Christians in Politics

[Gavwalk]

What do you think? is this ok? should their be a seperate Church and State or entwined?

 

[Waterhouse]

I think it's okay to 'be' a christian and have christian principles while in office. But the 'church' running the state is entirely different.

 

[Neenie1]

Yeah I agree with Waterhouse.

 

[tgg]

I think church and state should definitely be separated.

As for Christians in politics, I wouldn't mind someone like Peter Garrett, Bessie Bardot (she grew up an AOG girl), Dave Hutchinson, or Bill Martin as PM. The only thing is the latter two are based in America so I wouldn't be able to vote for them.

 

[Gavwalk]

Besse Bardot? lol yeah i used to go to Church with her, hardly a christian any more nor a worthwhile PM. funny though

 

[Tenebrae]

I think it's okay to 'be' a christian and have christian principles while in office. But the 'church' running the state is entirely different.

What he said

 

[pastordavidd]

I think Church members should be involved in politics and Churches should talk about politics. If Churches aren't involved in decision making for our Country and States, most morals will be out the window (even more than now). Take the Religious Vilification laws in Victoria for instance. Definately a law to protect other religions like Muslims and put in place aiming against Christian's. All Churches should be at least encouraging members to get involved and to influence decisions made by the Government.

 

[xygtfalcon]

I agree with ^

 

[ebia]

Of course Christians have to be involved in politics. To not would be to avoid our responsibility to the world.

 

[tgg]

Besse Bardot? lol yeah i used to go to Church with her, hardly a christian any more nor a worthwhile PM. funny though

She's a lot better looking than John Howard, and has more charisma and spunk than Natasha Stott-Despoja.

As for her not being a Christian anymore, I can see why seeing as she went to a church with the most repressive and oppressive principles I've ever come across (I used to be an AOG guy myself, so I know what I'm talking about).

 

[John Spong is wrong]

I think Church members should be involved in politics and Churches should talk about politics. If Churches aren't involved in decision making for our Country and States, most morals will be out the window (even more than now). Take the Religious Vilification laws in Victoria for instance. Definately a law to protect other religions like Muslims and put in place aiming against Christian's. All Churches should be at least encouraging members to get involved and to influence decisions made by the Government.

Amen brother!!

 

[erin74]

Every politician has a belief system. Whether it's an organised religion or not, they believe something, and base their thinking upon it. So christians should be involved in politics, just like everyone else. And they should make their decisions based on that belief, and should not attract criticism for doing so. And as pastordavidd said christians should also be involved in influencing Govt decisions - everyone else is, and nobody but christians are encouraged to feel ashamed about their involvement. Some very influential groups have had huge involvement in govt decisions.

But the church should also be separate from the state - that is a completely different issue entirely.

 

[Harlan Norris]

What do you think? is this ok? should their be a seperate Church and State or entwined?

Politics and the church should never become entwined.Politics are evil incarnate.The church is for salvation.

 

[ScMay]

If Churches aren't involved in decision making for our Country and States, most morals will be out the window (even more than now).

So you're basically calling me completely immoral since the church doesn't have any involvement in my decision making? If I became a politician would I be able to make moral decisions or not?

 

[googled]

I think Church members should be involved in politics and Churches should talk about politics. If Churches aren't involved in decision making for our Country and States, most morals will be out the window (even more than now). Take the Religious Vilification laws in Victoria for instance. Definately a law to protect other religions like Muslims and put in place aiming against Christian's. All Churches should be at least encouraging members to get involved and to influence decisions made by the Government.

Wanna know what happens when you mix church and state?

Go to an islamic country, eg, Iran. The minute you say you're a Christian you'd be executed.

Politics should represent people, not organisations.


The current howard government represents PBL, Hillsong and various other organisations, at the expense of citizens that disagree with Hillsongs emerge, that hate gambling...etc


Politics needs to reflect back to the people and not the corporations.

 

[pastordavidd]

Googled- as I said, Christians should be influencing moral descisions. Last time I looked, killing someone wasn't classes as moral.

ScMay- Church shouldn't influence your desicion but God should....

 

[ebia]

Politics should represent people, not organisations.

In theory yes. But the practicalities of representing twenty million individuals mean that their voices have to be heard at least partly through the organisations that represent them.

 

[ScMay]

ScMay- Church shouldn't influence your desicion but God should....

I fail to see the difference in practice. Inevitably many Christians seem to see god influencing them through their church (isn't that what the church is supposed to be? A sort of conduit to better communicate with your god or something?), why else is so common that church opinion = church goers opinion. Besides you did say "if Churches aren't involved in decision making", do you now claim that only god should be involved without the church (if so how?) and that still leaves the question atheists. Can only the Christians be moral politicians because atheists aren't influenced by god/church/whatever? If that's a true reflection of your opinion then you are saying ONLY Christians should be in politics, I hope this is not the case and await your clarification.

As to the OP Christians can and should be in politics however they should not make decisions based primarily on religious beliefs. For example murder is illegal for reasons beyond 'the bible says so' however gay marriage is illegal BECAUSE 'the bible says so' and no other reason, the latter is the problem I see when church and state intertwine. Also I ask you this, which church? Also what about other religions and atheism, how would they interact with government as a democracy with an 'entwined' government? Right no it seems that Australian politics is fairly laden with Christians wanting to force those beliefs on others (decisions on abortion, stem cells, priests as counsellors, etc.). That both Howard and Rudd have been advocating 'Christian' values, the rise of family first and the attempts by Abbot to force his religious opinions as law seems to show that politics IS becoming entwined with government fairly well (at a superficial level at least, we aren't anywhere near theocracy... yet)

 

[Tenebrae]

I think Church members should be involved in politics and Churches should talk about politics. If Churches aren't involved in decision making for our Country and States, most morals will be out the window (even more than now). Take the Religious Vilification laws in Victoria for instance. Definately a law to protect other religions like Muslims and put in place aiming against Christian's. All Churches should be at least encouraging members to get involved and to influence decisions made by the Government.

Christians dont have a monopoloy on morals

 

[John Spong is wrong]

The single greatest cause of atheisim in the world today, is christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle . . .

And the second greatest cause is evolution! So to counter this, check out www.CreationOnTheWeb.com