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Reconciling Faith and Politics
I’ve recently discovered a little conflict going on between my religious beliefs and political ideology. Obviously I’ll find a way to reconcile the two because both are core to who I am as a person, so I cannot withstand such a bipolar condition for long. The first problem is one of charity. As I commented in the PIT yesterday:
So I’m conflicted between religion and politics. My church has an outreach where once a month or so they go to Seattle and distribute needed items to the homeless. I’m sure the homeless love getting new socks, clean water, and especially some of the other things like pre-stamped envelopes and writing material, but I have trouble seeing helping people in their condition as being more appropriate than helping them out of their condition.
As a heartless conservative I find some works of charity to be more like casting one’s pearls before swine. It can seem like a waste of resources to do things we know won’t change outcomes one way or another. However, this is approaching the matter all too materially. As has been discovered by my fellow church members, the homeless they reach out to are much more moved by the things that confirm their humanity than by items which merely meet physical needs. Making that real connection is, in my estimation, vastly more valuable than the reasonably small cost of the items, and it is the best way to actually fulfill the goals of ministry.
So, just when I had wrapped my head and heart around that conundrum another came along. My mother posted an article titled “9 Sins the Church is Okay With.” I opened it expecting the normal cries against cultural degradation displayed mostly by our materialism and lust. I even thought I might see something about my hard-heartedness and disdain of charity. What I found shocked and enraged me, especially the 8th of the “sins” which I quote here:
PATRIOTISM
Cue the nasty e-mails. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t picture Jesus waving an American flag while showing off his “I love ‘Merica” tattoo. Jesus wasn’t against the government. In fact, if you’re a Jesus follower, the Bible calls you to pray for your nation and for your leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-4). But Jesus was very clear about how God’s name would become famous throughout the world…the church. Not the government. Not a nation. The church.
When your allegiance is torn between your country and your God, American ideals begin to shape your faith more than God. And you transpose American values onto God, believing God would be an American and think like an American.
Celebrate American values. That’s great. But, at the end of the day, your citizenship is not with America. It’s in heaven.
Patriotism is obviously not sinful and this author has apparently given his soul over to the DNC, right? Am I reading this wrong to see a perverse conception of patriotism? My allegiance is not torn between God and government. Jesus commanded us to have two separate allegiances. We are to render unto Caesar that which is appropriate and to render unto God what belongs to Him. They are only rarely competing entities fighting over the same part of me.
The blatant anti-Americanism of this item really set me off. But, therein lies the problem. Such a strong reaction only comes from a sense of righteousness, even if it’s self-righteousness. I have to do a little more searching within and open up the discussion. Can we, or do we, lift up our patriotism and our love of this nation — its institutions and ideologies — above where they belong? Is this a sin, and am I guilty of it? What say you, Ricochet?
Published in Politics, Religion & Philosophy
Funny thing being a Marine dad. They are all my sons. Every damn one of them.
and I (along with many others) thank every last one of them, from the bottom of my heart.
It’s always good to check one’s own heart and clear out the mess. That’s a sign of a healthy conscience and living faith.
I think, if you haven’t read it yet, a trip through “The Conservative Heart” by Arthur Brooks and “When Helping Hurts” (sorry, I’m not recalling the authors of this book) would help clarify some concrete steps and inspire fresh thinking.
Your instinct that a lot of “philanthropy” simply enables people to continue the destructive behavior that got them in a mess is spot on. Charity is and can be a great thing, but it has to be done with wisdom and accountability.
Regarding patriotism, I’ll lean back on Lincoln. He didn’t think of America as “God’s chosen nation”, but as God’s “almost chosen nation”. He meant the relationship (and healthy tension) between faith and the government; the 2 are supposed to interact but one is never supposed to dominate or supplant the other. He also talked about not presuming that “God is on our side, but that we are on His.” Humility and submission to the path He would have us take is a sure antitoxin to idolatry in any form.
And to those that protect us and sacrifice for our common liberty, thank you isn’t enough, but it is a start. No greater love….
We live in the only nation in the world that is founded on the biblical principle that every man is created equal, and deserving of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for that reason alone.
Without hesitation, I’ll say it loud and proud: being patriotic about the United States of America is what G-d intends and desires from all who seek to honor Him in this world.
The word used was catholic, not Catholicism the religion:
adjective
1.
broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or thelike; having sympathies with all; broad-minded;liberal.
2.
universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.
3.
pertaining to the whole Christian body or church.
Yes, that’s exactly the way in which I took it.
Above edited by me for me. I wish people would cease telling me what it is I expect, think, or believe. As a self-identifying conservative Christian, the stated notion could not be further from the truth.
I agree with Leigh that a basic affection for the country of your birth is as natural as affection for one’s family. I would expect it even of people who grew up in China or Cuba or other places devastated by pernicious governments. That is one part of patriotism. We benefit from another boost of patriotism because of our unique history, our constitution, our foundation and that appeal reaches beyond our borders and beckons people to come here. The fruits of our blessings have been diverted, distorted and corrupted though and are not understood by a great number of people.
