Don Wildmon

AFA/AFR founder

August 1995 – Thirty years ago a United Methodist bishop, James Armstrong, wrote a book titled The Urgent Now. In the book Bishop Armstrong had a chapter called “The Christian as Politician.” I re-read that chapter a few weeks ago along with the book’s Foreward to the book, written by Senator George McGovern.

I agreed with the basic truths presented by Bishop Armstrong when I read the book in the 1960s, and agree with them still. His comments about “The Christian as Politician” were fi rst presented to a group of pastors in 1968.

There are many liberal politicians, media elite and church leaders today who are very critical of conservative Christians who involve themselves in politics. Their memories are short. Only about three decades ago liberals were not only deeply involved in politics, but were publicly advocating and encouraging such involvement by Christians.

Bishop Armstrong went on to become the head of the National Council of Churches. Unfortunately, he later resigned after admitting adultery (a fact little reported by the liberal media). Senator McGovern later ran for President as a Democrat.

Here are some selected comments from Senator McGovern’s Forward: “It is no longer feasible – if indeed it ever was – to separate one’s personal faith from his social responsibility. No true Christian is deserving of peace of soul who does not address himself to the hard issues of war and peace, Vietnam, the arms race, and international community. No Christian worthy of the name can feed his own soul without concern for those around him who hunger in body and spirit. No Christian can really commune with his Creator, who denies the dignity of his fellow creatures by reason or race.

“More particularly, it is not possible to separate the concerns of religion from the concerns of politics. A religion that is indifferent to the quality of political leadership in society is a religion of doubtful vitality and meaning. Conversely, a political leadership indifferent to the moral claims and insights of religion is a sterile and dangerous leadership. There is no major moral issue now confronting the church which can be fully challenged without involving our political process. But neither is there any major issue in the fi eld of politics that can be adequately challenged without those special insights born of religious and moral convictions.”

Here are some selected comments by Bishop Armstrong. “To divorce the political realities of this land from their religious foundations is like trying to rip a tree from its roots….The Wesleyan revival was something of a midwife in helping bring this nation to birth.

“You see, there is no way to divorce faith from life; the gospel from the world; the church from politics. At least there is no legitimate way. Politics is an essential province of Christian concern.... Jesus was put to death, not because he was a wonder-worker healing the sick, but because he was a prophet disturbing the status quo, refusing to bend his knee to a Pilate and a Herod. The chain of events leading to the crucifixion was far more political than religious.

“We have all heard the words ‘You fellows ought to stop meddling in politics and stick to preaching.’ How different our world would be had Moses, Amos, Isaiah, Jesus, Paul, John Calvin, John Wesley, Martin Niemoller, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mohandas Gandhi, and Martin Luther King heeded those words. If we are committed to the welfare of people, and seek to be faithful to Christ in all things, there is no way we can withdraw from the stress and storm of a very real world. If politics is the art of making and keeping persons truly human, then the Christian has undeniable rights and responsibilities in public affairs.

“It is not the function of the church to speak ex-cathedra on every controversial issue that comes down the pike, to endorse candidates and promote partisan platforms. The church is not here to respond to candidates on the basis of partisanship in the name of expediency. It is here to respond to issues on the basis of principles in the name and spirit of Christ.

“The Christian will study the issues and make his political judgments on the basis of New Testament insight and devotion. He will vote (that goes without saying). He will take ward and precinct politics, local contests and primary elections as seriously as he takes the national quadrennial melodrama.

“...it is not enough to simply study, think, and vote. If democracy is to be strengthened there must be personal involvement...I am one of those who believe that the political institutions of this republic need to be cleansed; that the prevailing ‘establishments’ of the country need to be redirected by a new kind of politics.

“I do insist, however, that the Christian (and this includes the clergyman) has an obligation to relate himself to those areas of decision-making where community policy and life are formed. We will not always agree on issues and candidates, but as individual Christians – not as a church, but as individual Christians – we are challenged to enter the rough-and-tumble arena of human activity where the earthbound destiny of a people is determined. Politics is dirty only if people like us let it become dirty.

“Let the Christian then be a politician in the best sense of the word. Let him be faithful to the Christ, who was willing to die that man might be free and that this earth might be a fairer place on which to live.”

The issues which Bishop Armstrong listed as being “all-important, fundamental issues confronting the human family today” included the following: international anarchy; national arrogance; nuclear weaponry; world peace; the technological revolution; the urban revolution with its slums, poverty, and racial explosiveness; law and order; ethics in government; fair employment practices; open housing; taxation; space exploration.

It is rather hypocritical for liberals who promoted the Christian involvement in these political issues to now condemn conservatives who are involved with issues of family breakdown, pornography, media filth, abortion, the promotion of homosexuality, sex education in schools, and related issues.

Christians who follow the advice of Bishop Armstrong and Senator McGovern about political involvement should not be condemned simply because they are conservatives and not liberals.