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A former parishioner called me a few weeks ago. We had served together on multiple committees while I was her pastor for several years. A faithful member of the congregation for decades, she rarely missed an opportunity to study the Bible and participate in worship as well as other church-sponsored activities and ministry opportunities.
When she called she said, "Steve, I have known you for a long time, and until your candidacy for the NC Senate was announced, I had no idea whether you were a Republican or a Democrat."
"It was by design that I never interjected my political views into my role as a pastor," I explained. I went on to ask the obvious question, "Have you ever wondered why there are so many Christian denominations?" The simple fact is people view their faith experience in many different ways. Nothing is more personal than a person’s perception of God’s presence in his or her life.
In my journey as a Christian and a God-called pastor, I have experienced the many joys of being with Christian friends and parishioners over the years. While growing in my own faith experience, I have watched many others grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ as together we have sought to integrate the teachings of the Holy Bible into our daily lives.
The only times in my ministry I have been heartbroken have come from those who would use God’s teachings through Christ for personal political reasons. It saddens me deeply when people in a power-brokered ivory tower convince good, well-meaning church members that a person cannot be both a Christian and a Democrat.
I am a Christian and a Democrat. At the age of 12, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior through God’s grace or unmerited favor. Integral to my personal belief system is the understanding that God is about reconciliation, not divisiveness, love, not hate, truth, not lies, hope, not fear, and service, not greed and power.
Do we see these elements in the political arena today? Absolutely not! The negative character-attacking campaign ads so predominant in the political arena have no place in the worship of God. Our nation’s founders and framers of our constitution realized the danger of the government’s policies and laws having undue influence in the religious faith and practice of America’s citizens.
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the principle author of the Declaration of Independence is also widely recognized as the primary architect of the American tradition of separation of church and state.
In a letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, Jefferson is quoted as saying "Believing that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and state." (from Andrew Lipscomb and Albert Bergh, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson).
Many of you would perhaps say that this is a human interpretation, and you would be correct. So let’s go to the likely source for Jefferson, as well as the influencing factor on many other founders of our nation, the Holy Bible.
In the Gospel of Matthew [22:15-22] we find the account of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time on earth seeking to trap him into denying the tax that should be paid to Rome which had direct control over Judea. Jesus did not fall for the ploy, however, as the Bible states, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." (v. 21)
Does this mean people of God do not belong in politics? My reply is a resounding, "No!" But it does mean politics do not belong in the pulpit. It is a sad day when people of faith inadvertently jump on the bandwagon of a political movement disguised as a religious revival bound for heaven.
As a Christian, citizen, and elected official, I will always draw from my faith and values concerning important issues. As always, my stand will be prefaced by prayer, seeking God’s guidance. To my Republican and Democratic friends and colleagues alike, is it not time to move toward a reconciliation of purpose? Our constituents - whether local, regional, state, or national - deserve representation that everyone can depend on, and I believe God will approve of it.
Steve Goss is a retired Baptist Minister, running for the North Carolina Senate from the 45th District. You can contact him through his website, www.votestevegoss.com, or at P.O. Box 509, Boone, NC 28607.
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