Do Religion & Politics Mix?

Author Tony Campolo is fond of saying: "Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn't do much to the manure but it sure does ruin the ice cream"

Campolo’s wisdom is worth pondering during an election year. Yes indeed, during such times we often hear cries for a national revival and a collective turning back to God in order to procure divine blessings on America!

That’s code for making Christianity the dominant faith in America.

From a purely Christian perspective the practice of mixing religion and politics is fraught with dangers and this is the point of Campolo’s observation. What we are facing here is the existence of two diametrically opposed kingdoms with each supporting two very different narratives (if I may call American politics a “kingdom”).

Each of these two kingdoms has a head of State as it were, each has its own a modus operandi that governs its actions and it’s goals, and each has it’s own raison d'être or reason for being. Attempting to mix all this into some kind of hybrid quasi-religious kingdom or State is too often a recipe for disaster.

Now in every election year, at least during my lifetime, there are attempts by religiously minded people to hijack the political platform of one or the other of the major parties. By hijacking I mean that there is a certain religious group in America that passionately believes this country is Christian and therefore it is their God sanctioned responsibility to directly impact the political process in Godly ways.

This is also code for making everybody believe as we do.

In other words this rather large voting block uses their influence (or what influence they believe they have) to motivate their preferred candidate to support legislature that coheres with their theological view of the world. The issue of abortion is a good example. In more recent times same sex marriage is another example.

So what would be an acceptable relationship between religion and politics? 

Should there be no relationship at all as some have recommended? Should religion play any part in the political process, especially during an election year? 

Perhaps we should ask: “Does God really favor one candidate over another?” If so how do we know which candidate that might be—for sure that is? 

So if God does indeed favor a single candidate does that make God a member of that candidate’s party? That’s a silly question but it reflects the silliness of believing God is so involved in our affairs that he really does have a favorite candidate in any given race.

So once again we might ask ourselves: To what extent should we Christians get involved in the political process of our nation? Well the Amish, the Mennonites, and other Anabaptist traditions answer that question by their non-involvement, a position I am becoming more and more attracted to as I grow older. It’s not a position that is unconcerned with the welfare of the nation but rather it reflects a healthy understanding of the nature of the two kingdoms in which we find ourselves.

For example, one of Paul’s earliest letters was to a congregation located in the Greek city of Thessalonica. It appears that the Christians in that community were being black balled for their lack of participation in the social affairs of their city. This rejection weighed heavily on their hearts, as we might imagine how we would feel if all our friends and neighbors no longer had anything to do with us because of our faith. That would hurt, wouldn’t it?

So Paul reminded these Christians to whom they really belonged:

"But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation."

In other words Paul reminded this congregation that they were members of God’s kingdom and not the kingdom of this world (which was Rome back then). Paul reminded these frustrated followers of Jesus who were feeling marginalized that the head of their kingdom was none other than Jesus himself.

Paul further reminded them that their primary responsibility was to live quietly and peacefully among those who ruled over them and lived beside them. Paul encouraged them to practice neighborly love and be instruments of grace among those who did not share their religious views. I encourage you to read this first letter to the Thessalonians for yourself. It is a blueprint for how to live in the midst of the two kingdoms of this world: God’s kingdom and Caesar’s kingdom.

Look, I would not presume to know what your deepest convictions might be regarding the issue of religion and politics. You may very well believe that your active participation in the American political process is necessary or you may be one who believes just voting is enough for you. The level of participation in the process is up to you and you must be comfortable in whatever level you choose to engage.

But history has taught me that Campolo was right. Whenever religion and politics are mixed together it is not religion that comes out tasting or smelling like ice cream but rather like manure—just something for us all to ponder during these challenging times of 2016.

Your thoughts?