November 11, 2024 • 24 mins
Can political leaders truly embody Christian values, or do they merely exploit them for personal agendas? Join us as we unravel this intricate question by drawing insights from influential thinkers like Nietzsche and C.S. Lewis. Reflecting on recent events and figures such as Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, we dissect how religious values are often manipulated for political gain, and stress the significance of separating church and state. #faith #politics #integrity
Christians face the crucial responsibility of upholding their faith in social and political engagement. From Jesus' defiance of Roman authority to the transformative role of faith in the civil rights movement, history offers powerful lessons on resisting hate and promoting love, justice, and humility.
Elevate Your Journey with Lionel and the Word for Change Podcast!
🎬 Enhance Your Streaming with Ecamm Live: [Get Ecamm Live Software](https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=lionel11) (Affiliate Link)
💍 Get your FREE Christian Marriage Assessment (https://www.symbis.com/)
Email Lionel Directly: Lloyd@lloydtalksmedia.com
🎧 Subscribe On Apple Podcasts: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-for-change-podcast/id1594988934)
📖 Deepen Your Understanding with Logos Bible Software: (https://logos.refr.cc/lionelbailey)
Start your journey to spiritual and personal growth with Lionel
DISCLAIMER: The opinions and views of this podcast are entirely the host and guest of the show are not supported by the Department of Defense or its affiliate organizations and are not intended as medical advice.
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The philosopher Nietzsche said this about
religion and politics Least infighting the dragon, you become
the dragon.
I see the confusion of politicsand religion as one of the
greatest barriers to grace.
Cs Lewis once said that almostall crimes of Christian history
have come about when religion isconfused with politics.
(00:23):
Politics, which, always run bythe rule of ungrace, lures us to
trade away grace for power, atemptation the church has often
been unable to resist.
That's what we're going to talkabout today.
We're going to talk about theproblem with political leaders
(00:47):
using the Christian faith topush their agenda.
That's going to be our topictoday.
But before we get started, whatday is it y'all?
Well, it's November 12th and,hey, I want to say yesterday was
Veteran Day, so happy VeteransDay.
(01:09):
Good morning Vietnam.
We're here on November 12th.
We have a lot to cover in thenews, a lot's going on.
Obviously we have yeah, I gotthrough the presidential
election and, man, I'm tellingyou what a barn burner we went
through with that whole process.
(01:30):
I hope you guys were able tomaintain your Christian witness,
no matter where you stand onthe aisle.
Just remember that yourallegiance is to God first and
foremost.
Allegiance is to God first andforemost, no matter how you feel
about your political candidateseither won or did not win.
(01:51):
The world is not over, unless Icheck, god is in charge.
And that doesn't mean we don'tvote.
That doesn't mean we don't havecandidates that we support.
What it does mean, particularlyfor those who claim the message
of Jesus, that your allegianceis first and foremost, the
kingdom of God and a bettermentof humanity.
(02:14):
Man, one of some of the thingsthat are in the news is the
veterans ministry.
The Christians say that thesuicide, suicidal issue and
crisis is an epidemic within themilitary.
And so, man, we want to keepyour veterans and active duty
personnel and those who are nolonger active but still getting
(02:34):
healed from the experiences theyhad serving in active duty.
We want to keep them lifted upin prayers.
The Bible says in Romans thatwe should always lift up those
leaders and those who sacrificefor our safety and freedom.
Keep them in your prayers, okay.
Florida's abortion amendmentbecomes the first to fail since
(02:57):
roving ways of reversal.
On election night, pro-life hascheered the news that a six
week ban enacted under GovernorDeSantis will get to stay.
Even a conservative in theAnglican church called for
Archbishop to repent over samesex relationship Right.
Gunshots at the TuskegeeUniversity sent students running
(03:22):
for their lives.
Sent students running for theirlives.
One student said that she heardgunshots ripping across the
Alabama campus amid homecomingcelebration and ran into his
dorm.
It was a terrifying experience.
The shooter left one man deadand one injured, and at least 16
(03:43):
others.
On Sunday Dozens of them cameon.
The gunfire authority said hisarrest was made in the late
hours and many of the peoplewere injured.
