Suddenly my faith really started to take off. My parents and I changed churches and began attending a congregation where the young people were passionate about knowing Christ and making him known and where the leaders actively taught us how to live not in our own meager strength and wisdom but in the power of the Holy Spirit. That summer I went on a missions trip to Los Angeles with other high school and college students to share the gospel with people from all over the world who were attending the Olympics. I was terrified but at the same time exhilarated.
That fall, as I began my senior year, I sensed God leading me to start a small prayer and evangelism group at my high school. Again it was terrifying, but that small group (which we called “Christ for Life”) saw God open up all kinds of doors to share Christ, and we saw kids get saved.
The following year, in the fall of 1985, I entered Syracuse University as a freshman and joined a student ministry called Campus Crusade for Christ (now called “Cru”). I developed many lifelong friendships and was discipled by a CCC staffer and later by my pastor, T. E. Koshy, the evangelical chaplain at SU. I also became active in sharing my faith with dozens of students on campus and on a summer missions trip to the Soviet Union.
Still, I had not yet wrestled through how my newly developing biblical worldview could or should affect my political views. I still thought of myself as a liberal Democrat. I wasn’t paying attention to the fact that my parents had become increasingly conservative Reagan Democrats. So when the 1988 presidential campaign rolled around—the first election I was old enough to participate in—I registered as a Democrat. I voted for Al Gore in the New York primary. A friend and I went down to the Syracuse War Memorial to heckle Republican vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle. In November I voted for Michael Dukakis for president in the general election. I look back at all this now and grimace. But at the time I couldn’t imagine voting for a Republican. I considered the Republicans enemies of the poor, intellectually vapid, and bereft of any serious, thoughtful ideas for moving the country forward.
This is the first time I’ve ever told this story in print. Indeed, I’ve rarely spoken of it in public. My purpose isn’t to try to persuade you to become a partisan Republican operative. It is, as I mentioned earlier, simply to let you know where I came from and where I am today.
It was actually on my honeymoon in the summer of 1990 that my sweet bride challenged me on the disconnect between my spiritual convictions and my political views. “Aren’t you pro-life?” she asked me.
“Yes, of course,” I answered.
“Then how could you vote for Dukakis, who essentially supports abortion on demand?” she replied.
We argued about this and dozens of other issues. She couldn’t understand my reasoning. I couldn’t believe she didn’t agree with me! How had we failed to discuss politics all the time I was courting her and during our engagement?
Still, I loved Lynn dearly and respected her greatly. Therefore, I carefully listened to her. Within days, I reluctantly (dare I say, begrudgingly) came to the conclusion that she was right and I was wrong. It was time for me to connect my faith to my political beliefs. I needed to start voting for people who shared my convictions and values on as many issues as possible, not simply vote for or against a particular political party because that’s what my family had done in the past or because I didn’t like certain elements in the history of one party or another.
In 1990, Lynn and I moved to Washington, DC, and were fortunate enough to get jobs working with and for leaders whose pro-life, pro-family, and limited-government values we shared and whose constitutionally based conservative ideas to protect life, liberty, and American security and sovereignty we genuinely wanted to promote. We were excited to find principled, compassionate, and intellectually vigorous leaders who consistently put their deeply held moral convictions ahead of partisan politics and were working hard to shape both the ideas and the image of a Republican party that desperately needed a more positive, forward-looking approach to governance.
After a brief stint at the Japanese embassy, Lynn wound up working for Beverly LaHaye, founder and then president of Concerned Women for America—an evangelical pro-family organization—organizing their national conventions and special events. I worked as an administration assistant at the Heritage Foundation, the nation’s premier conservative think tank. Later I worked as a policy analyst for Jack Kemp and Bill Bennett at Empower America, a conservative grassroots organization, and after that as research director for Rush Limbaugh’s newsletter and radio show. Later still I worked as a senior advisor to Steve Forbes on both of his GOP presidential campaigns (1996 and 2000) and, between campaigns, for his nonprofit grassroots organization, Americans for Hope, Growth, and Opportunity. I learned a great deal from these mentors, and while I didn’t always agree with every idea they had or tactical decision they made, I was deeply impressed by the passion and creativity they brought to what they called the “war of ideas.”
What Role—If Any—Should Christians Play in Politics?
Having now lived and worked in Washington, DC, for more than two decades and having had the opportunity to work inside the world of policy and politics as a follower of Christ, I have come to several conclusions about what role all Americans—and particularly Christians—should play in the political arena. I hope these ideas will be helpful as you come to your own convictions.
