Christians and Politics

Ashton Poole, photo by Noah Pace.

This is a guest post by my 17-year-old son, Ashton. He loves to take photographs and write stories which he shares on Tumblr.

To Christians involved in politics: (Well, some.)

The only problem I ever have with anyone's political opinion is in how they express it. Whenever I see words like "libtard" or "retardican," I have officially lost all interest in whatever that person had to say, no matter what it was. Joe Biden gave an excellent example during the 2012 VP debate, when he started laughing at what Paul Ryan had to say. At that point, I had no interest in anything Biden had to say; I couldn't stand the thought of that man in a position of power.

The point I'm trying to get at is this; many Christian's should avoid talking about, say, President Obama in the manner I see many speaking of him in. I don't care if he is a islamic extremist who was sent here to destroy our country, don't act like it when discussing his policies. It doesn't make you look good. Instead, simply try to show evidence of his wrongdoings without such a rude, hateful mentality.

Remember that as Christians, the only thing that separates us from the world is how we act. The Bible specifically speaks out against hate, (1 John 3:15;4:20) and for good reason. If people look at us as hateful bigots, why would they ever join us, no matter how good our God may be? As Gandhi said once, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

However, the Bible does make very specific mention of something else. Something good. Something that I believed to be a principle of common knowledge until I left elementary school and walked into the world. It's called "love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, John 13:34, Proverbs 10:12) It is a very simple principle which is described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. For some reason, however, many Christians show exactly the opposite behavior, especially when discussing politics. Many aren't patient or kind. Many are easily angered, and keep a record of people's mistakes, even down to a simple grammatical error. (For example; nuclear and corpsmen.)

Now, you can still be involved in politics while being a loving, godly individual. For example; there is a difference between saying "THIS LAW WAS MADE IN AN ATTEMPT TO DESTROY AMERICA," and, say, sending some people involved in the bill a friendly email with some inquiry's about, say, a controversial tax involved in the bill. You can even oppose and protest this tax, but once again there is a difference. Don't write picket signs about the stupid people who wrote the bill, but instead write signs that inform people of the tax, and the politicians that you, along with many others, oppose this bill.

So, to sum this long rant up: if you call yourself a Christian, be very careful with your words, especially if you get into politics. Don't let Satan use you as a tool for hate, but instead allow Jesus to shine through you.