In my Contracts and UCC class yesterday, the class got into a discussion about Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and the Ten Commandments debate. The teacher, Ms. McGowan (sometimes referred to as Ms. Lewis) said that Justice Moore ought to resign. I couldn’t help but notice that I was in agreement with her. Of course, I already knew why at almost an instant. Here is why I believe Christians in order to be good stewards and effective witnesses for Christ should to NOT get involved in the government.
To be clear what I’m saying here, I’ve distinguished into two different categories, actually three, because there are those who are apolitical too. This means having no interest or involvement in political affairs; and/or having an aversion to politics or political affairs. The Amish and Anabaptists/Mennonites although not part of any official creed are somewhat known for taking this view.
The other two categories that I’ve come to distinguished are the “Official Process” category and the “in the trenches” category. The “Official Process” means such things as running candidates for office, joining a political party, voting, introducing legislation, and filling out government forms. The “in the trenches” category involve such things as taking part in tax protests, horn honking, writing letters to the editor, educating people are various topics and affairs, and conducting informal gatherings at Sassy Ann’s to discuss philosophy, policy and other topics over chicken wings and beer.
Generally speaking, most libertarians I know have an aversion to being part of the system. While the Libertarian Party does run candidates, I have to admit, absent a well-oiled machine and “promises” to make, libertarians make lousy candidates and lousy politicians. Granted, there are elected libertarians. There is a certain sheriff of 23 years by the name of Bill Masters of San Miguel County, Colorado. Ron Paul, representative from Texas while listed as a Republican is very much a libertarian. I don’t have a problem if they see running for office or anyone for that matter if it was being seen as doing their civic duty. I can’t and won’t hold this against anyone regardless of what party label they run under. As recently as last spring, I had thought perhaps about running for school board in another year or so. However after coming upon the works of Lysander Spooner and just accepting the reality of the situation as it, my view changed. Now, I have absolutely no interest in running for anything. Aside from the adage “never say never”, I will say I have no desire to run for elected office.
Government can be characterized as initiation of force (quite different from using force for defense), coercion, fraud and violence. For thousands of years, people have experimented with this institution known as government and what has been the result? Billions of people have loss their property, liberty, and lives. Yes, billions! In the 20th century alone, according to R.J. Rummel who operates the Power Kills website has estimated that as many as 200 million people have died. He calls it democide. As stated on his website, “genocide should ordinarily be understood as the government murder of people because of their indelible group membership (let the international lawyers struggle with the legal meaning) and democide as any murder by government, including this form of genocide.” Essentially these things are alien and repugnant to God. So how then can one say that government is ordained by God or that government is a terror unto evil? While there seems to be scriptural support for this, does this mean that Christians are obligated to follow any government be it Caesar or Hitler? Surely not! But there are those who say yes. Even the non-christians say Christians should obey the “governing authorities”. I would say it is a safe bet they are using phrases that the governor or king uttered and haven’t actually read the Bible for themselves. Thank God for Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press. This invention enabled the somewhat mass production of Bibles which would enable the likes of the founders of the Baptist movement John Smyth and Thomas Helwys to fight for religious liberty in 17th century England.
"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36)
In this explanation Jesus makes it clear that there is a definite separation between His kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. The fact that Jesus had not allowed His disciples to defend Him was evidence enough of this fact. Christ's kingdom is heavenly and seeks the reconciliation of the sinner to God, but civil and world governments are of this earth and seek for power and supremacy.
The separation of church and state is also taught in 2 Corinthians 5:20 where the Christian is referred to as an ambassador - "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ." An ambassador is one who represents one country to another. He does not become involved in the government of the other country but seeks the welfare of his own. Likewise, the Christian does not become involved in the affairs of earthly governments but represents the heavenly kingdom to them. He is in this world but is not of this world (John 17:16). His work is spiritual, not political. His responsibility is to help the people of this world to give their allegiance to the heavenly kingdom of Christ.
A key passage of Scripture in helping us to understand the relationship of the church to the state is Romans 13. It is significant that in this chapter there is no instruction given to the Christian concerning his involvement in the affairs of the state. Neither is there any teaching given to the state for the Christian to follow. Now here is where it gets tricky. We are to obey. Who are we to obey? Man or God? What are we to obey? If the laws of the land require us to report all Jews, do we as law abiding citizens report all Jews? How about Muslims? Homosexuals? Fellow Christians? If we don’t, then plainly stated, we are law breakers. We would have anarchy they say. Then again, it is a necessity for government to pass enough legislation(so-called) covering enough topics ranging from A to Z to pretty much ensure that everyone is a criminal.