The man killed in thehomecoming weekend by the
shooter has been identified asan 18-year-old, latavon Johnson
(04:08):
of Troy, alabama, who was not astudent.
The local coroner said soplease keep those people in that
community in your prayers.
(04:35):
Micah 6.8 says this he has toldyou, o man, what is good?
What does the Lord require ofyou?
But that you do justice, thatyou love mercy and walk kindly,
walk humbly.
The scripture says with yourGod, walk kindly and walk humbly
(04:59):
with your God.
Today we're going to cover atopic that requires careful
navigation and examining therise and the usage of the
message of Jesus.
To push political agendas is aproblem.
It's been a problematic formany, many years, and our goal
with this episode is to fosterunderstanding and to draw on our
(05:23):
core values and not to pick andto be partisan.
That's not the goal here at all.
Now there are several examplesin history of how politicians
have used Christianity to push apolitical agenda.
One example can be president inBrazil, jair Bolsonaro.
(05:45):
John Barnazzaro courtedChristians voters by framing the
election as a battle betweenGod fearing good and
oppositional evil, so making adefinitive line to which party
was God's party and which partywas not.
(06:07):
And I want to encourage you guysto read a book.
It's called the GodlessConstitution A More Defense for
a Secular State.
Now for me, this book I begin.
(06:30):
I first picked it up ingraduate school, but it is a
profound piece of work becauseof what it does, even though you
may not agree with the secularstate, but the goal is to
maintain a separate institutionsbetween church and state.
One author said this inresponse to the book to persuade
, persuasion and powerful.
A book that is essentialreading for anyone engaged in
the never-ending debate aboutthe nature of america, moral
values, where it came from, howit preserves and perpetuates
(06:53):
them.
This was said from Robert Duran, who was a Georgetown
University law professor.
I'm not saying that you shouldagree or disagree.
I'm simply saying it's a goodpiece of work to look at when
you are just trying to doresearch and grab understanding
of what are we talking about,when we have conversations
(07:17):
around how our religion orChristianity or the message of
Jesus is used to push politicalagendas.
I don't know about you, but Iused to go to a church and I
remember that that church hadthe president of the United
States come to that church andit was actually during an
(07:38):
election season, and at thattime I thought it was a great
thing because it really, atleast in my mind, gave, even
though our pastor didn't comeout and say vote for this guy.
He never said that, but heimplied it.
Okay, and so why is it thatpoliticians again only show up
(08:00):
in religious spaces and placesduring political seasons?
So this is problematic, right,and our goal is to navigate this
today, right.
So this president in Brazil, heattended religious events like
marches for Jesus and rallies tosolidify his support.
Ok, he also was adopted aviewpoint, an agenda that
(08:29):
aligned with where he was, witha particular evangelical values,
and there's some who doesn't doit also on the progressive side
as well.
Barack Obama did this and ifyou guys remember the Jeremiah
Wright controversy during BarackObama's first term, at least
while he was running forpresident.
During Barack Obama's firstterm, at least while he was
(08:49):
running for president.
Okay, again, this is howpoliticians use the church kind
of play with the religioussystems.
Right, politicians use biblicalimagery I've seen that in
religious language to appeal toChristian voters.
Okay, some politicians comparethemselves and religious
(09:11):
language to appeal to Christianvoters.
Okay, some politicians comparethemselves to biblical
characters like David.
Right, imperfect man, butanointed by God.
You heard that before.
I've even heard Christianpastors who do the same thing,
right, claiming religiouspersecution, appealing to one
(09:34):
side, whether it's conservativeor christian, and claiming that
their religious liberties areunder siege.
Some politicians advocate forpolicies based on the belief
that america was founded as, andshould remain, a Christian
nation, which is problematic aswell, and I'm not saying as I
(09:55):
consider myself a Christian,right, and there are absolutely
some value systems that I loveto uphold as part of our
Judeo-Christian heritage.
Absolutely, but not everybodyin America is Christian, and if
there's not, anything we'velearned, is that in America
there's a consortium of peoplefrom all different backgrounds.
(10:20):
Right, give me your tired andyour poor.
The inscription on the Statueof Liberty talks about people
coming from other countries,which means that their faith and
their backgrounds andtraditions come with them.
