One of my denomination’s leaders likes to quip, “A Christian bozo is still a bozo.” His point is that simply claiming the name of Christ doesn’t make one competent to be a brain surgeon, nuclear power operator, plumber, or any of a thousand other skilled professions. And it certainly is not the sole qualification for national leadership. Some of the most outspoken Christians, unfortunately, have turned out to be political “bozos.”
So, when candidates start playing the “Christian” card, I’m not unduly impressed. I’ll vote for the candidate who most closely aligns with the Christian principles I hold dear, but also seems most qualified and competent to effectively work for those principles to be implemented.
Like brain surgery and plumbing, one can have all the right religious and moral convictions, but can he or she work effectively to stop bleeding in the brain or a leak under the sink?
So, what do you think?
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December 8, 2007 at 11:05
I agree with you. Good point and cool blog!
December 8, 2007 at 14:59
Of course, I’d rather have a skilled agnostic surgeon or plumber than an untrained, albeit well-intentioned, Christian with a scalpel or wrench.
But one could reason that unlike surgery or plumbing, there is a moral component to political leadership. And one’s morals are certainly influenced by one’s religious convictions (or lack thereof). But moral/spiritual qualification doesn’t always equal political qualification.
More Christian voters should ask, “is this person really qualified/called to lead”?
More aspiring Christian politicians should ask, “am I really gifted/called to lead”?
All Christians should remember that all governments are ultimately “led” by God (Rom 13), and no government ruling in this fallen world will be perfect/God-honoring. We still await the King of Kings to set up His perfect eternal Kingdom.
Non-Christians can have leadership abilities, and not all Christians are gifted in leadership. The “ideal” is to meld the two. But until the Ideal Himself returns, politics (including voting) is sadly less about being idealistic than realistic.
December 8, 2007 at 17:08
Amen! I, too, want Christian principles to be promoted and practiced in government—but just because someone says it doesn’t mean it will be practiced.
I’m still sorting out all the candidates and their positions, but some critics are pointing out (legitimately, I think) that some of their past legislative and/or governing decisions have not been consistent with their current talk.
On the other hand, we shouldn’t expect one person to change everything instantly, and compromise is one of the realities of our system.
Some (many? most?) Christians need to be educated in this realm as well…
December 9, 2007 at 00:02
totally agree.
but the very worst part, i think, is when those “Christian bozos” aren’t even really Christian. believing in the Messiah is one thing, but following Him is quite another. when someone who claims to be a Christian does very un-Christlike things regularly, i tend to disbelieve their claims. case in point: when i was in high school, we had an exchange student from slovakia, who was atheist. a group of students liked to make fun of her and be really mean and hateful to her, because she was atheist. how very un-Christian!
maybe i’m just a little jaded, but i’ve seen so many of examples like that, of un-Christian “Christians”, that it hardly even registers with me when a candidate plays the Christian card. show me your faith by your works, please, and then i’ll know who to vote for!
December 9, 2007 at 18:46
The problem with showing faith by works is statements like this, by Bill Clinton:
“I’ll never forget the conversation in 1993 with the then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, a man I like very much and whose sermons I still watch on TV when I get a chance. He’s a great pastor but he belongs to the `values voter’ crowd. He looked at me and said, “I just want an answer, not a political answer. A straight yes and no answer. Do you believe the Bible is literally true or not.” I said, “Pastor, I think it is completely true. But I don’t think you or I or anyone else on earth is smart enough to understand it.”
So, Bill Clinton, supposed anti-family, pro-gay, pro-choice, budget-balancing democrat president who pulled our economy out of a recession and into another prosperous period…
Faith by works? How do we know what the right works are? He says he believes that the Bible, and the God of the Bible, is true – and he believes that he is acting, living, and professing that, we might guess. He, perhaps despite a few errors, lapses of moral judgement, sins, and works of malicious evil, may have been doing just that all along.
Like the rest of us.
How about Bush?
Other people’s faith commitments are hard to judge by past performance; between the flashes of the photographs and the tailored soundbytes and the political punditry and amateur analysis, we really know less about them than we deserve to: we barely get a sense of their stances on issues that are important to us, and we frankly have no idea how they’ll perform.
So, We’re back to the same criteria as always in choosing a candidate… and like most everybody else, I’d be skeptical and a little afraid of a candidate trying to play up their religious convictions. We should be skeptical of gimmickery as it is.
December 10, 2007 at 23:25
I have to say DanR is on the ball. I agree completely, the best leaders may not be Christians and the best Christians may not be leaders… that is very true. There are those out there God calls to be followers and we have so few of them. EVERYONE wants to lead and have their voice politics or not.
December 11, 2007 at 07:13
Unfortunately one man’s Bozo is another man’s ‘gifted leader’. You can tell from some of the previous remarks that personal preference colors one’s impression of how a leader’s faith is perceived. At least those candidates that play the ‘Christian’ card are paying lip service to Judeo-Christian ethics. I personally am wary of candidates who play the ‘tolerance’ card as a mask for their own personal agendas.
December 11, 2007 at 15:42
How is it that if you say your Christian you are one. I agree with those who say that when you lead by example, the example set for us so long ago, you may very well lead us all. He had no degree, no political asperations, he only wanted us to know the father and to show us the light that leads us home. If you find someone who leads by example, please let others know so that we may have someone to follow. Truth and justice is what is needed, so ask the Father to show us the way to go. I have and he had led me in many wonderful directions all leading me to the light, which will show me the way home. In God’s Grace John