The Bible and Politics

It's the middle of an election season. Candidates with very different political views proclaim their support of the Bible. Many conservatives and progressives will argue that the Bible supports their positions. Does the Bible really say who to vote for? If so, why is there so much disagreement?

I believe many of the issues that seem to separate Americans during elections aren't really the issues that separate us. We see the tip of the iceberg, but the real differences are somewhere below the surface. Our assumptions about God, the Bible, morality, and politics are all interconnected. So when we argue about a specific position related to issues like taxes or abortion, we're not really arguing about taxes and abortion. There are a number of beliefs we hold to deeply that we have decided before we get to a specific political question. We don't see why others don't agree with us, because we aren't even talking about the issues that divide us.

My observation has been that most people on the right and the left don't really allow the Bible to guide their political opinions. They have a certain set of political beliefs, and then they appeal to Scripture to support their positions. Of course, many don't really care what the Bible says at all.

However, to Trust the Bible, is to see it as God's Word. The Bible says a lot about politics and government. I believe everything the Bible says is right, and therefore, I don't want any of my political views to contradict the teachings of Scripture. Anything less than that would be to reject the Bible as something we can trust. The difficulty is that the Bible was not written with the American political system in mind, nor 21st Century issues in mind. The Bible doesn't say "vote for candidate "_____" in this election, or "support this specific healthcare policy." The Bible does give us principles of what government is supposed to be and do.

I also think it is healthy for Christians following the Bible to disagree about who to vote for in a particular election. If in every election a candidate knew that all the Christians were going to vote for them, or that none of the Christians were going to vote for them, they could ignore the questions and concerns of the whole group. But when there is fluid movement between candidates in the Bible believing community, then they are a group that those running for office will want to reach out to.

In my next post, I will discuss what the Bible says about the purpose of government. If you don't first establish what Government is, understanding what the Bible says about specific issues is confusing. If you really want to follow the Bible in every area, including political ones, you need to start at the foundation and work up to specifics. The use and abuse of Scriptures in the political realm causes doubts about whether we can trust the Bible, but the answer lies in finding what the Bible teaches on the primary political issues, instead of starting with specific and secondary ones. However, I will welcome comments and questions on specific issues and will respond to them.


Trust the Bible is a weekday radio program that begins at about 8:10 each morning on WDOG 93.5 in Allendale, SC. You can listen to previous programs online here: http://www.fairfaxfbc.org/trust-the-bible.html