
With our national election just over a week away, most of us have already decided who we are going to vote for in the 2012 Presidential Election. The lines have been drawn in the proverbial sand as the two national political party platforms have been debated, revised, and promoted. This upcoming election will determine which of the two platforms will be advanced as law over the course of the next four years. A short glance at the two party's platforms would indicated even to the most casual observer that each party has a "vision" for the future of America, radically different from the other party's platform. For example, one party recognizes an unborn baby's life in the womb as sacred and in need of protection while the other party recognizes a woman's right to terminate a baby's life in the womb as a "personal choice" that only the mother should make. One party holds to the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman while the other party redefines marriage and what or who constitutes "marriage." As one examines the platforms of these two parties, it becomes clearly evident that they are diametrically opposed to each other on almost EVERY point!
For those people who have not made up their minds about whom they are going to vote for at this late junction of the game, I have to wonder what criteria they use to make their decision. Do these people have moral compasses that regulate their sense of right and wrong or do they substitute subjective feelings for objective truth or some community standard in making these very important decisions? Do they consult the Bible for direction for their votes or do they use their "feelings" to cast their votes? It is this group of undecided voters that both parties try to pander to and influence by appealing to a wide host of interests that might tip their votes in the party's favor.
Recently, I noticed political signs in homeowner's yards or in front of area churches, promoting Jesus for President. To be honest with you, I didn't even know he was interested in running for President or much less that he was on the ballot. I thought he was already King of kings and Lord of lords and rules over all the earth from his throne on high. Silly me! You could imagine my embarrassment that as a pastor I did not even know that he wanted to be President of the United States! I figured that I must get to the bottom of this very important issue because I didn't know where my head was at concerning Jesus running for President.
My first place of inquiry concerning "Jesus for President" was on the Internet and was an organization that was recruiting "Christian voters" to vote neither for President Obama nor for Governor Romney. Their suggestion was that neither candidate was worthy of a vote and that Christians should just write in the name "Jesus" as a sign of protest against both political parties and their candidates.The site claimed that it had almost 1.5 million Christian people who were pledging to follow their instructions. It is amazing that so many "Christians" apparently would accept and be willing to follow such nonsense. It was a telltale sign to me that the American church is in dire spiritual shape. These people must know that no man is perfect and that a wasted vote is a vote for the implantation of an anti-Christian worldview and law system with horrendous national consequences. Granted both candidates are not Christian, but policies and laws that they will try to enact are either Biblical or humanistic. One party's platform is much more Biblical than the other party's platform.
The second site I examined concerning Jesus for President was a group advocating that Christians start living like Jesus and give away the majority of their money and property, renounce all violence and corporate profits, and pledge to live like hermits or monks so that the rest of the world will see our true Christ-like spiritual nature. This in turn will "really" inspire the rest of the world to seek and accept Jesus so that they could continue to be in the same miserable living conditions that all of us believers would be in. I couldn't help think that the rest of the world is already poor and miserable, but that hasn't brought them to Christ. Just maybe they are looking for the real Savior who can raise them and their culture out of material and spiritual poverty that they find themselves already submerged in!
Upon reading the rest of the reasons this website advanced for their cause, it was abundantly clear to me that this group was some front group for those "social justice" and "liberal gospel" types! -- Can't we just all get along together and work for universal harmony?
With two strikes already against me, I was feeling like Miguel Cabrera in the batter's box with two strikes and no balls - what would the next pitch be?
Finally, the third site I visited was using Jesus 4 President as a slick and clever church recruiting and marketing ploy. The site featured a video with three pastors questioning what would Jesus do if he were President of the United States. None of the pastors on the video indicated who people should vote for or the candidate positions on the different platforms. Instead they took a neutral position and left it to the individual to make up their own minds as to whom they should vote for. The pastors wanted to examine what Jesus would be like if he were the President and how he would run the country. I don't know if they would actually teach participants at the service about the incredibly important issues facing the country today, how those issues impact our nation and culture, and how each candidate intends to address those issues if elected, but I guess speculating about what Jesus might do is more important than getting direction from Him as to what we should do. It always strikes me as troublesome that men who claim to be pastors and radically in love with Jesus cannot bring themselves to take a public and Biblical stand against political parties who continually undermine or reinterpret every Christian doctrine and practice to advance their particular political agenda.
Please note the following excerpt taken from one of the websites. The main page Jesus4president.com states, "Politics have their place. The Bible actually says that when good men and women lead a nation, that nation will prosper. So we’re not saying, ‘Don’t Vote.’ Vote! We want you to vote and we’re not trying to tell you which way you should vote. We’re just saying that we need something better than a President."
I think we can all agree that we need something better than the current administration, but the truth of the matter is that it is what it is. We have the opportunity to vote in a man who will lead this country in the near future and this choice does matter - it matters greatly! And if the choice matters greatly, then the "church" should be telling its members which man should receive their vote! There is a tremendous difference between the two men currently running for office and their views on life and how this country should be run. Their views will either impede this nation's decline or accelerate its speedy course to destruction.
If pastors and their churches would rather employ a middle of the road view and don't-make-any-waves philosophy on such crucial matters as taxpayer funding of abortion, the governmental funding of Planned Parenthood, the taxpayer funding of human embryonic stem cell research, enacting a ban on human cloning, giving parents a choice in their children's education, defending the state constitutional amendment preserving natural marriage, the appointment of conservative judges to the bench, the ending of military social engineering, the end of governmental control of healthcare or the protection of religious liberties, then a vote for Mitt Romney is NOT your choice! But let's quit playing silly games when it comes to making such important and life-altering decisions! The church is called to be prophetic in its mission and to declare to the church at large - as well as the world - God's will in all matters.
Man is definitely not saved by or through a particular political party holding office, but our freedoms, liberty, rights, and justice are ALL defined, established, and maintained by these parties and the laws they would impose on the rest of us. Whoever defines, controls, and establishes the law of the land determines the context and limits to these important and very relevant Biblical concepts.
And, Jesus, I suppose some of your church will continue to use your name for foolish and laughable ends. Some will twist the true message of the Gospel for the advancement of harmful spiritual-social-political ends. Others will use your name as a clever marketing tool to build their local church and reputations, but may your true church honor and revere your holy name that is exalted high above all names - including that of President!
Stay Holy, My Friends!
Pastor Don