The intensity of political division in our nation has given me a desire to write on politics from a Christian perspective. I still plan to do so, but I found Pastor Tim Keller’s op-ed in the New York Times a great start. His article is entitled “How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don’t.” I would recommend it to your reading.
Mark Tooley has provided a good summary of the key points of Keller’s article on his blog. He summarizes:
- “Those who avoid all political discussions and engagement are essentially casting a vote for the social status quo.”
- “While believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one.”
- “Most political positions are not matters of biblical command but of practical wisdom.”
- “The biblical commands to lift up the poor and to defend the rights of the oppressed are moral imperatives for believers.” But, the “Bible does not give exact answers to these questions for every time, place and culture.”
- “Jesus forbids us to withhold help from our neighbors, and this will inevitably require that we participate in political processes.”
- Finally, Keller warns that “increasingly, political parties insist that you cannot work on one issue with them if you don’t embrace all of their approved positions,” which Christians must reject.
The key thing for us as Christians is to remain engaged without letting our faith or churches become pawns in the political battle between our two parties. Keller’s article is a good summary of why we should move toward that goal.