As compassionate conservatives, we have the responsibility of honoring God in all decisions that we make. But in an increasingly political society, what exactly does it mean to honor God? How do we engage with the political landscape while honoring Christ and also protecting the rights of our fellow Americans? This episode of the Today’s Conservation Podcast dives into the topic of being a good Christian political witness.
In this podcast, hosts Paul Miller and Walter Kim discuss what it means to be a Christian, and the stand a Christian must take in a time of great political strife. Kim is the president of the National Evangelical Association, and Miller is a veteran and former white house staffer. The hosts start by discussing the difference between Christian principle and Christian power. Christian principle is to defend religious freedom for all people, working for the good of our neighbor as well as ourselves. Christian power, on the other hand, is to defend these freedoms only for our own, and not protect the interests and freedoms of those different from us. Muslims, Jews, even Atheists, their freedoms to hold their beliefs are as important as our own, and as God calls upon us to love our neighbor, protecting them and their right to their beliefs is a part of our calling.
A contentious topic in the evangelical world today is the idea of Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism has been on the rise in the United States over the past decade. Miller defines Christian Nationalism as the belief that America is a Christian nation, and the government ought to maintain America’s Christian status. While Christians indeed make up the majority of Americans, the idea that the government should be beholden to the Christian faith is Christian Nationalism. While we indeed ought to treasure and take pride in our faith, we must remember our country was founded on the concept of religious freedom, not only for Christians, but for all people. And just as we are free to worship however we please, those who wish to worship a different faith, or not worship at all, are equally free to their beliefs, and maintaining a government that does not prioritize a single belief system is the key to protecting freedom for us as well as our brothers and sisters of different faiths.
While many associate Nationalism with Patriotism, there is in fact a difference. As Miller discusses, Patriotism is a love of your own country, a positive thing that means to love and cultivate the greatest aspects of whatever nation you are from. Nationalism, on the other hand, which seeks to defend a single identity above all others. For instance, patriotism in America is to love and embrace our first amendment rights, not just for those who think like us, but for all of our fellow Americans. Nationalism would mean to seek out a singular identity for all people of a nation to fall under. Just like the difference between Christian principle and Christian power, one is a virtue which we must hold dear, while the other serves to alienate those different from us. As Christians engaging in politics, it is fundamentally important for us to remember to honor God in all of our decisions. To honor God means to work for the good of your neighbors, not just your own tribe, as God commanded us to love our neighbor.
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