Quote of the Day 2008.20
The Problems with the Religious Right and the Religious LeftSpecific Problems With the Religious Right
1. It was led to an unacceptable degree by pastors as its public spokesmen. This, more than anything, created the "theocracy scare." It also placed the Church in politics up to its neck and thus undermined the Church's moral credibility.
2. It over-identified with the Republican Party to the extent that it seemed that the Christians vote has no where else to go and therefore could be taken for granted. If Evangelicals want to sit out this election in order to make the point that the Republicans need the Evangelical and Catholic vote and had better not take it for granted (say by appointing another disaster like Anthony Kennedy to the Supreme Court for example) then that is a reasonable position to take as a one-off strategy. I would not say that there is a moral obligation to vote Republican necessarily.
3. It could not keep specific moral issues (marriage, abortion, assisted suicide) separate from general neoconservative ideology (especially US exceptionalism and empire building and unregulated capitalism as the ideal). This also brings shame and reproach on the Church.
Specific Problems with the Religious Left
1. It is also too often led by clergy (who often stand to the left of their congregations) and this tends to identify the Church with as left-wing ideology. This is a similar problems as on the right.
2. It is over-identified with socialism and big government as the answer to all problems.
3. It promotes a secular solution for the problems of the world and thereby renders itself irrelevant except as a cheering section for government action.
4. By endorsing the economic left, it also tends toward approving the cultural left, which brings it into conflict with many Christian moral teachings. So far (in the past 100 years) Christians who endorse the economic left have not been able to do so without endorsing the cultural left, which raises the question of whether or not this is even possible.
You can read Craig Carter's entire post, "How Should Christians Be Involved in Politics?" here.
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Cross-Posted at RedBlueChristian
4 comments:
...it seemed that the Christians vote has no where else to go...
In the minds of many, as long as the Democrats insist on being the pro-abortion party (and taking the "rare" part out of their platform was not a positive step), believers have nowhere else to go.
Here's a comparison of the two party platforms with Methodist Social Principles
Comparison
Yes. There has got to be a wiser way in engaging in politics which helps us in Jesus keep the prophetic voice both towards the right and the left.
I can't blame anyone for not wanting to vote for either one of the two major party candidates on the grounds of their Christian faith.
So good Christians are going to disagree, and pastors should neither bless the left or the right. We ought to be above that as our kingdom is not from this world, yet we need to engage the powers, and do good. We ought to be examples of what needs to be done, rather than being all worked up over getting our politics voted in.
As far as the political side goes, I hope we have solid Christians in both parties and in other places of influence in government and in our culture.
Chris:
I think Carter hits the nail on the head in reference to abortion. It is not, as Jim Wallis wants to argue, one important issue among others. It is one indispensable issue along others that are also indispensable.
Una:
Thanks for the helpful link!
Ted:
I think Carter's analysis, which is influenced by the Anabaptist and Catholic traditions is quite profound, and deeper than much of what we are hearing from many Christians on the Left and the Right.
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