Christians are Too Political?

It happens this way every four years.

Experts and journalists want to know how evangelicals will vote in the presidential election. Who will they pick and why? What do they think of this candidate? Or how will evangelicals vote on that issue?

As the election frenzy picks up steam, one of the intriguing perceptions about evangelicals is that they are downright too political. That they rely on politics to complain about problems. That they are primarily motivated by right-wing politics. That they will not approach the election with an open mind.

In the middle of the truth and rumors, here are five research-based election realities you should grapple with as a church leader:

1. Evangelicals are diverse. You need no reminding that people disagree on matters of politics - even good people who believe deeply in the Bible. Our polling shows that while most evangelicals are politically conservative, there is still a great deal of diversity and difference of opinion on matters of party and policy. Even if you have some vocal attenders who expect things of your church this political season, there are others - perhaps even the quieter, less obvious attenders - who disagree, who expect you to be a thoughtful, wise and non-partisan leader.

2. Young and old are not as different as they may seem. Many people have said that the generation gap is huge when it comes to politics - even between younger and older evangelicals. While notable differences exist based on voter age, our research clearly demonstrates that younger evangelicals are more conservative politically than most observers imagine (for instance, the majority of young evangelicals are still quite traditional on moral issues). And older evangelicals are not simply two-issue voters (abortion and homosexuality) as they often get portrayed. There is much common ground among evangelicals of all ages, even if the style and expression seem distinct.

3. How you frame the election matters. The best examples of churches engaging politics are leaders who are thoughtful and nuanced, who are intentional about teaching from the Bible but also exercise restraint: they say what needs to be said, but no more. They are wary of using labels. They avoid making complex things too simple. They are also committed to teaching Scripture so that people can understand how their faith informs their responsibility as citizens of a nation, but more importantly of God's Kingdom.

4. Conversations matter. Although many Christians are concerned about being used by political forces, non-Christians are among the most repelled by the political activation of Christians. This should not discourage us from voting, but it should change how we talk about our voting. One of the most profound lessons I have learned is just how powerful careless words and ugly attitudes are in pushing people away from faith in Christ. I am not referring to the speech-making of professionals. Instead, I am thinking about the conversations that Christians - normal people like you and I - have with our friends, colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances. My advice is do whatever possible to cultivate soft hearts among your church's attendees so that they will be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" over the next sixty days.

5. Being engaged politically should last beyond Election Day. Most of us within the Christian community fall prey to the same fixation on November 4th as everyone else in the nation: we want our votes to matter and we want to know who wins. It comes with the territory; it's Decision Day, after all. I bet everyone hopes their voting bloc will be a crucial swing group as America chooses its new leader. But being politically informed and engaged should be even more important to us Christians on Wednesday, November 5th - the day after the election. That's when we get to orient ourselves toward serving the very real problems our communities face for the next four years. As I count it, after the election, we will have 1,461 days until the next presidential election comes around to care, serve, and solve problems like never before.

Remember that number: 1,461 days.

Let's commit to working together as Christians to serve people in our communities with selfless love and the vibrancy of the Gospel. Maybe when the 2012 election rolls around, the experts will not wonder what evangelicals have been doing.

 

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