Religion and Politics

[IreneAdler]

Can you seperate your faith from your politics? Do you feel like you should even? If so or not please describe your reasoning for this opinion.

 

[Amber.ly]

I don't have multiple standards for different aspects in my life like religion, school, politics or morals. They all come from the same place.

So no, I don't and won't seperate my faith from anything about myself. Including my thoughts on politics.

 

[crishmael]

My faith informs my morals and I don't believe in amoral politics so I don't try to separate them. And besides, I tend to think the Gospel is inherently political and it really boils down to how people are gonna interpret, engage, and apply it.

 

[Sketcher]

In one sense, I can't really, as my religion is core to me, and it as such it colors all my other beliefs. But does it do so in a way that makes me want to criminalize everything that I believe is immoral? Definitely not.

 

[IreneAdler]

I don't consider it multiple standards... I think it depends on what place you start. kwim? I started as a third generation military brat. What the framers intended means as much to me as judgment scripturally (as I don't feel I have the right to say one way or the other if someone is evil/bad and I feel we all sin, regularly, so I choose not to qualify one above another). So from the place I start, integrity means sharing equality with everyone and allowing people to make their own choices, even if that means in sin, as long as it's not harmful to others (like say murder or sexual abuse is). So this to me, says my politics are seperate from my religion as what I would say should be legal is different from what I would do out of my own personal conviction.

 

[GQ Chris]

I can't and won't separate them. Its the way I view the world.

 

[Sketcher]

I should also say that people of all political stripes, whether they believe in Jesus or not, try to claim that he believed as they do, and in that way insist that those who don't agree with them are against Jesus. I refuse to play that game, I simply take Scripture as what it says, without coloring it with my personal politics. If I had the opportunity to either change someone's politics or get that person to not project their politics on Jesus anymore, I would choose the latter.

 

[Blueforest]

Most people use their religion to fuel their political attitudes, or sometimes, vice versa. For instance, many Christians™ are often ultra conservative. By the strange thing is, if Jesus were here, or in His day, He would most likely lean liberal. But try telling the fundies that.

 

[MacFall]

My politics have always been shaped by my faith. As soon as I became politically aware I was a "conservative" because I believed in the social and moral values of conservatism. However, I gradually began to reject the idea that the state should be the enforcer of those morals, and a few years ago I adopted my current position that government, as it currently exists, is completely opposed to the spirit of Christ.

I do not see how it is possible for a Christian's political beliefs not to have a moral basis. Politics deals with the question of when it is permissible to use violence, and violence is an inherently moral issue. And one cannot be a consistent Christian if his or her morality is not entirely Christ-centered.

 

[Sketcher]

Most people use their religion to fuel their political attitudes, or sometimes, vice versa. For instance, many Christians™ are often ultra conservative. By the strange thing is, if Jesus were here, or in His day, He would most likely lean liberal. But try telling the fundies that.

That's exactly the kind of game that people shouldn't play with Scripture. Jesus didn't talk about politics, he talked about morals. People on the left and on the right can agree with that when they look at his teachings squarely.

 

[LadyOfMystery]

I don't think that we should go as far as to say where Jesus would lean or put down Conservatives when you're talking about Jesus - that isn't very Christ like.

With that being said, I'm Christian, and a conservative because Conservatives have a lot of the same views as Christianity, that's not to say I don't agree with some things the Liberal's believe either. But I claim conservative because it aligns with Christianity on most aspects.

 

[MacFall]

If Jesus were here he would renounce political power, just as he did when Satan offered it to him in the wilderness. Jesus was not a political activist. But he did leave us with a moral system of peace and mercy that has political implications, and those implications often run contrary to the way politics is practiced.

 

[Rose of Eden]

So from the place I start, integrity means sharing equality with everyone and allowing people to make their own choices, even if that means in sin, as long as it's not harmful to others (like say murder or sexual abuse is). So this to me, says my politics are seperate from my religion as what I would say should be legal is different from what I would do out of my own personal conviction.

^ This is interesting.

I don't separate religion from politics when it comes to my own personal views, beliefs, and convictions. I don't believe in being "soft" on sin; committing ANY sin is a crime against God and that's no "light" matter. But when it comes to laws and governing the actions of non-Christians....I have to ask "Do I really have any right to force Christian practices on people who choose to reject Christianity?" Isn't that almost like forcing people to be Christians? This is dangerous territory, IMO. Jesus was serious about sin, but I don't think He ever forced people to leave their sinful ways and follow Him. He invited them out of love. So instead of wasting my time trying to come up with ways to force people to be/act like Christians, I think I should spend my time more wisely by loving them and inviting them, just as Christ did.

