DAVID INGRAM

Throughout my adult life I’ve been asked to support this or that political cause. While there is nothing wrong with standing for one’s principles, I would not post political causes I support on a website like this, or use the microphone to proclaim my political stance on on a Christian radio station. I realize there are a lot of people in Christian radio advocating for one cause or another, and that’s between them and God. But today I don’t partake in such a thing because for me, the question of whether or not it’s the right thing to do is clear. Why? Because we should do NOTHING that would push others away from the message of salvation through Jesus.

I realize my stand on this may anger some Christians. I’ve had conversations about this with people who say “Oh, you think such-and-such is OK?” or “Why won’t you speak out against them because they support such-and-such?” Now to be clear, I will speak out against people who do evil things, even political parties who do, but I won’t do so on a Christian platform that is supposed to spread the Gospel of Jesus.

How many times have you heard over-generalized complaints about Christians that centre around some extreme political position? The implication being that if some Christians are extremists, then all Christians must be? By the way, judging an entire group, Christians or any other identifiable group, based on a subset is called a fallacy of composition. It’s irrational to do so, but this is the way people often function. Here is the important part: Whatever you do, do it for glorification of God. How can you glorify God by pushing people away from Jesus?

So, am I saying to ignore sin? Not at all. I am saying that people repent of sin when they realize their focus should be on Jesus, not because I gave them a stern talking to, or because they want to be a good member of this or that political organization. Once a person has accepted redemption for their sins through the blood of Jesus, they will ask questions about all sorts of things. Isn’t this a better time to talk to them about such matters? I have yet to meet a man or woman who said they came to Jesus because someone complained about their politics.

Throughout history man has tried to set up governments based on Christianity. Isn’t this something Christians should want? History also teaches us that some very evil people who realized that the only way they can get power in a theocracy is to claim to be Christian. We have seen time and time again how their very non-Christian acts have led to bad things being done in the name of God. So-called Christian governmental leaders doing bad things is also something often exploited by anti-theists who want to convince others that Christianity is bad.

The Bible tells people how to live in a corrupt society. But can you find any verse where Jesus ever advocated for regime change by force or politics? As I write this I think of when Judas and armed men came to abduct Jesus in Matthew Chapter 26. Starting with verse 50 it says, “…Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

People can vote their conscience, and I hope Christians are guided in their decisions. Not guided by me, but by the scriptures and by prayer. But I don’t advocate for politics in the pulpit, or on Christian radio. The Bible’s message isn’t one of social change. It’s about salvation and the changes that come after one is saved.