Religion in politics

[Jazzy]

Do you believe that religious beliefs should play a role in politics? Why or why not?

 

[Lamb]

They're going to play a role in how we vote as Christians. If someone who was a known satanist was running, I don't see how any good Christian could vote for him/her to rule over us.

 

[tango]

Do you believe that religious beliefs should play a role in politics? Why or why not?

If you're talking about who we vote for then it's inevitable that our vision of what is best for the country will be affected by our religious beliefs.

If you're talking about whether politicians with religious convictions should have those play a role, it's equally inevitable that they will seek to govern in a way that is compatible with their beliefs. One would hope they wouldn't seek to impose their beliefs through the force of law but at the end of the day if people don't like the way someone governs they can vote for the other guy.

 

[Josiah]

Sometimes Christians are accused of being hypocrites. Well, if we vote in ways not in keeping with our values and beliefs, then the accusation is justified. The same for politicians.




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[Albion]

Do you believe that religious beliefs should play a role in politics? Why or why not?

Yes. I tend to agree with the following:

Lamb:

They're going to play a role in how we vote as Christians. If someone who was a known satanist was running, I don't see how any good Christian could vote for him/her to rule over us.

I mean, it's shortsighted to feel that we can vote only for someone who adheres to every last item of our own religious faith; but on the other hand, Christians ought not to support someone who is clearly set upon using an elective office to minimize or deny our moral standards and when freedom of worship, the rule of law, and individual rights, etc. are at stake.

 

[Josiah]

If someone who was a known satanist was running, I don't see how any good Christian could vote for him/her to rule over us.

@Lamb

I'm less firm on that point. SURE, given a choice between two otherwise equal candidates but...

Embracing the Two Kingdoms, to ME, the important thing in voting for someone is not their theology but their morality - values - policies. For example, I'm not Catholic (I left that church) BUT if a Catholic Republican who is conservative, pro-life, pro-marriage, etc. who is running against an LCMS Lutheran who is a Democrat, Pro-Abortion, Pro-Same Sex marriage, etc. well, I'd go for the Catholic.

To make more extreme, if we had a Mormon (whom some don't even consider Christian) was clearly conservative in politics, pro-life, pro-family, and I agreed with him on political issues and policies... I might well vote for him over that liberal, Democrat Lutheran.

Politicians are not church leaders. They are not pastors. They are not sem professors. They are Kingdom of the Left Hand leaders. I'm focused far more on their values, morality, politics than I am on their theology. Now, yeah, a SATANIST well, I might have a problem. But even a Jew, well... I'd look at their political/social/moral views.

Just me.


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[tango]

One thing that I find curious is the way some candidates seem to focus so hard on "their faith", as if not having a faith were somehow an impediment to public office.

In many ways I'd rather vote for a politician who didn't claim to have a faith but who represented my secular values, than a politician who pretended to have a faith that they didn't actually live out just to appeal to one subgroup or another, and who then governed in a way that wasn't consistent with what they preached.

 

[Albion]

One thing that I find curious is the way some candidates seem to focus so hard on "their faith", as if not having a faith were somehow an impediment to public office.

In many ways I'd rather vote for a politician who didn't claim to have a faith but who represented my secular values, than a politician who pretended to have a faith that they didn't actually live out just to appeal to one subgroup or another, and who then governed in a way that wasn't consistent with what they preached.

Of course, they do that because most voters have some church affiliation and care about this, whereas their opposite number usually don't care as much whether a candidate is a churchgoer or not.

But sometimes it doesn't work, and you may have noticed that Biden isn't flashing his rosary around any longer because his policies have been speaking louder than that act.

 

[tango]

Of course, they do that because most voters have some church affiliation and care about this, whereas their opposite number usually don't care as much whether a candidate is a churchgoer or not.

But sometimes it doesn't work, and you may have noticed that Biden isn't flashing his rosary around any longer because his policies have been speaking louder than that act.

I get that they do it for show, I'm surprised that more people don't see through it. It's back to whether we'd rather have an honest atheist or a pretend Christian.

 

[NewCreation435]

I would think it would depend on how much it appears to be a factor in the politicians decision making.