That is foundational to theAmerican idea.
Some politicians encouragechurches to endorse candidates,
(10:41):
which I think is absolutelyshould be restricted.
This is just my viewpoint,right?
But I'm talking about how thedifferent ways that politicians
can use their platform, useChristianity to strictly support
their platform.
Some Christians are definedtheir national identity and
(11:02):
exclude other groups.
Right, there's Christians thatexclude Muslims as Muslims that
exclude Christians, and it goesback and forth.
Some politicians argue that theBible should influence laws,
but 50% of Americans believe itshould have at least some
influence.
Okay, I'll be honest with you,I think there's some.
Obviously, as a Christianminister, I think there's some
(11:25):
values that the Bible upholdsthat are good, but I don't think
all good values only come fromthe Bible.
Right, that's also true.
Politicians take advantage ofthe fact that religious groups
often have polarized views ofcandidates.
Right, it's important to notethat that these this is very
(11:47):
controversial and is oftencriticized and potentially
undermines the separation ofchurch and state and misuses our
christian faith I would sayeven the message of jesus for
political gain.
Okay, another way thatchristian leaders do this is
(12:07):
leaders may promote a particularreligion as an integral part of
national identity Suggests thattrue citizens belong to a
particular faith.
This causes a us-guess-themmentality.
Leaders with divinejustification thoughts and ideas
may claim to be chosen by ahigher power, suggesting that
(12:31):
their actions are divinelysanctioned and beyond question.
These are what some leaders doright on both sides of the aisle
, absolutely.
By aligning with religiousinstitutions, one gains a sense
of moral authority and justifiestheir policies right.
If there's anything we'velearned from the message of
(12:53):
Jesus, it is the message that weshould be about the kingdom of
God first, that the kingdom ofGod doesn't hinge on power.
That is not the goal of themessage of the gospel, and so,
if you want to know if we'reheading in the right direction,
this is something that youshould consider Absolutely.
(13:15):
That Jesus even talks aboutthis in Matthew 18, that Jesus
said that if his kingdom was ofthis world, he could send for
angels to fight for him.
But that is not the case.
How many times have you seenChristians who want to say that
(13:36):
God is voting for this candidateor that candidate?
Now I'm not talking about rightand wrong, clear right and wrong
.
I'm talking about using thescripture to promote a
particular viewpoint.
All right, right, religion canbe used to mobilize supporters,
and they can.
People can.
(13:57):
Leaders can use religiousrhetoric to inspire fervor, and
leaders may seek to controlreligious institutions and use
them to promote ideological andsuppress dissent.
Okay, so if you are a thinkingperson with you in my audience,
I know you are a thinking personI want you to seriously
(14:20):
consider.
Who are you, who do you haveallegiance to?
Ok, just because we'reChristians don't mean doesn't
mean we can't use our brains.
Just because we're Christiansdoesn't mean we can't use our
minds to think through theimplications of how our faith
(14:41):
interacts with these variouspolitical institutions.
You will remember in the Gospelsthat Jesus was crucified by
government power.
Ok, principles that transcendpolitical affiliation, where
love, justice and humility andrespect for all people is
(15:05):
important.
Right, this is talked about.
Also.
The whole idea of religion andChristianity is to make us
better people.
This is why, in Mark, chapter13, jesus asked Peter what is
the greatest commandment?
And Peter said what is it Tohear Israel, the Lord, love your
(15:29):
Lord, your God, and you shouldlove your God with all your
heart, your soul and with allyour mind and with your strength
.
This is in Mark, chapter 12,verse 29.
Right.
And the second is this youshould love your neighbor as
yourself.
There is no other commandmentgreater than these.
This is in Mark, chapter 12,verse 31.
(15:51):
That's also in the Hebrew Biblein Leviticus 19, 18.
1918.
So the values that are at theheart of our faith and provide
us a moral compass, especiallyin times of social and political
(16:15):
turmoil.
When we witness rhetoric andactions that undermine these
values, it is our duty to speakout, not to from a place of a
political allegiance per se, butfrom a foundation of our
Christian faith.
We've seen how our Christianfaith historically has played a
pivotal role in challengingauthoritarian regimes.
