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Kingdoms in Conflict

How much should faith impact politics?

By: Shane Vander Hart (Diary)  |  September 15th, 2008 at 12:04 PM  | 

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I started reading God & Government: An Insider’s View on the Boundaries Between Faith & Politics by Charles Colson a couple of days ago. In first chapter titled “Kingdoms in Conflict” he shared a couple of quotes that stood in stark contrast from one another.

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction

  • Blaise Pascal

Without Christian culture and Christian hope, the modern world would come to resemble a half-derelict fun-fair, gone nasty and poverty-racked, one enormous Atlantic City.

  • Russell Kirk

What do you think the appropriate role of faith in government should be?

Originally posted at Caffeinated Thoughts.

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  • civil_truth

    Then others here can respond or add new insights.

    So please elaborate some on how you would answer your question.

  • shanevanderhart

    Jesus commands His followers to be salt & light in the the world, (Matthew 5:13-16).

    While government doesn’t have faith, that is the limitation of government people in government do. I don’t think it is reasonable to expect politicians to divorce their faith from their policies. They may have to be careful how they frame it, but can we really compartmentalize our lives?

    We need people to run for office who take Christ’s command to be the “salt of the earth” seriously in order to preserve our society, as long as we can, from moral chaos.

    As a evangelical Christian I don’t believe that my hope comes from Washington, nor do I think it should be a primary role of the Church in society. It should be a role, but those who follow Christ should seek to be salt & light throughout our culture.

  • ekevlar11

    They should follow their beliefs without necessarily highlighting or evangelizing from their political office. They should make decisions based on their values rather than from gaining a political edge. I think that is why Blaire Pascal’s quote is there: men’s evil done for religious causes is not always caused by their own religious conviction – it is oftentimes following those who believe in a misrepresented version of their religion or who prostitute it to gain power.

    And hence, one problem with the Democratic party, their ideology has become their religion and their followers misguided by those prostituting themselves to gain power.