Christians in Politics; Part Three Theologies, Policies, and Ideologies

Have you ever heard someone say: “You cannot legislate morality”? People say this because they don’t believe the government should pass laws or embrace policies that force religion upon others. While I agree with that sentiment, it is untrue that laws don’t legislate morality. That is exactly what laws do. Laws teach a population what is right and wrong, what is moral and immoral, and what behaviors should be accepted or rejected.

 

The same truth applies to government policies. Behind policies there is always an “ideology”. Here is a basic definition of ideology that I found: “a structured, comprehensive set of beliefs, values, and ideas that shapes how individuals or groups perceive, interpret, and act upon the world”. What many people don’t realize is that behind every ideology there is some type of “theology”. There is no way around it.

 

Important questions like: “who is God”, “what does he expect of us”, “how did the world come to be”, and “what is the purpose of human beings” are foundational to any type of political ideology. All humans will grapple with these questions. How a person answers them will not only affect how they choose to live their personal lives, it will also directly affect their ideological views of government.

 

As Christians, we answer ideological questions through the lens of scripture. We believe there is one God as stated in the Bible. We believe He created the world and all life out of nothing. We believe our purpose as humans is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. We believe God expects us to live on mission and to carry out His will upon the earth.

 

We take these beliefs with us everywhere; every church house, courthouse, statehouse, and whitehouse. There is no square inch of the earth our beliefs are out of place; the workplace, marketplace, and in every place we take our theology and ideology with us.

 

Not everyone shares our beliefs. Some would shape our local government through policies based upon ideologies that are not just un-Christian, but un-American. Below are some of these ideologies:

        Secularism – keep religion out of government
          Naturalism – the universe exists through natural causes not supernatural causes
          Pluralism – all religious beliefs are equally as valid
          Marxism – Pursuit of a “classless” society in order to bring equity for all people

        Socialism – fix wealth inequality through government control and distribution of goods

        Transgenderism – embracing a gender identity other than the one assigned at birth
          LGBTQ inclusivism – Forcing LGBTQ acceptance in all levels of society
          DEI initiatives – forcing diversity through government coercion

 

I know the definitions above are oversimplified. The purpose of this column is not a to provide a comprehensive definition of each of these, but simply an effort to point out that each of these ideologies is based upon a falsehood about God, the purpose of humans, and the role of government.  

 

As Christian conservatives, we reject government laws and policies that embrace the above ideologies because they violate our conscience as Christians. These views are not only political ideologies, they are faith-based issues directly related to our theology (e.g. our beliefs about God, the world, and the purpose of humans).

 

We believe God is ruler of all and is involved in all human affairs, even government (Dan 4:35, Acts 17:26, Job 12:23). We believe the world was made by God, out of nothing, and through supernatural causes (Gen 1, Heb 11:3, Col 1:16). We believe there is only one way to be saved, through Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6, Acts 4:12). We don’t believe the government can fix every social problem related to class, wealth, and race; these problems are fixed through the power of the Gospel, not the power of government (Rom 1:16, 1 Cor 1:18). We believe God made us male and female and that traditional marriage is His will for the family (Gen 1:27, MT 19:4-5). We believe that life begins at conception (Psalm 139, Jer 1:5).

 

Not everyone who seeks to be elected to local office will perfectly agree with the beliefs of conservative Christians. However, we should seek to vote for people in local elections that align with us as much as possible. Political ideology matters, it matters a lot, even in local elections.

 

Sometimes people who run for office in local elections will say things like “these issues are unrelated to local politics.” That is simply not true. A person' s underlying political ideology will always affect the way they govern no matter if the position they seek is national, state or local.

 

I have also heard statements like “keep politics out of local elections”. That is not possible; you cannot keep politics out of politics! People who say these things have something to hide; they don’t want to answer questions that will reveal their true beliefs because they know it will hurt them at the ballot box. There should be complete transparency about a person’s political ideology anytime they seek a position at any level of government. A person’s ideological beliefs will affect every decision they make.

 

Therefore, political ideology is as important in local elections as it is in state and national elections. So, before you vote for a candidate, make sure you know what you are voting for. What they believe matters!

About the Author  

About Scott Parkison
 Scott Parkison is the Senior Pastor of Stevens Street Baptist Church. He writes on faith, culture, and public life, offering a Biblical perspective on issues impacting the community and the nation.

This column is part of Highlands Insider’s “Faith in Action” series, where local pastors and community leaders share perspectives on faith, culture, and public life.

 

Part 1
Part 2