(16:37):
Particularly, jesus did thesame thing right Against the
Roman Empire.
So the courage of religiousleaders and lay people, even
another example I'm thinkingabout Dietrich Bonhoeffer and
the Confessing Church in Germanyagainst Nazi Germany, the civil
rights movement in the 60s herein the United States these are
(17:00):
examples of how our Christianfaith works in action, standing
up for oppressed people,speaking the things that are
good and things that are true.
James 1.27 says here is pure,undefiled religion.
Treat the orphan correctly,take care of widows, take care
(17:22):
of widows, take care of orphansand keep yourself unstained from
the world.
So this is important to let ourfaith speak, not from a
political point of view, butfrom a religious, foundational
and faith point of view.
And when anyone, no matterwhere you stand politically,
(17:45):
uses our faith or co-opt ourfaith for political purposes, we
are giving away the power thatChrist has given to the spirit,
through the spirit, to thechurch, to be a change agent in
the world, to be the antidote tothe disease and need for power
(18:09):
in the world, right?
So these are examples that Igave that we should speak up and
we are obligated to do so.
So how can we apply theselessons?
First, we need to recognizethat we have a duty, a Christian
duty and a moral one, to saywhat Jesus would say.
(18:32):
Our faith calls us to actjustly, to love mercy, to walk
humbly with God.
This means that we must rejectideologies that sow division.
And if you consider yourself aChristian and I know I'm a
little bit passionate here y'allthis means that we must reject
ideologies that sow division.
And if you consider yourself aChristian and I know I'm a
little bit passionate here,y'all forgive me, but this is it
.
We're getting out of hand withthis thing and I often wonder
(18:53):
whose kingdom are we reallytrying to promote here
Respectfully.
Promote here respectfully.
So we must reject ideologiesthat divide the world and that
promote hate, that concentrateson power in ways that oppress
people.
It's about embodying theteachings of Jesus in the public
(19:16):
and in our private lives.
This is why the church wasinfluential in historic Judaic
culture.
Right, this is what theconfessing church did in Nazi
Germany, what the church did inItaly, what the church did in
South America, why they stoodagainst institutions that wanted
(19:39):
to misrepresent their faith.
Second, we must engage in ourcommunity.
Right, we must engage in ourplaces and spaces.
The message of Jesus thriveswhen we are informed and
committed to the common good.
This means having conversationsabout issues, right, even when
it's uncomfortable.
It means building bridgesacross differences, even when
(20:01):
it's uncomfortable.
It means building bridgesacross differences, right, this
is common Christian stuff.
Christianity 101, findingcommon ground and working
together is an important part ofour faith and it upholds human
dignity for every person, whichis one of the reasons why I love
the chaplain corps, because wehave, we work with people from
different faith groups.
(20:22):
Even though we have differentpresuppositions of how the world
works, we still have to findcommon ground.
It is an American idea.
Lastly, we must remember theimportance of prayer and
reflection.
In times that are uncertain, weturn to our faith for clarity.
(20:43):
We pray for wisdom.
Bible says in James that weshould seek wisdom and God will
give it to us.
We should pray for our leadersRomans 13.
And we should pray that we havethe courage to act in
accordance with our Christiancore values.
This is how we navigate thesechallenging times, right?
(21:07):
Let's commit to being thechurch, not just talking about
it, but being about it, anddoing so we will begin to
contribute to a society thatreflects the best of our shared
values and standing againstforces that divide us.
Right?
And if this is what causes thechurch to come under persecution
(21:28):
, because we seek for the goodof all people, even those who
are different from us, then sobe it.
So be it.
But the way that the church haspower in the world is that it
doesn't stand for power.
It doesn't stand for financialgain, it doesn't stand for land
(21:53):
grabs, but it seeks to speak onthe humanity of people.
Bring people together, crossdivides, get people talking
together, practice forgiveness,show love, as the scripture says
in Micah 6.8, seek justice andmercy and walk humbly with God.
(22:16):
Okay, so, guys, listen, I knowI've gone a little long today,
but I want you to think aboutthis.
I want you to think about beingthe church not just talking
about the church that we cancontribute to making the society
reflects the best values thatwe uphold and stand firm against
(22:36):
anything that is different.