1. Christians need to pray faithfully and consistently for wisdom and direction for our national leaders.
We may not always be happy with what our leaders are doing and saying, but we need to pray for them anyway. Failing to do so is disobedience to God. As the apostle Paul instructed Timothy and the church he pastored in Ephesus, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Paul told the church in Rome to “render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7).
The apostle Peter reinforced this message.
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.
1 PETER 2:12-17, NLT
The Christians who founded this great country certainly were men and women of prayer. Indeed, because of the First Great Awakening, many of our nation’s early leaders had become deeply faithful in praying and fasting. They most definitely prayed for God to protect and guide those in authority. But they also prayed that God would remove tyrants and unfit men from leadership and replace them with new leaders who had great wisdom and sound judgment to govern the struggling nation. Should we do any less today?
2. Christians need to exercise their right to vote and mobilize others to vote as well.
We are not slaves of an empire. By God’s grace, we are free people and citizens of the greatest democratic republic in the history of mankind. Very few people in history have had a say in who got elected in their countries and what values and policies those leaders would defend and advance, but we have that very privilege. How dare we ignore and squander it? We should take this right seriously. As Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
Over the past four decades, the number of Americans of voting age who describe themselves as born-again Christians has
risen from 50 million to more than 80 million. While such Christians do not have the numbers to dominate American politics, we can play a decisive role. But we cannot have any influence on the direction of our country if we don’t get involved. So if we want to help our government fundamentally change direction—if we’re committed to doing everything possible to avoid an economic and cultural implosion—we need to be serious, focused, and involved in the political process.
What does this mean for you if you’re a Christian? At the very least you should register to vote and then go to the polls to vote your conscience. Encourage others to register to vote too. Become informed on the issues, and help educate your friends. Pay close attention to what the candidates are saying and what their records are. Study all candidates carefully. Don’t make any rash decisions. Weigh all the elements—a candidate’s character, history, marriage, experience, voting record, views on the issues, speeches, statements, articles, ads, advisors, and allies. Don’t expect candidates to be perfect. Remember that campaigns are about choices. You will be presented with flawed candidates. That’s a given. So you must carefully choose the least flawed, most principled, most experienced, and most effective candidates during primaries and during general elections. Don’t ignore a candidate’s moral failures. Don’t ignore unorthodox religious views. Don’t ignore that uneasy feeling you have in your gut that you can’t explain but that you sense is trouble. Study hard, and weigh everything carefully. Patiently ask God for wisdom. And don’t simply pray; fast as well.
When you find a candidate you like and can trust, ask the Lord whether he would have you help that candidate with your time, your talent, or your treasure. The Lord doesn’t call every believer to get actively involved in a campaign beyond voting, but some he does. Do only what the Lord tells you to do, no more but no less. And when the time comes, vote—and mobilize others to vote—and then trust the Lord with the results. As the prophet Daniel told us, ultimately it is the Lord who “removes kings and establishes kings” (Daniel 2:21). So don’t let yourself become depressed if your candidate loses. God is still in control. And don’t gloat if your candidate wins. Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Not all Christians are going to agree on every issue or every candidate, of course. But consider how much impact Christians could make in reshaping the fundamental direction of the White House, the Congress, the federal courts, and the Supreme Court (as well as local and state government) if we unified behind leaders who share and represent our values. Consider a few facts:
• In 1976, 35 percent of voting-age Americans (about 50 million people) described themselves as “born again,” according to a Gallup poll.[441]
• That same year, fully 50 percent of self-described born-again Christians voted for Democrat Jimmy Carter, playing a critical role in helping Carter win the presidency over the Republican incumbent Gerald Ford.[442]
• By 1980, the number of self-described born-again Christians in America had increased to 39 percent, according to Gallup.[443]
• That same year, born-again Christians broke against Carter, voting almost two-to-one (61 percent to 34 percent) for Republican candidate Ronald Reagan and playing a key factor in Reagan’s victory.[444]
• In 1984, Reagan won 78 percent of the Christian vote in his landslide victory over Democrat Walter Mondale, who received only 22 percent.[445]
• Republican George H. W. Bush won a stunning 81 percent of the evangelical vote in 1988 as part of his lopsided victory over Democrat Michael Dukakis, who received only 18 percent.[446]
• However, when born-again Christian support for George H. W. Bush declined significantly in 1992—he secured only 59 percent of this critical voter bloc—Bush ended up losing the presidency to Democrat Bill Clinton, who received 21 percent (Independent Ross Perot siphoned off the remainder of born-again Christian voters).[447]
