The Cross We Bear

The Christian case for Progressive Government

Growing up in the Church can leave many scarred and traumatized by the enactment of the Word of God. It can also cause deep conflicts within our own faith, and how that faith intersects with other parts of our lives. As the progressive, openly bisexual son of a pastor, I understand that conflict in a very real and meaningful way. As I write this, my more progressive readers and those within the LGBTQ community will find some things in here that may bring some of those feelings and traumas back to the surface. It is out of respect for those people that I am putting this paragraph first. If you have traumas in the church or from people claiming to be Christian, you are not alone, and there are millions of us who stand with you.

Throughout this writing, I will be backing up the things I am saying in both political philosophy, the Founding documents, quotes from the Founders, and scripture. With that said, I’d like those who have the ability and desire to follow along to open their Bibles to the Gospel of John13, verses 13–17. Read it in whichever translation gives you peace.

You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Now that we have the words of Christ himself, let’s move to 1 John 2:6.

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

If that’s not enough, let’s also go to Ephesians 4:22–24.

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

As I was taught verses like these, as I was educated on their meanings through avenues like Bible Camp, Vacation Bible School, Sunday School, personal reflection, Sunday sermons, and talks with multiple mentors, the same things kept being said. I was told things like “the best way we have to share our faith is to live our faith in joy,” and “if we live like Christ, others will want to walk with us.” It was a strong message, one that said to be kind to others, to live in service to others, and others would also want to live in service. Unfortunately, that message seems to have been lost on many others. The result has been a loss of faith in, well, faith. I’m no different. After seeing almost every church I’d ever attended split after acrimonious political fights, both traditional politics and church politics, I swore off of the church. I told myself I would never go back and I lost faith in any god that could possibly exist as worthy of praise. It’s incredibly hard to reconcile the misdeeds of religious men and women, marinated in the power and influence that comes with being in church leadership, with the teachings of love and honor from a God who is supposed to guide and lead these people. I am only just now beginning to explore a return to that faith.

The point is, as my parents are quick to point out, people often mess things up. And it’s true, but the larger message surrounding that point is that faith is an individual thing, between God and one’s self. Faith itself is an act of hope, defiant in the face of a religion that often sows doubts in the faith it is built upon. There is no better example of this than the Black Americans who, when their “Christian” masters held them in fetters and denied them the full rights of their Creator, turned to their own faiths for hope and inspiration. They built churches for themselves, and worshipped in their own way. Out of the great anguish and pain and cruelty enacted by those who called themselves Christian, these enslaved people found faith in a God that promised to one day deliver them to freedom. For too many, that day was far too late. For many, many more, they are still waiting for it to come. But faith is a choice, a safe harbor on a stormy sea, and that faith continues to this day.

But this is not the only time that faith and government intersect with each other. In reality, faith and government are intertwined, a sort of sibling bond that can never be split without bloodshed. Faith informs our values, and we put faith in others to live in those values within our government. Our government was founded on these ideas, that our values are represented in government by people elected by a majority that holds similar values. We see this in the Founding documents, like the Declaration of Independence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain, inalienable rights, that among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

Our government was built around this philosophy. That our rights come from our Creator, God, and those rights are inalienable. The right to Life, to be alive without the fear of death. The right to Liberty, to live well and without obstruction from others. The pursuit of Happiness, to live freely and in search of what makes us happy and fulfilled. Our government is supposed to protect these things, but as stated in the text, these are not the only inalienable rights. An inalienable right is anything we, as a country and People, agree is necessary to fulfill the purpose of ensuring these three things. That can mean access to food, access to shelter, clothing, an education, and anything that one needs to be able to press on in their pursuit of joy. This is reflected in scripture as a Godly pursuit.

Open your Bibles again to 1 Peter 1:8–9.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

And now to Romans 15:13.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly, to John 16: 20–24

Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

The pursuit of happiness, of joy, is a pursuit that is laid before us in scripture time and time again. Where we find joy, we will find God, because He is the God of hope and the God of joy and the God of love. If we, individually live our lives in search and pursuit of that joy and fulfillment, we live within the pursuit of God. It is the duty, the responsibility, of our government to protect the right to that pursuit.

This much is clear, even just from a general reading of the Founders’ words.

The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.

-James Madison

Indeed, the purpose of the separation of church and state was to prevent Congress from declaring a national religion, which would alienate and ostracize those who do not hold to the faith declared by the state. It was crafted to prevent religious conflict, as reflected in the above quote from James Madison.

And yet, today, we struggle with a sort of religious conflict. The devout in the Christian faith demanding more and more stringent regulations to further their own dogmatic form of religious politics, while opposing the advancement of the values they claim to uphold. By using the power of government to uphold their own personal adherence, the Christian voter has turned the government away from the potential for existing within Christian values and instead turned it into the national Pharisee which enforces their worldly interpretation of the Word of God. Perhaps even more unfortunate in the misguided aim to build a Christian nation through government enforcement is the election of those who simply talk about God in crude, limiting terms. By electing men who prostrate themselves, but act in a way that is counter to the teachings of Christ, the faith is irreparably damaged to those who could otherwise be convinced.