So, hey, I want to thank youguys for joining me for this
here conversation and if youenjoyed the episode or if I made
you think great, I want toencourage you to share it with
people, share with your friends,share with your community.
Let's continue the dialogue.
Let us stay rooted in love anda commitment to the common good.
(22:58):
Okay, so until next time, y'allbe good, y'all be blessed.
Let's keep doing a doggonething.
I keep doing God's work in theworld and I thank you for your
continued listenership andsupport.
Okay, I'm Lionel, I salute youand stay on the side of acting
(23:19):
justly and walking humbly withGod.
We'll see you in two weeks fromnow.
Okay, god bless, peace, thankyou.
The philosopher Nietzsche said this about
religion and politics Least infighting the dragon, you become
the dragon.
I see the confusion of politicsand religion as one of the
greatest barriers to grace.
Cs Lewis once said that almostall crimes of Christian history
have come about when religion isconfused with politics.
(00:23):
Politics, which, always run bythe rule of ungrace, lures us to
trade away grace for power, atemptation the church has often
been unable to resist.
That's what we're going to talkabout today.
We're going to talk about theproblem with political leaders
(00:47):
using the Christian faith topush their agenda.
That's going to be our topictoday.
But before we get started, whatday is it y'all?
Well, it's November 12th and,hey, I want to say yesterday was
Veteran Day, so happy VeteransDay.
(01:09):
Good morning Vietnam.
We're here on November 12th.
We have a lot to cover in thenews, a lot's going on.
Obviously we have yeah, I gotthrough the presidential
election and, man, I'm tellingyou what a barn burner we went
through with that whole process.
(01:30):
I hope you guys were able tomaintain your Christian witness,
no matter where you stand onthe aisle.
Just remember that yourallegiance is to God first and
foremost.
Allegiance is to God first andforemost, no matter how you feel
about your political candidateseither won or did not win.
(01:51):
The world is not over, unless Icheck, god is in charge.
And that doesn't mean we don'tvote.
That doesn't mean we don't havecandidates that we support.
What it does mean, particularlyfor those who claim the message
of Jesus, that your allegianceis first and foremost, the
kingdom of God and a bettermentof humanity.
(02:14):
Man, one of some of the thingsthat are in the news is the
veterans ministry.
The Christians say that thesuicide, suicidal issue and
crisis is an epidemic within themilitary.
And so, man, we want to keepyour veterans and active duty
personnel and those who are nolonger active but still getting
(02:34):
healed from the experiences theyhad serving in active duty.
We want to keep them lifted upin prayers.
The Bible says in Romans thatwe should always lift up those
leaders and those who sacrificefor our safety and freedom.
Keep them in your prayers, okay.
Florida's abortion amendmentbecomes the first to fail since
(02:57):
roving ways of reversal.
On election night, pro-life hascheered the news that a six
week ban enacted under GovernorDeSantis will get to stay.
Even a conservative in theAnglican church called for
Archbishop to repent over samesex relationship Right.
Gunshots at the TuskegeeUniversity sent students running
(03:22):
for their lives.
Sent students running for theirlives.
One student said that she heardgunshots ripping across the
Alabama campus amid homecomingcelebration and ran into his
dorm.
It was a terrifying experience.
The shooter left one man deadand one injured, and at least 16
(03:43):
others.
On Sunday Dozens of them cameon.
The gunfire authority said hisarrest was made in the late
hours and many of the peoplewere injured.
The man killed in thehomecoming weekend by the
shooter has been identified asan 18-year-old, latavon Johnson
(04:08):
of Troy, alabama, who was not astudent.
The local coroner said soplease keep those people in that
community in your prayers.
(04:35):
Micah 6.8 says this he has toldyou, o man, what is good?
What does the Lord require ofyou?
But that you do justice, thatyou love mercy and walk kindly,
walk humbly.
The scripture says with yourGod, walk kindly and walk humbly
(04:59):
with your God.
Today we're going to cover atopic that requires careful
navigation and examining therise and the usage of the
message of Jesus.
To push political agendas is aproblem.
It's been a problematic formany, many years, and our goal
with this episode is to fosterunderstanding and to draw on our
(05:23):
core values and not to pick andto be partisan.
