So we are about three months away from elections as I write this and I have to admit, I’ve never been the one to vote. Guilty as charged! Though I was raised to care about politics and to view each side with careful consideration, I still felt like my opnion never mattered and that idea grew when I started to take my faith seriously. I would listen to various pastors that I deemed respectable say that they never chose Republican or Democrat since “God was above it all” and to a degree I see their point. Just recently in the last few years there has been countless times on the news and social media spotlighting the radical evangelists who voted for Trump arguing that if you are not with them, then you are against what is “proper” “moral” and even God Himself. I haven’t been on my social platforms for much time but I’ve been around long enough to know that this is absurd. It’s downright terrifying now to even voice your opinions without being bashed over the head figuratively speaking. So when I read Christianity Today October’s monthly issue I surprisingly changed my view.
According to sociologist Katie Gaddini in the article The Hope of Anti-Apocalypse Candidates she states, “The concerns about division means more people feel an obligation…to back away from discussing anything controversial. They get off Facebook. They don’t talk to anyone in their churches about what they think. That does not change their ideas. That does not change voting patterns.” Daniel Silliman the news editor for this article says, “…Concerns about division will not necessarily push evangelical voters to embrace a new kind of politics. During participant-observer studies of two congregations, she has seen people stop talking about issues. But they didn’t change their minds. Trying to avoid division may actually make things worse according to Gaddini. Discussing differences can counteract polarization, as people work to build bridges. But when the risk of conflict seems so high that people stop talking, the division hides underneath, waiting to erupt in a moment of crises. And if people want politicians who will say the things they can’t, they’ll keep backing people good at sticking it to the other side.”
The phrase separation of church and state “originated in a private letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut” according to Ethan Tong an editor from First Liberty. When I understood that phrase I believed that no one of influence who had a religious background would be able to infiltrate political agendas to make it help their belief system and others of the same mentality which is not exactly correct. In the article The History and Meaning Behind the Separation of Church and State it says, “The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law [1] respecting an establishment of religion, or [2] prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Notice that clause [1] does not state that “Congress shall make no law respecting a person with religious convictions.” It states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In other words, the government cannot establish a national religion funded by taxpayer dollars. Understood in context, the “separation of church and state” does not mean religious exercise or prayer should never occur on government property. The original intent was to protect the church from the intrusion of the state. It’s misleading to argue that government and religion should never, under any circumstances, be mixed together.”
Doing more research on this subject has given me the confidence to feel like I can and should vote, have my opinions whether offensive or not and can still believe in God which has nothing to do with the things here on earth. Do not get me wrong; God has created us, has influence and can move people to help others and their situations, he can change outcomes and bring peace if he so wishes..but he also granted us free will and with that we are building what is not of God but of earthy laws to help keep us grounded and equal. This reminds me of a verse that I’ve read countless times in the Bible which I feel ties into this beautifully, “Give to Cesar what is Cesar’s and give to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) It is not that you need to do one and not the other, but to do them harmoniously. Jesus understood that we lived here with obligations and never came to have strife with the laws, but to give us an understanding of God and his love and ultimately paid the price for our sins.
If you are like me (or the person I was before I wrote this) and thought that politics had nothing to do with you because God is going to take care of it in his time or that there are other people who are more educated and can decide better than you on laws and social justice issues, then you are sorely mistaken..and I say that in the most gentlest way possible. Please educate yourself and remember that there are not just two political parties. Every vote counts so get out there and change the world! I know I will.
https://firstliberty.org/news/history-behind-the-separation-of-church-and-state/
https://excessofdemocracy.com/blog/2020/5/what-does-it-mean-to-render-unto-caesar
Promises He Made 
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