This timely article appeared in a recent edition of the “Christian Woman” magazine, written by Debbie Dupuy, member at the church of Christ at Macedonia in Florence, Alabama. Some appropriate changes were made in this article in order to address men and women alike.
APATHY: The Greatest Enemy of Our Freedom
As a Christian, do you ever feel overwhelmed by a culture that has a “live and let live” philosophy, where open-mindedness and tolerance seem to be valued above else? Do you believe that as a nation we are headed down a slippery slope when it comes to our morals? Are you under the assumption that as Christians we should just keep our opinions to ourselves, especially when it comes to voting?
Maybe you believe you cannot make a difference in the political process, so why vote? Or maybe you have said to yourself: “I am only one. What can I do?” Well, hold on, dear fellow Christian! We should not grow weary; instead, we should strengthen our loins, roll up our sleeves, and get busy to bring about righteousness in our nation.
Apathy among Christian voters is at an all-time high, and maybe that is because we have believed the lies expressed in the media and by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that churches, Christians and politics should remain separate. Separation of church and state has been interpreted by some to mean that church members must separate themselves from the election process. “Christians do not need to get involved in politics,“ some will say (this was even preached from the pulpit in days gone by!) But we Christians who believe the Bible to be true and the final authority concerning morality must think carefully about this issue before deciding to be uninvolved.
First, we should ask ourselves these questions: Do we believe the Bible to be the source of all truth? Is God unconcerned about what people do and believe? As Christians, should we turn a blind eye to moral issues clearly defined within Scripture and the impact they are having on our society and in our homes? Is God pleased when His children are indifferent toward the values being promoted within a nation?
What Are the Facts? The Scriptures are clear when it comes to all these things. Yet too many Christians have hesitated to become involved in any aspect of government. I believe we have allowed our thinking to be guided by the news media, by the voice of atheistic teachers in schools and universities, and by those who do not base any moral decisions upon God’s Word. The cry of “separation of church and state” has long been misapplied and promoted with misleading information by those who would like for God-fearing people to remain uninvolved.
At the same time, we, as Christians, have become uneducated about our nation’s history and what the Bible calls us to do as believers. Instead of accepting our responsibilities as citizens, we are too often influenced by the loud voices of secularism and have allowed it to shape our world-view, rather than God’s Word.
America’s founding father’s wanted to ensure the right of every citizen to follow his or her own religious beliefs. Going back to the 1700s and the founding of this nation, the reason for advocating the separation of church and state was to protect our religious freedom from the government. The goal was to keep the government from encroaching upon our freedom to worship God as we believe we should. But somehow the founders’ original purpose has become twisted by the media and our courts so that now most Christians believe we are to keep silent when it comes to politics and the election process. This idea is neither biblical nor true to the original ideas found in our nation’s historical documents. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution do we find the words “separation of church and state.”
As Christians, we should awake from the deep sleep of apathy and realize our moral obligation – first to the Lord, to stand for righteousness, and then to our families and their future and to our nation. Statistics prove that if Christians voted, we could determine the outcome of every political race in this country!
(This concludes the first part of the article. The second installment will be in next week’s bulletin.)
Highland Lakes church of Christ 