That's not the goal here at all.
Now there are several examplesin history of how politicians
have used Christianity to push apolitical agenda.
One example can be president inBrazil, jair Bolsonaro.
(05:45):
John Barnazzaro courtedChristians voters by framing the
election as a battle betweenGod fearing good and
oppositional evil, so making adefinitive line to which party
was God's party and which partywas not.
(06:07):
And I want to encourage you guysto read a book.
It's called the GodlessConstitution A More Defense for
a Secular State.
Now for me, this book I begin.
(06:30):
I first picked it up ingraduate school, but it is a
profound piece of work becauseof what it does, even though you
may not agree with the secularstate, but the goal is to
maintain a separate institutionsbetween church and state.
One author said this inresponse to the book to persuade
, persuasion and powerful.
A book that is essentialreading for anyone engaged in
the never-ending debate aboutthe nature of america, moral
values, where it came from, howit preserves and perpetuates
(06:53):
them.
This was said from Robert Duran, who was a Georgetown
University law professor.
I'm not saying that you shouldagree or disagree.
I'm simply saying it's a goodpiece of work to look at when
you are just trying to doresearch and grab understanding
of what are we talking about,when we have conversations
(07:17):
around how our religion orChristianity or the message of
Jesus is used to push politicalagendas.
I don't know about you, but Iused to go to a church and I
remember that that church hadthe president of the United
States come to that church andit was actually during an
(07:38):
election season, and at thattime I thought it was a great
thing because it really, atleast in my mind, gave, even
though our pastor didn't comeout and say vote for this guy.
He never said that, but heimplied it.
Okay, and so why is it thatpoliticians again only show up
(08:00):
in religious spaces and placesduring political seasons?
So this is problematic, right,and our goal is to navigate this
today, right.
So this president in Brazil, heattended religious events like
marches for Jesus and rallies tosolidify his support.
Ok, he also was adopted aviewpoint, an agenda that
(08:29):
aligned with where he was, witha particular evangelical values,
and there's some who doesn't doit also on the progressive side
as well.
Barack Obama did this and ifyou guys remember the Jeremiah
Wright controversy during BarackObama's first term, at least
while he was running forpresident.
During Barack Obama's firstterm, at least while he was
(08:49):
running for president.
Okay, again, this is howpoliticians use the church kind
of play with the religioussystems.
Right, politicians use biblicalimagery I've seen that in
religious language to appeal toChristian voters.
Okay, some politicians comparethemselves and religious
(09:11):
language to appeal to Christianvoters.
Okay, some politicians comparethemselves to biblical
characters like David.
Right, imperfect man, butanointed by God.
You heard that before.
I've even heard Christianpastors who do the same thing,
right, claiming religiouspersecution, appealing to one
(09:34):
side, whether it's conservativeor christian, and claiming that
their religious liberties areunder siege.
Some politicians advocate forpolicies based on the belief
that america was founded as, andshould remain, a Christian
nation, which is problematic aswell, and I'm not saying as I
(09:55):
consider myself a Christian,right, and there are absolutely
some value systems that I loveto uphold as part of our
Judeo-Christian heritage.
Absolutely, but not everybodyin America is Christian, and if
there's not, anything we'velearned, is that in America
there's a consortium of peoplefrom all different backgrounds.
(10:20):
Right, give me your tired andyour poor.
The inscription on the Statueof Liberty talks about people
coming from other countries,which means that their faith and
their backgrounds andtraditions come with them.
That is foundational to theAmerican idea.
Some politicians encouragechurches to endorse candidates,
(10:41):
which I think is absolutelyshould be restricted.
This is just my viewpoint,right?
But I'm talking about how thedifferent ways that politicians
can use their platform, useChristianity to strictly support
their platform.
Some Christians are definedtheir national identity and
(11:02):
exclude other groups.
Right, there's Christians thatexclude Muslims as Muslims that
exclude Christians, and it goesback and forth.
Some politicians argue that theBible should influence laws,
but 50% of Americans believe itshould have at least some
influence.
Okay, I'll be honest with you,I think there's some.