• In 1996, Bill Clinton increased his share of the evangelical vote to 43 percent, which helped him defeat Bob Dole, who secured only 49 percent—the lowest percentage for any Republican in two decades.[448]
• By 2000, the number of voting-age Americans who described themselves as born again had increased to 45 percent (about 87 million people).[449]
• That same year, Republican George W. Bush, a devout and outspoken evangelical Christian, won 57 percent of the born-again Christian vote (which was far more than Dole but actually less than his father, George H. W. Bush) and only very narrowly defeated Democrat Al Gore, who received 42 percent.[450]
• In 2004, George W. Bush specifically and heavily courted Christians and won 62 percent of the self-described born-again Christian vote and defeated Democrat John Kerry, who secured only 38 percent.[451]
• In 2008, Republican candidate John McCain was faring poorly among Christians for much of the election cycle. His numbers improved after he named Sarah Palin, a devout and outspoken evangelical, to the ticket, but not enough to defeat Democrat Barack Obama. In the end, McCain won 57 percent of the born-again vote, while Obama won 41 percent.[452]
• In 2010, a stunning 77 percent of self-described born-again Christians voted for Republican candidates running for the House of Representatives, while only 19 percent voted for Democrat candidates, resulting in a landslide victory for the GOP in which they picked up sixty-three congressional seats and won back control of the House.[453]
How will the American government be shaped in the future? Christians could play a key role in answering this question. But one thing is certain: disunity will destroy us. Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand” (Mark 3:25). If in coming elections Christians are divided between candidates who share our biblical principles and constitutional convictions, who practice what they preach, and on the other hand candidates who are opposed to our principles or who flip-flop on them or cannot be trusted for other reasons, then elections will be won by candidates who do not share our values. In turn, we will lose the opportunity to turn this ship of state around.
But if Christians register to vote en masse and unite behind serious, substantive, pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-growth, pro-defense candidates who truly use the Constitution as their guide, then we have a real chance to put solid candidates in office and empower them to make the reforms we so desperately need to rescue our country from the abyss.
3. Some Christians need to run for elected office, serve in some other governmental capacity, or serve as advisors to national leaders who are affecting the future of our country.
God doesn’t call all Christians to such roles, but he calls some, and these are high and honorable callings.
The Bible is filled with examples of people whom the Lord called to work not only in godly governments but in ungodly ones as well. Joseph was called to serve in the Egyptian government and eventually rose to the equivalent of the Egyptian prime minister, second in power only to the pharaoh himself. In that position, God used Joseph to save Egypt and Israel and other nations from a terrible famine. Daniel was called by God to serve in the Babylonian and Persian governments, advising leaders at the highest levels but always keeping his true allegiance to God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also worked for the Babylonian government, ultimately acting as provincial governors while maintaining their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Queen Esther and the wise Mordecai faithfully served the leaders of the Persian Empire and helped save the Jewish people because they were in the right place at the right time, doing the Lord’s will with fasting and prayer. And of course, David and Solomon and Josiah and others served as kings of Israel, while many other faithful men and women of God served in various government and military roles at God’s direction.
What if such men and women had refused to obey the Lord by serving in government? Imagine how much more evil would have been done in their time, how many lives would have been lost or harmed. We should not go into politics or government life if God is not calling us. God will not bless our effo
rts if we do. But if he calls us and we refuse to serve, we dishonor him and cede the playing field to those who oppose our biblical values and will fight against them.
Again, consider the founders of our country. Many were devout believers. Some were pastors. They entered the political arena after much prayer and after concluding God was directing them to serve their country in this manner. We should do no less.
Christians who do run for office, of course, should always be careful to respect people of all faiths as well as those who embrace no faith. They should also conduct themselves in office with the highest moral and ethical standards, setting an example of which the nation can be proud.
Sometimes God calls people to play a role in government or in the political arena for a season, not for a lifetime. Make certain you listen carefully to God’s voice and step off the political stage when he tells you to. After much prayer and Bible study, Lynn and I were certain we were called to live and work in Washington, DC, beginning in 1990. We didn’t make a lasting difference on our capital or our country as we hoped, but we sought to be faithful. Then, when God told us to change our focus and serve him in other ways, we again sought to follow Christ’s lead. We still live in the Washington area and will until the Lord moves us, but we’re not immersed in the political world as we once were. As King Solomon once wrote, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
4. Some Christians need to stay completely away from the political arena.
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