From the article: “When your allegiance is torn between your country and your God, American ideals begin to shape your faith more than God.” I doubt many people are actually torn between their country and their God. I think they are more likely to attribute their own ideals to both. And in that way, they can be wrong in both their faith and their patriotism. They go wrong through applying eisegesis to the texts of scripture and also to the history of the nation, instead of exegesis which requires setting oneself aside. Truth is hard.
Part of my conversion involved the idea that children in utero are not guilty of anything meriting death, hence abortion as a right is wrong. It is not the only issue but life is the central issue. We don’t build roads for people who won’t be using them. We defend this country because her people are worthy of defense, from the newest child in his or her mother’s womb to the oldest person still living here. The military gets in harm’s way for the sake of the people of this country.
With regard to the objects of charity, it has nothing to do with their worthiness. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and forgave people whether they had made such a request or not. So, when we feed the hungry, or clothe the naked, or visit those who are sick or in prison, we are imitating Him, doing what He told us to do. We are supposed to imitate Him because we should want to be like Him.
Thomas More is quoted as saying, “I die the king’s faithful servant, but God’s first.” Might there come a time when I must pick a side? I already have. I am this country’s faithful servant, but God’s servant first. Here and now is really important, yet eternity much more so. Hence my vote, or praying in front of an abortuary, or visiting the sick are expressions of faith.
The USMC video makes me think of the time in 1972 when we (the Gospel group I played for) did a Sunday morning service at Camp Pendleton. That was the most responsive group we encountered that entire year; 2600 young fellows who chose to show up for church on Sunday morning.
Getting back to the question about charity: “As a heartless conservative I find some works of charity to be more like casting one’s pearls before swine. It can seem like a waste of resources to do things we know won’t change outcomes one way or another.”
It seems to me that the reason we are to show love and offer charity is not to improve the lot of the beneficiary, or to fix a problem- it is for us, to make us “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ”, and to serve- because we benefit from the act of giving without expecting a return, as a live emulation of Him in accordance with Romans 5:8. The One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills can figure out how to deal with the resource question. We always need to exercise good stewardship (don’t donate to Wounded Warriors), but beyond that the purpose of a gift is to help us, not the other guy.
LOL. Yes, I’m sure.
Our country was founded on Judaeo-Christian principles, which included those with no faith. Read the documents that confirm this. The great institutions in our country were founded on these original principles in spite of what they look like today – research the first hospital, the Red Cross, Harvard University. They go hand in hand with the Bible’s teachings, regardless of the politically correct opinion.
Also, when called to serve, don’t overthink it. Look at Mother Theresa – just do it. Jesus looks on the heart and doesn’t care about the rest. If someone who is so downtrodden for whatever reason, has a new pair of socks that you provided, that means everything – your heart is in the right place.
My sister and I have struggled with this too. You could be serving a vet that has PTSS and has never been able to recover, or someone rejected by family, or has a family history of mental illness. You are providing comfort. The Bible even says “sometimes we entertain angels unawares”. Heb. 13:2
I think you mean regardless.
Thanks – I fixed it –
I came across this story about a Muslim Zionist, a true patriot who loves Israel heart and soul and serves his country with his life. It seemed to me others might also enjoy it, since it deals with the issues raised in the OP of reconciling faith and politics.
Interesting story. A muslim Arab living in Israel doesn’t need to be afraid of Israeli Jews or Christian Arabs – instead he is afraid of his fellow muslim Arabs.
Duane Oyen: #40 “We always need to exercise good stewardship (don’t donate to Wounded Warriors), but beyond that the purpose of a gift is to help us, not the other guy.”
I haven’t gotten to the third page so if an answer has been given on the Wounded Warrior Project, I’d be interested in why one would not donate to this charity. (Answered by King Prawn)
“[T]he purpose of a gift is to help us, not the other guy.”
You might want to rethink that. Jesus did not come to save Himself. Helping someone else doesn’t preclude helping one’s self but charity is normatively seen as outgoing because it attempts to fill another’s needs for a real good, such as food or shelter.
Short answer is that they got so good at raising money that it became their focus instead of giving it away.
Thank you. I was not aware of that. dt
Dropping the A in “I love ‘Merica” comes across as a lefty dog whistle. They usually change the e to a u, also.
He’s effectively saying that patriotism is idolatry. He may not understand that, though. It can be idolatry, but it doesn’t have to be.
Sone of the other items come across strange, too.
Consumerism – a word the Marxists would love. I think he’s trying to argue against discontent here, or maybe greed.
Flattery – he has this confused. He’s talking about vanity, the desire for praise from others.
Comfort – this one is just wierd.
I suspect he’s not quite trained for teaching in the church. He’s not totally wrong on most of them, but he has a really strange way of making his points.
I think for “comfort” he means “complacency” which relates to “apathy”.