Obviously, as a Christianminister, I think there's some
(11:25):
values that the Bible upholdsthat are good, but I don't think
all good values only come fromthe Bible.
Right, that's also true.
Politicians take advantage ofthe fact that religious groups
often have polarized views ofcandidates.
Right, it's important to notethat that these this is very
(11:47):
controversial and is oftencriticized and potentially
undermines the separation ofchurch and state and misuses our
christian faith I would sayeven the message of jesus for
political gain.
Okay, another way thatchristian leaders do this is
(12:07):
leaders may promote a particularreligion as an integral part of
national identity Suggests thattrue citizens belong to a
particular faith.
This causes a us-guess-themmentality.
Leaders with divinejustification thoughts and ideas
may claim to be chosen by ahigher power, suggesting that
(12:31):
their actions are divinelysanctioned and beyond question.
These are what some leaders doright on both sides of the aisle
, absolutely.
By aligning with religiousinstitutions, one gains a sense
of moral authority and justifiestheir policies right.
If there's anything we'velearned from the message of
(12:53):
Jesus, it is the message that weshould be about the kingdom of
God first, that the kingdom ofGod doesn't hinge on power.
That is not the goal of themessage of the gospel, and so,
if you want to know if we'reheading in the right direction,
this is something that youshould consider Absolutely.
(13:15):
That Jesus even talks aboutthis in Matthew 18, that Jesus
said that if his kingdom was ofthis world, he could send for
angels to fight for him.
But that is not the case.
How many times have you seenChristians who want to say that
(13:36):
God is voting for this candidateor that candidate?
Now I'm not talking about rightand wrong, clear right and wrong
.
I'm talking about using thescripture to promote a
particular viewpoint.
All right, right, religion canbe used to mobilize supporters,
and they can.
People can.
(13:57):
Leaders can use religiousrhetoric to inspire fervor, and
leaders may seek to controlreligious institutions and use
them to promote ideological andsuppress dissent.
Okay, so if you are a thinkingperson with you in my audience,
I know you are a thinking personI want you to seriously
(14:20):
consider.
Who are you, who do you haveallegiance to?
Ok, just because we'reChristians don't mean doesn't
mean we can't use our brains.
Just because we're Christiansdoesn't mean we can't use our
minds to think through theimplications of how our faith
(14:41):
interacts with these variouspolitical institutions.
You will remember in the Gospelsthat Jesus was crucified by
government power.
Ok, principles that transcendpolitical affiliation, where
love, justice and humility andrespect for all people is
(15:05):
important.
Right, this is talked about.
Also.
The whole idea of religion andChristianity is to make us
better people.
This is why, in Mark, chapter13, jesus asked Peter what is
the greatest commandment?
And Peter said what is it Tohear Israel, the Lord, love your
(15:29):
Lord, your God, and you shouldlove your God with all your
heart, your soul and with allyour mind and with your strength
.
This is in Mark, chapter 12,verse 29.
Right.
And the second is this youshould love your neighbor as
yourself.
There is no other commandmentgreater than these.
This is in Mark, chapter 12,verse 31.
(15:51):
That's also in the Hebrew Biblein Leviticus 19, 18.
1918.
So the values that are at theheart of our faith and provide
us a moral compass, especiallyin times of social and political
(16:15):
turmoil.
When we witness rhetoric andactions that undermine these
values, it is our duty to speakout, not to from a place of a
political allegiance per se, butfrom a foundation of our
Christian faith.
We've seen how our Christianfaith historically has played a
pivotal role in challengingauthoritarian regimes.
(16:37):
Particularly, jesus did thesame thing right Against the
Roman Empire.
So the courage of religiousleaders and lay people, even
another example I'm thinkingabout Dietrich Bonhoeffer and
the Confessing Church in Germanyagainst Nazi Germany, the civil
rights movement in the 60s herein the United States these are
(17:00):
examples of how our Christianfaith works in action, standing
up for oppressed people,speaking the things that are
good and things that are true.
James 1.27 says here is pure,undefiled religion.
Treat the orphan correctly,take care of widows, take care
(17:22):
of widows, take care of orphansand keep yourself unstained from
the world.
So this is important to let ourfaith speak, not from a
political point of view, butfrom a religious, foundational
and faith point of view.
