyone who thinks they have the very mind of God on any matter should take heed.

Evangelicals from the Left, Right, and center are wise to heed Paul's words: "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?" (1 Cor. 12:17).

So let's stop questioning each other's evangelical credentials and just do the work we believe God has called us to.

Amen! It is critical that we keep our focus where it should be and quit judging people's salvation based on the party listed on their voter registration card.

For more thoughts on why Christians should be careful about putting politics ahead of Christianity, check out my book: For God's Sake, Shut Up!: Lessons for Christians on How to Speak Effectively and When to Remain Silent. There is a whole chapter on politics and Christians (and I think the others are worthwhile as well).