My two cents.

 

[GoodNewsJim]

Politics today is kinda angry and argumentative. I stay out of that scene and try and take a peaceful route.

Christians should be involved with politics. The only people who think differently are people who don't like the Christian ethos.

 

[Touma]

I think it is essential to separate religion and state, to keep both as pure as possible. However, I don't see a problem with people allowing their morals to fuel their beliefs, so long as it doesn't cross the secular threshold(if they are in power).

An example of allowing political beliefs to be determined by moral beliefs would be that I feel 'illegal' immigrants should be given shelter, food, water, aid, etc by Christians. It goes against government policy, BUT scripture indicates we are to treat them a certain way.

You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 22:20
You shall not oppress an alien; you well know how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 23:9
When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.
Leviticus 19:33-34
Anyone who inflicts an injury on his neighbor shall receive the same in return. Limb for limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth! The same injury that a man gives another shall be inflicted on him in return. Whoever slays an animal shall make restitution, but whoever slays a man shall be put to death.You shall have but one rule, for alien and native alike. I, the LORD, am your God.
Leviticus 24:19-22
For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
You shall not defraud a poor and needy hired servant, whether he be one of your own countrymen or one of the aliens who live in your communities. You shall pay him each day's wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the LORD against you, and you will be held guilty.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
You shall not violate the rights of the alien or of the orphan, nor take the clothing of a widow as a pledge. For, remember, you were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, ransomed you from there; that is why I command you to observe this rule.
Deuteronomy 24:17-18
'Cursed be he who violates the rights of the alien, the orphan or the widow!' And all the people shall answer, 'Amen!'
Deuteronomy 27-19

 

[leothelioness]

I don't really believe that politics and religions should mix. When they do, the result is what we see going on in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. The massacre in Srebrenica I think was a result of that as well.

 

[Miles]

One's faith will tend to shape one's political stance insofar as it influences one's worldview. However, I find theocracy to be incompatible with personal faith. If we are to truly follow God, then it should be of our own volition. Theocracy doesn't allow for such a basic freedom. The political machine, if left unchecked, will use whatever it can to exploit the people for its ends. The faithful effectively become convenient tools for the government when politics are conflated with religion. The government has no business meddling with our personal philosophical/theological affairs, and the church has no business telling us how to vote.

 

[Riot Riot Riot]

My faith shapes what I believe is right or wrong as far as world events and such go, but most times I choose to stay out of politics at all times.

Too many religious folks allow their political party BECOME their "faith", and allow their political standpoints shape the way they believe.

 

[Wren]

With that being said, I'm Christian, and a conservative because Conservatives have a lot of the same views as Christianity, that's not to say I don't agree with some things the Liberal's believe either. But I claim conservative because it aligns with Christianity on most aspects.

It's funny because when I read the OP, I was thinking the same thing, except reverse Liberal and Conservative. (Disclaimer: I am left leaning politically in large part because of my faith, but that does not mean I am a Democrat. I think the Dems and Repubs both suck.)

I don't separate religion from politics when it comes to my own personal views, beliefs, and convictions. I don't believe in being "soft" on sin; committing ANY sin is a crime against God and that's no "light" matter. But when it comes to laws and governing the actions of non-Christians....I have to ask "Do I really have any right to force Christian practices on people who choose to reject Christianity?" Isn't that almost like forcing people to be Christians? This is dangerous territory, IMO. Jesus was serious about sin, but I don't think He ever forced people to leave their sinful ways and follow Him. He invited them out of love. So instead of wasting my time trying to come up with ways to force people to be/act like Christians, I think I should spend my time more wisely by loving them and inviting them, just as Christ did.

My two cents.

I agree. Excellent post.

 

[broken_one]

That's exactly the kind of game that people shouldn't play with Scripture. Jesus didn't talk about politics, he talked about morals. People on the left and on the right can agree with that when they look at his teachings squarely.

Quite the about-face, I see...

As for myself, my use of faith, morality, and reason shape how I vote and who I vote for. That's never changed, and most likely never will.