Christianity and Politics: Does Being a Christian Mean You are a Republican?

I was born in Eastern Kentucky, a bastion of Democratic politics. My family moved from Kentucky, to Indiana, when I turned ten years of age, but my parents remained staunch Democrats. It was drummed into my head, from the time I could understand, that Democrats "were for the working man" and the Republicans cost jobs and started wars. When I came of voting age I naturally voted straight Democrat. I didn't even know who I was voting for. I just pulled the lever on the voting machine.

The first time I voted saw Jimmy Carter elected president of the United States. I can remember my best friend and me talking as we headed to the precinct to vote. He said, "We have to vote for 'Ole Carter' because he's for the little man." It marked the first time I began to really look at what was going on in the world around me.

It was 1976 and I had just turned twenty-one years old. We had just gone through the Nixon years. America's official involvement with the Viet Nam conflict had just ended in the previous year. I had a cousin who died in Viet Nam and knew of several others. With Richard Nixon's disgraceful exit from the presidency due to the Watergate mess, naturally a good Southern Democrat would vote for "Ole Carter." After the election I watched world events, somewhat, and paid a little attention to politics. But I became immersed in the music scene in the latter part of the 70's and lost interest. But that all changed in 1979. I met my wife and we were married.

Now that I had a responsibility to a family I began to notice things more than I did before. All of a sudden the responsibilities of a home and family focused my attention on economics and the politics of the world around me. It was the time we experienced the manufactured gas shortage (much like it happened in 2006), the near collapse of the Big Three auto manufacturers (effects still felt today), and a recession that was hurting everyone. President Carter proved to me to be a man who did not have a grasp on what it took to be the leader of the United States. The Tehran hostage crisis dragged on and Carter presided over a bungled attempt at rescue that resulted in eight US servicemen losing their lives. I became disillusioned with Jimmy Carter and was beginning to feel the same about the Democrats as a political entity.

In 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected to his first term in the White House and I missed voting. I had moved and failed to register. But I helped Reagan become re-elected to his second term in 1984. In 1987 things changed even more as I experienced a seminal event in my life. I became born again.

Being a Christian, it seemed, meant being a Republican. The Republican party was, and still is to some degree, presented as a wing of Christianity. So the trend switched to voting straight Republican, as opposed to my beginning in the electorate of voting straight democratic. After all, Republicans oppose abortion rights, are for the family, jobs, and low taxes. That sounds like a winner to a Christian. So I was a "died in the wool" Christian Republican. But as the wheels of time keep turning I've come to believe that we, as the professing body of Messiah, have been sold a huge bill of goods.

I heard all the campaign promises and I began to notice what happened after the election. The so-called "Christian Right" mobilized during the campaign and at election time, and helped to elect Republicans to office every where they could, all the while thinking they are doing this to help the LORD. The promises made by the politicians, however, became null and void, conveniently forgotten, after the polls close. After having seen this for awhile, pessimism and cynicism creep in and leaves one disillusioned and disappointed. But I kept voting Republican because I felt the Republican candidate was always the "better of two evils." At least the Republican was not for abortion and wanted to reduce taxes. That spoke to my pocket book and my commitment to God's Word.

When Bill Clinton came along, defeating him seemed to be the goal more than electing a good president to lead the country. It was a Herculean effort, whose charge was led by talk show host and political commentator, Rush Limbaugh. But it was an effort that failed. After eight years of Reagan and then George Bush failing miserably at filling Reagan's shoes, the country was ready to swing back to Democrats for a change. After all, Bush 41 had us in a war while in office.

I was sickened when Clinton was elected. I believe the country turned a corner when that happened. All hell seemed to literally break loose. It was never more perfectly clear than when the homosexuals descended upon Washington with a despicable display of carnality and lust during the inaugural parade. I was sickened and angry the whole time Clinton was in office. I couldn't wait for his term to be over. And finally it happened.

George Bush ran for office as "one of us!" He professed to be a born again follower of Messiah. I just had to vote for him. I remember when the vote counting fiasco hit Florida and the frustrating mess of Al Gore trying to grasp at anything to win and George Bush appearing to be the winner, but not being declared a winner. While the votes were being sorted out and recounted I noticed the language being used in connection with G.W. by the many in the professing church. But, in my heart, I was not really convinced he was, or is, "one of us."

I manage three Calvary Chapel Radio stations, and am an elder in a local part of the church that was in fellowship with Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California. CC Costa Mesa is led by the founder of the Calvary movement, Chuck Smith. When listening to their live call during the tense national drama of the presidential election being decided by the Supreme Court, Chuck Smith likened George W. Bush to Josiah of 2^nd Kings. I felt a little strange when he said that. I questioning whether GW was truly born again. I wanted to believe it, but was having trouble convincing myself it was so. It was this kind of anointing that was bestowed upon Bush by many influential leaders in evangelical Christianity. He became the savior to Christians who are so focused on the temporary, fleeting things of the world and have very little regard for the eternal nature of our existence. I began to really watched George W. Bush to see what kind of man he really is.