And when anyone, no matterwhere you stand politically,
(17:45):
uses our faith or co-opt ourfaith for political purposes, we
are giving away the power thatChrist has given to the spirit,
through the spirit, to thechurch, to be a change agent in
the world, to be the antidote tothe disease and need for power
(18:09):
in the world, right?
So these are examples that Igave that we should speak up and
we are obligated to do so.
So how can we apply theselessons?
First, we need to recognizethat we have a duty, a Christian
duty and a moral one, to saywhat Jesus would say.
(18:32):
Our faith calls us to actjustly, to love mercy, to walk
humbly with God.
This means that we must rejectideologies that sow division.
And if you consider yourself aChristian and I know I'm a
little bit passionate here y'allthis means that we must reject
ideologies that sow division.
And if you consider yourself aChristian and I know I'm a
little bit passionate here,y'all forgive me, but this is it
.
We're getting out of hand withthis thing and I often wonder
(18:53):
whose kingdom are we reallytrying to promote here
Respectfully.
Promote here respectfully.
So we must reject ideologiesthat divide the world and that
promote hate, that concentrateson power in ways that oppress
people.
It's about embodying theteachings of Jesus in the public
(19:16):
and in our private lives.
This is why the church wasinfluential in historic Judaic
culture.
Right, this is what theconfessing church did in Nazi
Germany, what the church did inItaly, what the church did in
South America, why they stoodagainst institutions that wanted
(19:39):
to misrepresent their faith.
Second, we must engage in ourcommunity.
Right, we must engage in ourplaces and spaces.
The message of Jesus thriveswhen we are informed and
committed to the common good.
This means having conversationsabout issues, right, even when
it's uncomfortable.
It means building bridgesacross differences, even when
(20:01):
it's uncomfortable.
It means building bridgesacross differences, right, this
is common Christian stuff.
Christianity 101, findingcommon ground and working
together is an important part ofour faith and it upholds human
dignity for every person, whichis one of the reasons why I love
the chaplain corps, because wehave, we work with people from
different faith groups.
(20:22):
Even though we have differentpresuppositions of how the world
works, we still have to findcommon ground.
It is an American idea.
Lastly, we must remember theimportance of prayer and
reflection.
In times that are uncertain, weturn to our faith for clarity.
(20:43):
We pray for wisdom.
Bible says in James that weshould seek wisdom and God will
give it to us.
We should pray for our leadersRomans 13.
And we should pray that we havethe courage to act in
accordance with our Christiancore values.
This is how we navigate thesechallenging times, right?
(21:07):
Let's commit to being thechurch, not just talking about
it, but being about it, anddoing so we will begin to
contribute to a society thatreflects the best of our shared
values and standing againstforces that divide us.
Right?
And if this is what causes thechurch to come under persecution
(21:28):
, because we seek for the goodof all people, even those who
are different from us, then sobe it.
So be it.
But the way that the church haspower in the world is that it
doesn't stand for power.
It doesn't stand for financialgain, it doesn't stand for land
(21:53):
grabs, but it seeks to speak onthe humanity of people.
Bring people together, crossdivides, get people talking
together, practice forgiveness,show love, as the scripture says
in Micah 6.8, seek justice andmercy and walk humbly with God.
(22:16):
Okay, so, guys, listen, I knowI've gone a little long today,
but I want you to think aboutthis.
I want you to think about beingthe church not just talking
about the church that we cancontribute to making the society
reflects the best values thatwe uphold and stand firm against
(22:36):
anything that is different.
So, hey, I want to thank youguys for joining me for this
here conversation and if youenjoyed the episode or if I made
you think great, I want toencourage you to share it with
people, share with your friends,share with your community.
Let's continue the dialogue.
Let us stay rooted in love anda commitment to the common good.
(22:58):
Okay, so until next time, y'allbe good, y'all be blessed.
Let's keep doing a doggonething.
I keep doing God's work in theworld and I thank you for your
continued listenership andsupport.
Okay, I'm Lionel, I salute youand stay on the side of acting
(23:19):
justly and walking humbly withGod.
We'll see you in two weeks fromnow.
Okay, god bless, peace, thankyou.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com