As an evangelical Christian, I have been conditioned to believe that if I want to make America great again, and if I wish to hold back the tidal wave of God's fiery judgment, and if I wish to vanquish all demonic foes (both foreign and domestic), then I simply need to be committed to making sure God gets back in the White House.
And the only way to get God back in the White House of course, is to vote for a man after God's own heart, which means voting for another evangelical Christian... or a Roman Catholic or Mormon, if that's all we can find.
At least, that's what we've learned to think. And this belief is so common among us that it almost goes without saying anymore.
And it is such a powerful idea embedded into our DNA, that because of our numerical representation, even Donald Trump the Great feels compelled to bow at this cultural altar, and at least pretend to be Christian-ish, if he has any serious hopes of being successful in his bid for the White House.
We will accept nothing less, and such is evidenced by the fact that all Republican presidential candidates currently running for office have an official Christian badge that they are ready to flash should anybody question their credentials.
But the more I think about this idea, the more I'm starting to feel like it's a bad idea, nay, even a terrible idea.
First of all, the idea is theologically suspicious.
As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ presently possesses all authority in heaven and earth. He is currently King of kings and Lord of lords. And no matter who sits in the Oval Office, Jesus Christ is still the sovereign King over all of creation, and He presently rules over whomever we elect as the President of the United States. Therefore, the idea that America needs somebody that is saved and sanctified in order to get God back in the White House is a mistaken idea. God is already there, no matter who we elect.
Secondly, the idea that electing a Christian leader will somehow hold back God's judgment on our nation is entirely without Biblical support.
The apostle Paul made it clear in Romans 1:18 that the wrath and judgment of God is always being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness. God is always judging America in some way, shape, or form. And as history has made abundantly clear, our continued existence as a nation-state is always in constant jeopardy. Eventually, America will go the way of all nations, as God is only interested in permanently establishing one nation forever, and that is the Kingdom of God. And according to the Bible, His kingdom will eventually overtake all nations. Therefore, electing a Christian to the presidency of the United States will not change what is our ultimate fate. American will not exist forever.
Thirdly, just because a candidate is a Christian doesn't mean they have the best ideas and solutions to make America a better place, and to solve the issues our nation faces.
In spite of having impeccable Christian credentials and a direct line of communication with God , president George Bush proved to be not such a great president, and I think most would admit that they regret voting for him two times in a row (at least I do). Granted, Al Gore and John Kerry would've probably done a terrible job at running our government had they been elected. But I think most of us would admit president Bush didn't exactly do a great job either.
The way I see it, voting for a man just because he claims to be a Christian is like trying to take a test at school and praying that you will pass it. The truth of the matter is, if you take a test at school without mastering your subject matter and studying hard, you'll never pass the test. Therefore, we should vote for somebody, not just because they are a Christian and give us some sort of religious goosebumps, but because they've really done their homework, and have the best ideas about governing our nation.
Therefore, it is my resolve (and I hope you'll join me) that going forward I will not simply vote for a man simply because he is a Christian. While I like the idea of a Christian occupying important government positions, I'm not going to vote for somebody simply because they put on a half-way decent show of being a Christian. Rather, I'm going to vote for the guy I think will best govern our nation, who has the best ideas, who has done his homework, and really seems to have the ability to get things done.
At the end of the day, the guy we put in the White House should be the best guy for the job. Period.
Presently, I don't know who that is yet. I personally like Rand Paul, but I don't think he has the best chance of winning. And I'm not exactly thrilled about any other candidate, so I might find myself not voting for anybody for president.
But regardless of who ultimately wins, I will commit to praying for whoever ends up in the White House, because at the end of the day, Jesus Christ is Lord and all of my hope is ultimately in Him. And I believe that through the rule and reign of Jesus Christ, that He can even make deeply wicked men the best of rulers, and nothing will ultimately stop Him from accomplishing His will in this world.
For the rule and reign of His kingdom of peace will know no end, no matter who we elect.
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