Turn again to scripture, to Matthew 24:24.

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Once more to Romans 16:17.

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

And though it may seem a touch on the nose, 2 Peter 2:1–3

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For Christians, and Christians who vote, their faith is laudable. They have trusted those who claim to study the scriptures, and those who speak to them in the Word, and this shows a deep belief in God. But they have been misled.

2 Thessalonians 3:6.

Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

It is the actions and movements of the Spirit that should guide our politics, not the words of snake-tongued men seeking higher power through our trust of the Word of God. It is not the promise to enforce the will of God from the halls of power that makes a person worthy of our election, it is the actions that reflect a deep love for those around them, as a selfless and righteous fight to see the rights given to each of us defended and upheld by a government that respects individual faith.

Ephesians 2:10.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Romans 14:1–23.

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

Matthew 28 tells us to go, and make disciples of all nations. But Romans tells us that we must tolerate and welcome those who believe differently. This may seem conflicting, but they go hand in hand. There is no way to bring someone to faith other than to walk with them and welcome them individually. Faith cannot be enforced by a government without instilling a bitterness that does not subside. Faith, as I stated before, is a choice made after seeing the hope that faith provides. Faith must be an individual work, an individual decision. Those who profess a faith that can be disseminated by the will of a government, or through the restrictive actions of a government, do not know faith. As cathartic as it may be to enforce a Christian vision through the power of government, it is counter-effective to the aims of those seeking to spread the Word of God.

The final section should begin where Christianity and progressive politics begin.

Mark 12:31.

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

James 2:26

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

We don’t need to declare Christianity as the religion of the state to vote for the world to see a Christian nation. Christians have an obligation to the faith to vote in a way that is reflective of all of their values. There are no single-issue voters in Christ. There cannot be, just as God is not a single-issue God. God is all-encompassing, all-knowing, and all-powerful. The values of a Christian voter should reflect that. They should be Christ-like in their execution. With compassion, love, equality, and an earnest effort for peace, and fighting for a nation that seeks forgiveness in place of retribution, a nation that seeks to be the shining city on a hill using the blessings and endowments of a Creator that has blessed this endeavor.

Politically speaking, this is to say that voting only on preventing abortion or gay and trans rights is nothing more than a self-justification for Christians who believe that government should be separate from their faith only in the ways that are convenient for them. To say that God‘s will is enough to save an unborn child, while denying healthcare to sick children that could be provided but is not being provided out of some sort of moral and philosophical gymnastics is to deny your purpose in Christ. To state that all men are equal in the eyes of God, while acting as though there are exceptions in the case of criminals, the poor, or the disenfranchised out of the belief that these elements will “always exist,” is misinterpreting scripture (Matthew 26:11) to justify less work for ourselves. When Christ says “the poor will always be with you,” that isn’t absolution for not solving the problem, it is an open argument for progressivism. It’s a call to action. Where there will always be poor, there will always be work to be done for us. If we do not work to the best of our ability to fund, organize, and execute plans to do that work, we act in opposition to the will of God. Where we have been given the ability to help, we have an obligation and a calling to help.

Our government should reflect that.

We have the ability to provide healthcare to millions in a way that makes their lives better, safer, freer, and more able to pursue joy. We have an obligation to fight for that. We have the ability to allow everyone to have a free and equal voice, free from violence inflicted by their government. We have an obligation to enact that. We have the ability to make life better for students seeking that joy in their calling, and we have an obligation to uphold that for them. We have an obligation to protect communities of the poor from exploitation and disease. We have an obligation to protect the disabled and allow them to live life in a way that they can pursue their joy and freedom. We have an obligation to our faith to instill hope wherever we can, by any means available. If one wanted to build a nation of Christians, let our government be full of men and women who reflect that desire. By a diverse coalition of people working to make life better in this country for everyone, to better serve those people by defending their rights and upholding them using the ability given to our society by the same Creator which endowed all of us with the rights being defended by these actions.

If our goal is a Christian nation, reflecting Christian values, then we must build a Christ-like government. A government that defends those who need to be defended, upholding their rights, and is the solid rock that anyone can lean on when they need help getting to their feet. We must build a nation of individuals with faith, represented by those who reflect our empathy and use our resources for that end.

John 13:35.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Mark 12:31

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

Ephesians 2:8–9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We can build a government, a nation, reflecting these Christian values. It will benefit all, even those who do not share that faith. It will bring more into the fold, and open questions of curiosity out of the empathy we have shown. People will flock to our country, and out of love we will accept them, and ask only that they act with empathy and kindness. But this only happens if we can shed the modern understanding of how our government works and how Christianity should be reflected within that government. We must begin to think and act with more empathy, more compassion. Patriotic love for country cannot also be a disdain for those who do not have the resources to pursue their calling in making this nation great, in seeking joy for themselves. Patriots love Americans, and wants Americans to be as successful as America herself.

There is a righteous calling in that end. It is the cross that our nation can, and should, bear.