Beyond the Booth
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Religion and politics
One of the cherished notions that typically guides the lives of Americans is that politics and religion do not mix. Of course, there are some areas of overlap that Americans accept and even expect, like a prayer at a presidential inauguration or candidates ending speeches with “God bless America.” But, on the whole, it is taken for granted that there needs to be a clear distinction or even a wall of separation between church and state. People do not want the government telling them what to believe about God, and they do not want the church telling them how to vote. Actually, they do not want anyone telling them how to vote.
In our lives as citizens of a democratic republic, the voting booth is considered sacred ground. In this revered space each person exercises his right of franchise and votes for people, proposals and platforms as he chooses. Voting, it seems, is the ultimate exercise in individual choice and the expression of personal opinion. No one tells you how to vote; no one but you decides how you cast your ballot. And no one knows your vote unless you tell them — well, almost no one.
God knows, of course; Christians know that. And Christians know that strict divisions between the different parts of their lives make no sense, or at least they should not make any sense. As people who follow Christ, we understand that no part of our lives lie beyond the claim of our Savior and Lord. As believers, we belong to our Lord completely, and our lives are normed by Him entirely. God directs all the spiritual and all the material aspects of our lives. He teaches us not only how to receive His gifts and worship Him, but He also teaches us how to be creatures as He intended. Such direction touches every part of our lives — including the political part of being the citizen of a nation. There can be no doubt, then, that God most certainly goes with you into the voting booth and has something to say about the ballot you cast.
A two realms guide
Emphasizing the unity of the spiritual and temporal aspects of our lives to better understand a Christian approach to voting does not negate the distinction between them. In fact, it is the biblical and confessional understanding of God’s two kingdoms or realms that guides this right understanding of voting. Simply put, the teaching of the two realms helps us see that God is directly involved in caring for His creation in two different but complementary ways. In the spiritual realm, He answers our need for a right relationship with Him and through His church gives us forgiveness and grace in Christ. In the temporal realm, He enables us to live in right relationships with one another as He provides for all that we need to live in this world and through His appointed government extends His justice in the world (Rom. 13:1–7). The realms are not in opposition or competition, but together work to accomplish God’s purpose of claiming, preserving, saving and finally restoring the whole creation.
It is in this context of the two realms that we understand what it means to vote. Voting is an activity of the temporal realm, one of the many ways that we strive to uphold God’s justice and live in right relationships with other creatures. As citizens of a democratic republic, we participate in government in ways unimaginable to our fathers in the faith. When we vote, we are the government. Voting, then, is no mere right or privilege; it is a holy obligation, a responsibility, a small but significant vocation given by God to each Christian citizen. You need to vote.
What does this mean?
So, how does God want you to vote? Actually, that is not a trick question; it has an easy answer: God wants you to vote for the people, principles and platforms that will uphold and advance His justice in the world. In other words, you should vote in ways that will best serve your neighbor and his needs. A Christian never votes for the proposal or the candidate that promises to make her own life somehow better or that resonates with a favorite cause or interest. The Christian’s objective is always aimed out, focused on doing what helps the other. When the time comes to determine how best to serve which neighbor, things get quite interesting.
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The Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann serves as the Waldemar A. and June Schuette Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. This article was first printed in and is reprinted here with the permission of The Lutheran Witness.
Be Informed
Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, does some fact-checking from the most recent presidential debate as it pertains to abortion and pro-child issues.
Be Equipped
Learn more about Florida’s Amendment 4 and other pro-life issues with Dr. Michael New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute in a recent Issues, Etc. podcast.
Be Encouraged
“To God, all life is sacred because He created it. With their faith, the great multitude will stand before the Lamb on Judgment Day, just as we will. So, to us who follow Jesus, we must continue to uphold the sanctity of life for each person, no matter the nation, language, or their political stance.” Diane Albers
One of the cherished notions that typically guides the lives of Americans is that politics and religion do not mix. Of course, there are some areas of overlap that Americans accept and even expect, like a prayer at a presidential inauguration or candidates ending speeches with “God bless America.” But, on the whole, it is taken for granted that there needs to be a clear distinction or even a wall of separation between church and state. People do not want the government telling them what to believe about God, and they do not want the church telling them how to vote. Actually, they do not want anyone telling them how to vote.
How can you call yourself pro-life and not support free lunches, open borders, socialized healthcare? Well, you fill in the blank. First, off, such talk is a diversionary tactic, disingenuous. Can we simply agree that we ought not to be killing babies, whether they are in the womb or have been born? It really is that simple.
“Every day in every way, we’re getting better.” This mantra emerged in the first decades of the twentieth century, a hallmark of the optimistic mindset that prevailed in many circles of academia and government. New scientific discoveries and technological innovations seemed to promise a brighter future. However, two world wars, the Great Depression and the Holocaust shattered that positive view of humanity — at least for a time.
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With that statement, Paul defines the relationship between Christians and government. Throughout the Book of Acts, Paul invokes his Roman citizenship to make a passionate defense of the Gospel. Instead of shying away from engagement with the governing authorities, he engages them by proclaiming truth. However, he also puts his trust in God’s sovereignty because he knows that the ultimate authority and judge is the Lord, who has allowed those to be in authority so God’s purposes can be accomplished.
