Counterproductive

I don't participate in politics (in the common sense).  I have many reasons for this.  First is that my conscience won't allow me to vote for a person I can't trust.  Also, my ethics won't allow me to participate in a system I know to be corrupt.  So as a free man, I exercise my valid political choice to abstain.  Then, perhaps most importantly, my faith tells me my hope is not in this world.  God controls all things and it is not incumbent upon me to punch a ballot to effect His will.  I can and will accomplish all He has for me regardless of the person in some human contrived office.  Not to mention most discussion of such people in the Bible was negative as they are usually corrupt by reason of the fact that they occupy the position in the first place.  But this is a personal choice and I do not expect anyone else to have to follow what I am led to do.  If God is telling you to participate in whatever fashion, go do it by all means.  He isn't telling me that.

Which brings me to my point.  As a third party observer, I have noticed something that needs mentioning.  I'm speaking to those who call themselves Christians.  If your 8 year old kids are running into public spaces chanting a candidate's name, you are too bound up in this and I would encourage you to think about these things:

First of all, as I said above, you are welcome to your political opinions.  That is the right of every free person.  But I want to caution you about so overtly declaring one candidate.  To be sure, publicly declaring your opinions on a policy or issue is acceptable, even to be encouraged.  But when it comes to supporting a person, can you really guarantee that the candidate you are espousing will so perfectly follow your beliefs that you are willing to be judged by the community on it?  Are you willing to have your faith, which you are also vocal about, tainted by the association with a candidate who does one thing you support, but others which are overtly against your beliefs?  And believe me, right or wrong, you are being judged.  If you don't realize this, you are far too insulated from the world.

Which brings me to my second caution.  If you believe that you should share your faith and that those who support another candidate are morally in error, is it beneficial to constantly throw in their face your political views?  How will this win anyone to your view?  How will this even incline them to hear you on any topic.  You are drawing a line in the sand and condemning those on the other side as wrong or worse. 

What would you do?  Oppress the opposing view?  Crush the resistance?  Establish a moral and religious state that lines with your views?  See caution one!  And then see the Islamic world!  Can you not see the injustice this would cause?  And once you established it, God forbid, you're party lose power, because then, you, my friend, are screwed!  Prepare to be a refugee, rebel, or slave.

Of course I know most people who are active in their local church, inviting their neighbors to come, and yet wearing political t-shirts to pass out candy on Halloween haven't even thought this through.  Which is why I wanted to share this.  By all means have your opinions and do what God leads you to do.  Support who you feel right to support and speak out on the issues that need to hear your perspective.  But remember the universal truth that your opinion is, in fact, not as important as you would like it to be.  But the consequences of your overly vocal support of a fallible human being who has made a career out of convincing people to give him power are very real.  If your faith is real to you, can you really justify this?  Wouldn't it be better and more prudent to have a sober and quiet opinion with respect to the beliefs of others who are, I promise you, watching to see if the faith you claim to be so revolutionary is real, and how it shows up in your life.