The Pulpit and the Podium: Part 4

Part 4 of our “Pulpit and the Podium” series looks at what the goal Christian public policy efforts should be. Begin with Part 1, at Part 2 or Part 3 or continue reading…

What is the goal?

The goal of Christian advocacy in public policy is to protect and promote a society which accommodates the Christian life and practice using the tools, language, and methods of a liberal democracy so that Christianity can have a free, effective, and respected voice in that liberal democracy.

To protect means to defend the government that provides the most fertile ground for the Church and to fight for the values such as religious freedom and individual liberty that allow the ministry of the church to continue without persecution. The protection then is not only of the social values that benefit the Church but also of the government and nation itself when it comes under attack; whether the attack comes from outside forces or inside factions. When a society accommodating to Christian life and practice is threatened or striving to exist then Christians can be supportive of the effort to defend it.

To promote means that a part of respecting the government that has been put over the Church in America is to become democracy’s greatest citizens – championing the cause of the poor and the oppressed as well as the spiritual freedom of American private life. If this American experiment is truly one that has fostered and empowered the global ministry of the Church, then Christians should support its ideals as a form of government. Many will agree that democracy is not only the most conducive to religious freedom but is also the form of government most reflective of biblical principles.

To use the tools, language, and methods of a liberal democracy is to work with the system of government we find ourselves under rather than against it. History has shown that vastly more good can come through proper use of the democratic process and has been equally hard those who would try to take over the government and enforce Christian standards. This includes top-down affect by Christian public officials being responsible in their roles as well as bottom-up affect through grass roots movements, peaceable assembly, and protest.

To have a free voice in America means simply enjoying and making use of the religious freedom that is so integral to the American way of life. When that freedom is threatened Christians in a democracy need not sit idly by but can respond as citizens to maintain religious freedom. The gift of religious freedom is one that Christians must never take for granted or jeopardize by trying to take it away from others. Even if all other political involvement fails and all other goals are left unaccomplished this single gift to the Church in America must be preserved.

To have an effective voice comes by way of working with the system on a public policy level through mastery of democratic method in faithful response to a call to political engagement. Christians called to the public square have a duty to answer that call to the fullest of their abilities. Political bumbling has often compromised not just social policy but the very ministry of the Church itself. This effectiveness includes an astute understanding and acknowledgment of the separate spheres of Church and government; exemplifying what is possible in a liberal democracy.

To have a respected voice comes by way of individual Christians honoring the standards to which they have been called and the Church becoming the community that it is intended to be. Then, and only then, can the Christian approach the podium and be seen as the example of virtue and justice able to employ the full power of the democratic process in the protection of the poor and oppressed because their position will be heard and respected. The real power and respect behind the Christian position must come from its example in the Christian community.

In a social context, in order to achieve the goals of the great commission the Church certainly desires a peaceable existence with the surrounding culture. However, this does not imply the church is to become a part of the social or political establishment, rather a peaceable environment is judged to be conducive to the spreading of the gospel. The full energy of the Christian’s regenerate soul may desire to cry out to the masses in an appeal for their salvation through Christ as they approach the podium of political debate. However, it must be maintained that the common good is to protect a society most fertile to Christian ministry, thus the gospel need not be given attention in public policy debate because doing so only makes society more caustic to Christian life and values. If a Christian is unable to keep the gospel out of public policy debate then that Christian is either called to a ministry outside of politics or does not understand the Christian’s political place in a democracy. It is difficult to assert that there is a place where the gospel need not be welcomed, yet no one ever gained salvation because someone else legally bound him or her to a Christian standard. Christians must do all that they can not to invite upon themselves such a day when Christianity will be scorned and persecuted at the political level in America.

In a political context, a first and foremost goal must be to protect the Christian’s place at the table of political debate. Even though politics are not the Christian’s primary responsibility, liberal democracy provides opportunities to effect change for the betterment of society that Christians simply must not waste. In order to make use of the good that can come through the democratic process, Christians need to maintain an active voice as an important part of the American population and not merely as a religiously biased special interest group; this is why it is so important to be able to differentiate between faith and politics. When speaking for public policy the Christian’s faith has nothing to do with the issues at hand because it is not the Christian faith that is being advocated, but a shared ethic that the whole of American society can abide by. If Christians continue to portray themselves a fanatics seeking to legally impose their faith they are destined to be pushed into the outer room of political discussion, no longer able to be of any consequence in the American political landscape. Instead, Christians must reach out to the people, educate them on what Christians are really fighting for, and awaken them to the alternatives.

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[1] See Romans 12,13

[2] A prime example of this is when individuals such as Mother Teresa speak out against abortion. When she spoke the world listened. Not because she is an expert in prenatal science, a bioethicist, or even a philosopher. The world listened because her life and practice left such a testimony that people could not help but take notice and respect her position.

[3] See 1 Timothy 2:1-2

[4] See 1 Timothy 2:3-4