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One of my junior catechumens asked that last week. Politics, and political advertising, are wall-to-wall and around-the-clock here in Iowa these days. By “these days,” I mean most of the 10 years since I was called to Iowa. . . . The answer to that question is never short. Instead, I point our members to two basic Scriptures about the relationship of the Christian to government and politics
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I remember well holding my youngest daughter in my arms the day after she was born. But I do not remember thinking, “This is not bone of my bones or flesh of my flesh.” My only thought was that the Lord had given me this girl and that I was her father.
“What is marriage?” It seems like a silly question. But its one our society is vigorously fighting about. For thousands of years, and for all of recorded history prior to the year 2000, societies around the world recognized that marriage was an exclusive relationship of faithful permanence between one man and one woman, who vowed to remain together until death parts them.
Former President Donald Trump has survived an assassination attempt. We thank God for his protection, and like many other voices this week, we abhor such political violence, boldly praying to God that virtue and civility might return to our public life together. As Christians, we are called into the middle of the chaos of the world in which we live with the power and wisdom of God’s preserving voice of the Law and His saving voice of the Gospel.
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In 2021, the July 4 holiday fell on Sunday. You could hear the groans because that meant less time off, right? This year it falls on Thursday, so people surely will take the LONG weekend off. And isn’t that the point? Vacation, refreshment, leisure? Well, yes and no. The point of the holiday isn’t merely to take time off.
The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer notes that even the angels weep at what they see happening among us today but reminds us that: “The right side of history talk has been exposed as nonsense, a way to demoralize those who know or should know better. Much better to be on the side of the angels, God’s angels, who love us as he does.”
What would happen if "we strive to think as the Bible teaches 'to think about others more highly than ourselves' and seek to serve others with that wisdom and strength"? The Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz believes delightful consequences may occur!
Why is it that the "radicals sure know how to tear down, but, alas, they are not builders"? The Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer has a few ideas.
A disturbing narrative is metastasizing within our national consciousness: that Americans who embrace religious faith are potentially dangerous extremists, and that faith-inspired engagement in the public square poses a threat to our democracy.
There is a lot of fretting over Christian Nationalism, though as far as I can tell, the term comes with a lot of hype, and, as NPR would say, "misinformation." But when we speak about Christians in society today, we should not be naive and think we are living in a secular age of ideas, worrying about the danger that overzealous Christians are somehow trying to make other people act according to biblical laws. What we assert is the natural law. And here, it's important to speak of specific issues, so that the theories may be tested.
What does it matter if you call him a woman, call her a man? You can pretend it's a game, but you are doing it under compulsion, whether it's simply peer or social pressure, or whether it's a matter of advancing in your career, or even keeping your job or business. If you can be made to say 2 + 2 = 5, you are owned by someone else, and your mind is not your own, nor can it be the mind of Christ who is the Truth.
If a couple came to me and said, “Pastor, we’d like to get married, and we’d like to do everything we can today to make sure our marriage ends in divorce tomorrow,” then I would tell them that the first thing they should do is move in together. Cohabitation is that destructive to marriage and family life.
It almost seems ridiculous to point out that a politician did something hypocritical, but Kamala Harris inverted reality in an especially egregious way during her first (and hopefully last) vice presidential visit to an abortion facility last week. As part of her ongoing campaign against life, she claimed, “I have heard stories of — and have met with women who had miscarriages in — in toilets.” Like most of Harris’s speeches, she had said it all before. The vice president shared a video clip of herself repeating the same story on “The View” in January. Harris said she could not believe states still resist abortion “in this year of our Lord 2024,” before saying, “Women are having miscarriages in toilets.”
In his younger days, Bob Barker, former host of the television show, “The Price is Right,” hosted another show called “Truth or Consequences.” On this program contestants were asked questions and if they gave incorrect answers, there were consequences. There was a penalty for getting things “wrong.” Now the consequences weren’t life threatening. They involved comical stunts which may have been a bit embarrassing, but were endured as good-natured fun. At the close of every program, Barker signed off saying, “Good night, hoping all your consequences are happy ones.” It was an instant and enduring hit from the 1940s through Barker’s time with the show in the 1960s.
"What is the leading indicator of just about everything bad? The lack of a father, that is to say a Joseph, in the home." Learn why the Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer says the world needs more Josephs!
Thanks be to God, "There is only One who truly loves us 'no matter what' — only one family that will never fail us." Read more from Cheryl Magness.
Was the nuclear family a mistake? Cheryl Magness--in this two-part series--explains why it's the exact opposite.
Jesus is risen; He is risen indeed! But there’s more good news for those who believe in Him. He clearly says, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). Wow! What a statement. It calls believers to a confident hope that comes from knowing that even death itself has been conquered by the one who created and redeemed us.
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After reviewing what was said at their Baptisms, LCMS confirmands affirm their intention “to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it” (LSB p. 273). Nevertheless, confirmation is often the last time we see some of these young people in church. When they become adults, some children return, but many do not.
After reviewing what was said at their Baptisms, LCMS confirmands affirm their intention “to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it” (LSB p. 273). Nevertheless, confirmation is often the last time we see some of these young people in church. When they become adults, some children return, but many do not.