What about Politics?

Here is my question, how can you make the claim, "If I were to go to the heart of my concern and try to express it in one sentence, here's what I would say: Many Christians in America seem to have confused Caesar and Christ." and then be in support of a fully political organization such as takeaction.org. Not only is it political, it is very idealogically and partisan driven, although it states it is non-partisan, by reading a small amount you learn that is a reaction to the extreme religious right. Here's my point I guess, it seems a bit deceitful to make the claim that we shouldn't confuse Ceasar and Christ yet you promote a political action group. Look, I am 22 years old and yes I am a republican but I don't associate with what you call the "religious right", but many of the generalizations takeaction.org makes about the right are very hurtful and offensive to me….. I guess what I am trying to say is that just as you are offended when Christian's from the far religious right claim that if you are a Christian you must vote republican, it is equally offensive when you make claims that the right doesn't care about the poor and we aren't peacemakers…. And then you would see that we just believe the best way to help the poor is by giving them a hand-up not a hand-out

Thanks for your kind words [not included in excerpt above]. I’m sorry you found this website so offensive. I took part in drafting and signing the “God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat” petition, and I stand by everything in the document. Please understand, that doesn’t mean I endorse everything on any website that posted it or promoted it. I have also written for Christianity Today, but that doesn’t mean I endorse every editorial or advertising decision the magazine makes.

I realize it is a risk for me to speak out on these issues, and I thank you for being concerned about my reputation, but when I speak out, I am trying to be faithful to my conscience, and to the gospel, as I am sure you are too. We need honest, humble people in both parties to be salt and light, since neither party holds an exclusive hold on all truth and goodness, and we all have a lot to learn. I believe there is so much injustice and suffering in our world that we need good people in every party and in every nation possible as leaven or light, having their influence.

By the way, when you paint liberals as only wanting to give handouts, I think you may be playing into the same kind of caricature that you felt so offensive (i.e. that conservatives don’t care about the poor and aren’t peacemakers).

Finally, when I said I am concerned we are confusing Caesar and Christ, I wasn’t saying that Christians should never be involved in politics! Whatever we do, in word or in deed, we should do as an expression of our faith, and that includes being good citizens. My concern was, and is, that we who say “Some trust in horses and some in chariots, but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God” seem to be pretty dependent on horses and chariots. Yes, governments and even weapons (sad to say) have a place in our world, but we need to be alert to the danger of making idols of these things, of keeping God-talk in our vocabulary while depending on other things for our security and prosperity. I’m not saying you or others are actually doing this – just that it is a possibility. These are complex issues, as we both know. Feel free to ignore everything I’ve written on these matters if it makes no sense to you.