I once had a conversation with someone last year. I asked him, “Have you ever murdered anyone”? He said no. I ask him “Why not”? Because it is against the law he said. He also said when asked if he considered himself a law-abiding citizen that he was. So I turned the tables on him and said “So murder may be against the law today, but knowing how arbitrarily legislators are, they could pass legislation tomorrow stating that murder is not only legal, but you will be required to murder. Would you murder then”? He said no. I asked why not? Because he could not in good conscience do it. I said then he was a law breaker. There you have it folks! This points out the errant method of relying on the rules and regulations otherwise known as Pharisiam to make moral judgments. Another word for Pharisiam is religion. Religion, a human institution often done under the guise of worshipping God and it is all about the rules and regulations. It is a show or expression of feelings or beliefs one does not actually hold or possess. Hypocrisy! Have you ever heard of an honest politician?
As noted in Luke, Jesus condemned the lawyers and scribes. They had distorted the law which was to love God and love your neighbor. Surely a person has to rely on something more concrete anyways. I don’t murder because some politician told me I can’t. I don’t sleep with another man’s wife because a pastor said I can’t. I don’t rob a convenience store just because I might get caught. What is illegal today could very well be legal tomorrow. What then is the law? Frédéric Bastiat in the THE LAW explains "[i]t is the collective organization of the individual right to lawful defense. Each of us has a natural right--from God--to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. For what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but an extension of our faculties?"
But of course, government most often does things contrary to the law. One thing is plunder. What is plunder? As Bastiat further explains “Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.”
See how fatal it is when people think the government, a human institution is The Law or that legislators (so-called) should be able to determine by their arbitrarily whims what the law is or what it is not? The Law, our natural rights, and our natural reason are derived from God, not mere mortals.
So what does this have to do with Justice Moore? Roger Berry in an editorial published on August 26, 2001 titled “Can a Deeply Religious Person Be a Government Leader?” by Christian Light Publications referred to the situation with John Ashcroft being nominated for Attorney General. He wrote that “With an obvious knowledge of the Bible and its implications in practical life, the reporter noted, "The New Testament that Ashcroft believes in calls on everyone to 'render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.'" He aptly noted that the people of the United States need to know what John Ashcroft would do when rendering to one will offend the other. I am convinced that the reporter had a clearer understanding of the dilemma of a Christian serving in government than many "conservative" Christians have. Politics is by its very nature the art of compromise. Even a professing Christian in politics is going to have to compromise Christian principles at times. Ashcroft's supporters even pointed out that when he was governor of Missouri, he efficiently established a state lottery system in spite of his religious opposition to gambling. The state voted to establish a lottery, and it was up to him to see that it was carried out. As Attorney General of the United States, he would need to enforce the abortion laws on the books.” See what happens when Christians get involved in government? Notice that the title of my article did not say “Why Christians should not get involved in politics.” You may not have an interest in politics, but politics will be interested in you eventually. To be involved in government and to really get good at the game, you would have to make deals, vote for bills that may be conflict with your moral beliefs, sign bills that provide for the use of taxes to fund abortions because that is what the majority wanted even if you depised abortion. The list goes on and on.
As Berry further noted, “The temptation is to trust in the hope that somehow Christianizing politics and government will lead to the betterment of society. In the last half century, numerous government leaders from the top down have professed to be born-again Christians. But it is also true that society in general has been on the skids spiritually as never before. I believe that the fault does not lie at the door of the government as much as at the door of the church that has trusted in politics to promote its standards and has failed in the call to point men and women to the Christ who alone can change their lives. The Christian's "politics" is not earthly or carnal but persuading men and women to be reconciled to Christ.”
The former representative and Southern Baptist Convention chairman Brooks Hays once told of a story about a political pollster who met a woman in Arkansas. He asked her about her preferences for candidates in an upcoming election. She looked him straight in the eye and said “Sir, I’m a Christian. I have never voted in my life. It might encourage them.” So what have I done or am in the process of doing? I’ve stopped filing out tax forms, I’ve stopped using social security numbers, I cut up my social security card. I won’t apply for government benefits (if there can be said to have any), I won’t vote again, I cut up my voter registration card and I won’t run for public office. Who knows, it just might encourage them.