Since its founding, the Christian church was commanded by Christ to be the light and salt of this world. In accordance to his will, Christians have worked for centuries to promote moral values in their societies. In the contemporary United States, many church leaders have engaged in political activism to uphold what they believe to be a biblical justice. Unfortunately, Christian political activism has provoked many who disagree with the church's political agenda. Contrary to popular myth, this criticism has been given to conservative and liberal church leaders.
As a Christian Democrat, I am very disturbed that Christianity can so readily be defined "liberal" or "conservative" by many, as if human political ideology can define the essence of Christian spirituality. I reject the notion that faith is only a private matter, because as Barack Obama mentions in his book, so many social movements of the past have their roots in the commitment of the people who've lived by their faith. At the same time, I also reject the notion that the theology of the church should conform to the narrow scope of a contemporary political ideology.
As the largest religion in the United States, Christianity should show interest toward the mainstream American culture and encourage its believers to be moral, upright citizens. The problem is, the church's activism as an organization to pass political legislation or support particular candidates often alienates those (even Christians) who are opposed to this "moral" legislation.
The church leaders (whether Jesse Jackson or James Dobson) may argue that they need to fight for moral justice. They believe the church has a responsibility to inform the public what is right or wrong on a particular issue. While I certainly agree the church has a moral position on many social issues (say, adultery), I fear the church's ability to promote its values actually becomes restricted when it chooses the path to political power. People of all different ethnicities, personalities and political beliefs come to church, ultimately because they hope the church can provide spiritual guidance in their personal lives. When the church as a whole lobbies for a certain social or political movement, it often allows itself to be portrayed as partisan toward a particular group, alienating others. Henceforth, the church loses its ability to communicate with those who feel betrayed by its favoritism, reducing the effectiveness of its own ministry.
As a Christian who aspires to be in politics, I argue that politics and faith play two distinct roles in changing society. The politicians work from the top down, implementing national policies that will make the United States a better nation as a whole. The church, on the other hand, should work its way from the bottom up, changing the personal lives of the people. In the long run, I believe the church can best purify the American society not through political authority, but rather through nurturing its millions of members to live a pious life. Rather than counseling the believers on how they should vote, the church may be more effective in counseling them on how they should live.
As a Christian Democrat, I like to think my political conviction is in accordance with my personal faith. I applaud those who sincerely live up to their personal faith and take a moral stand on particular political issues. However, I also believe they should not do this in the name of the church. A Christian politician may, on the basis of his piety, try to reform the government. However, the church should not allow itself to become a mentor to particular political institutions, coercing them to make one policy or another.
For all its good intention of giving wise counsels, the church will alienate those who oppose its political activism, losing its ability to give guidance in their personal lives. To fulfill its role as a light and salt of our society, I would personally urge the church to avoid the temptation of political counseling and instead take the role of spiritual mentorship, setting a standard of virtue through persuasions and personal examples.
Jong Eun Lee is a sophomore in the
College of Arts and Sciences and a
liberal columnist for The Eagle.