As I said, at first, I wanted him to be a man of God. I heard all the big radio and TV pastors heavily promoting "our president." But as I really began to grow in Messiah, through the revelation of His Word to me, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, I became disillusioned with the Republicans; to the point that I did not vote for anyone in the last Presidential election in which Bush beat John Kerry in a bitter, hard fought campaign. I know longer attempted to judge anyone or anything on the basis of the "better of two evils." The Lord has shown me that evil is evil, and that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. According to Scripture, speaking of people, "you will know them by their fruit." I began inspecting the fruit of George W. Bush and the Republicans as a whole. I saw corruption, just as bad as the Democrats. I saw the same attitude of public office as a career, instead of a citizen serving his or her country. I looked at both parties and saw a bunch of people willing to sell the country and it's citizens down the river for their own political survival.

When you have a president, who claims to follow the one true God, and has no problem saying that the God of the Bible is the same god as Allah, we're in a "heap uh trouble." I saw time and time again how GW didn't seem to grasp the Bible and his lifestyle proved it. So now I don't vote at all. I may in the future, I don't know.

But I do know this:

God is the one in whom I put my trust. He is the only One who knows what's up next and the only One who can provide all that I need for life and godliness. Man, whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, has let me down. I've learned that the one King is bigger, more compassionate, and dependable, and is superior to the president; any premier, prime minister or head of a huge church movement nationwide. He is the One who invited me to a personal relationship with Him and a seat with Him at the banquet He has promised.

The more I live for Him, according to His Word, the less likely I am to vote. I've been guilty of laying my hands on men running for office in the past and I'm very cautious about doing it now.

The congressional election just passed and the Democrats won big. I admit my old Republican juices got to flowing several times, but the Lord kept reminding me I was not either of them. I may never be a part of electing a president ever again; only time will tell.

GW seems to backing away from Israel and promoting the option of dividing the land of the Israelis with the so-called "Palestinians." I hate to break it to "W" and the gang, but there never were Palestinian people with a Palestinian state. The so-called Palestinians all belong to other nations around them and those nations will not take care of their own. In fact they are using them in their stated goal to wipe the state of Israel off the map. The land is Israel's. G.W. and his new Iraq Advisory Committee are considering talks with Iran and Syria without Israel being invited to the party - even though Israel is the topic of the conversation. Who is being attacked by terrorists? Israel! Wake up, America, to what the LORD says about the blessing upon those who bless Israel and the curse upon those who curse Israel!

Furthermore, Bush has, not only allowed, but participated in Muslim practices in the White House. He endorses the lie that Islam is a peaceful religion, simply been hijacked by a militant few - this in spite of history that teaches us otherwise. Mr. Bush seems to be more and more out of step with the Word of God and that makes him out of step with me. I just wonder when all the Bush fever will run out of the professing church. But I am not hopeful. When you embrace a lie in the face of God - in the face of His Word (the Word is who He is) - you won't see the truth of His Word. In other words, by choosing to believe the lies being foisted upon us by the Dobson's, Paul Crouch, and the D. James Kennedy crew, we are not allowing room for the Holy Spirit to write God's Law on our hearts, put it in our minds, and cause us to walk in them. And furthermore, without coming out of the pagan practices that permeate the professing church, simply because His Word tells us to, we will be unable to understand the Truth of His Scripture.

I did not vote for Bush last time and I did not vote in the recent elections for congress and the Senate. I didn't because I felt like a hypocrite either direction I went. But I think that, maybe, I am finished with voting once and for all. Now don't hold me to this. I might change my mind? But one thing I won't change my mind on is this, "I will no longer pull the lever simply because I'm choosing between the better of two evils.

Where does this all leave me? I am pressing on in Messiah, observing Torah by faith in Him as God the Spirit writes God's Law on my heart, puts it in my mind, and causes me to walk in His commandments. I'm not popular with many on a regular basis, but that's just fine. I'm in some pretty notable company in that regard.

Those who confess, at every opportunity, that they belong to Messiah; praise the Lord. But we all need to live in such a way that our very testimonies will present the gospel and that by hearing the Word of God faith will build up in each of us, our children, and the other students in the area. That is confessing Him and being a living testimony to His goodness and righteousness.

I have been set free from a bondage to sin - lawlessness, and I'm now I'm free to worship, serve, and obey my Creator and the Words of HIS Father, who is now my heavenly Father. The Commandments of God are in fact Jesus' Commands as well, as they each are God. The True God will never leave or forsake me; quite unlike the man made institutions that I was promoting by voting in elections. I'm not saying that voting is, in and of itself, a bad thing. I'm saying that professing believers and followers of the Messiah, Yeshua, should not be viewing the candidates in a different light than He would. God looks at the heart and sees it clearly. We can look at the external and judge righteous judgment according to His Word. But it seems the professing church is missing the part about being called to judge. Politicians and Pastors have become superstars and they exercise influence over the gullible, even in the church. The fact of the matter is; they draw people to themselves, but the Word of God draws people to Himself. The body of Christ would do well not to judge political candidates relative to one another, but judge them according to whether their positions and the fruit of their lives stack up to what God calls good and right. We must remember that when we try to choose the better of two evils, either choice is still evil.