By Joel Hunter
Is America a Christian nation?

To paraphrase Forrest Gump’s words in the movie of the same name: “Stupid is as stupid does.’” We could also say, “Christian is as Christian does.” On that basis, America is mostly a secular nation. While 80 percent of Americans claim to be at least nominally Christian, most of us aren’t living like followers of Christ. We do have evidence in our history and in our important government papers an abundance of references to Scripture and to Christianity. Though mostly Christians founded and shaped our history, several of the most influential Founding Fathers were Deists. We may be the most church-going nation in the world, but we have strayed from any Christian foundation, and the culture itself is not “Christian” by any stretch of the imagination. Aren’t faith and our political beliefs a private affair?

Why should a Christian’s political view be expressed in public at all?
Jesus said, “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Our job while on Earth is to make our faith public so that others can come to know and believe in Jesus Christ, the Lord of peace and grace. Christians should demonstrate the gospel in all areas of life. What we say and do in everyday life should be the same as what we say and do in church. The bottom line is that we are what we believe, so we need to live and speak what we believe. Should we keep quiet in public because we might offend someone? Not unless we want to be hypocrites.

Does government have the right to “legislate” morality?
Actually, the government does little else. Every policy the government makes has an underlying moral value. Decisions are made and legislation gets passed because government thinks it’s the right thing to do. So the question isn’t really “Can you legislate morality?” but “Whose morality do you legislate?” If there are no Christians offering their understanding of morality—if they abdicate their responsibility—there won’t simply be a vacuum; other people from a more secular standpoint or value base will offer their understanding. So the concern is not about legislating morality; rather it should be about which morality gets legislated.


Is it possible to be a politician and truly be a Christian at the same time?
Yes, it is definitely possible to be a Christian and a politician, because God calls some Christians to help people by serving through public service. And we want them in office! When the apostle Paul went through the Roman judicial system in Acts, he witnessed to politicians the entire time, hoping to bring them to Christ. So we want Christians in politics.


What can be done to re-brand the Christian voice in the political arena?
First of all, we need to lower the decibel level. In some respects, evangelical Christians deserve the image of ranters, because people don’t usually get active unless they’re mad. But that’s just not a good way to do politics.

Second, we need to take the attention off of specific issues and put it back on moral values, because moral values are much more basic: They’re less likely to incite yelling and are more to the point. Moral values have people’s interests in mind. They don’t make evangelicals into enemies.

The third thing we can do is to expand the variety of the issues we address. There ought to be more than just gay marriage and pro-life issues attached to us, because the Bible is concerned with all of life. (By the way, the Bible is very pro-life after birth as well. The Bible teaches that we are to be concerned with how well people are taken care of, especially the vulnerable.)

The fourth thing we need to do is treat people with respect. Most people are trying to do the best they know how. They may disagree with us, but we Christians ought to be known for our respect of others. The Bible teaches that we are to honor all men (see 1 Peter 2:17).


Is there a biblical grid for voting? How do I evaluate a particular candidate or policy using Scripture?
I would say that there is a very general grid that Scripture gives us. Our main priority is not who gets in office but how we advance the kingdom of God, because the kingdoms of this world will pass away but the kingdom of God will not. Therefore, our priority is always how we make Kingdom progress in every realm of our lives, including politics.
Throughout God’s Word, we read about people such as Joseph, Esther and Daniel who served in government and were just trying to obey God. So, when I look at a candidate, one of the first things I ask myself is whether that candidate is doing what he or she is doing out of the moral conviction of wanting to follow God as well as he or she can. That’s important to me.

Another grid for me is the life of Jesus. Jesus is the personification of God. He’s the best picture of God that we have. So when it comes to the values or stances that I look for in a candidate, they will closely resemble those I see in Jesus.

Jesus was so pro-life that He brought people back from the dead! He was also very protective of the vulnerable. Therefore, I want to be protective of the vulnerable, both inside the womb and outside the womb. The Bible has a long history of caring for the poor, of caring for the fatherless and the orphaned, of caring for the sick and those who don’t have the same capabilities as other people. Jesus also wasn’t afraid to speak truth. So, I want a voice that will not just put good values into government but one that will also stand up against the corruption and the really bad policies of government.

In the end, we’ve got to decide which person measures up to those values that we see in Jesus and vote for the candidate who is more likely to move us closer to those values.


Which important issues have been most ignored by the Religious Right?
There are many issues, but three are poverty, AIDS and the environment. Regarding poverty, the Religious Right simply says, “Let them lift themselves up by their own bootstraps! I earned my own way, why shouldn’t they?” Some even believe they shouldn’t try to fix the situation because Jesus said, “The poor will be with you always” (Matthew 26:11). Jesus’ statement didn’t imply that individuals must stay in poverty throughout their lifetime. Sadly, there will always be “newly” poor people. Christians must continue to find ways to effectively help individuals who are poor move beyond their poverty. Those who can should work. Government policy can be quite helpful in accomplishing that.

AIDS: There’s an unfortunate attitude that says, “They brought it on themselves.” But maternal fetal transmission, ignorance of the disease and rape prove that attitude can be incorrect.

The environment: Some think, “God gave us dominion over the earth so that we could take what we need out of it.” The first consideration concerning creation care cannot be profit or loss, but rather, what did God say to do? All three of these issues—poverty, AIDS, the environment—have been, if not ignored, rationalized by the Religious Right as secondary issues. But they are key biblical issues, and we need to do everything we can to relieve poverty, to heal the sick and to protect the earth.

This excerpt is from A New Kind of Conservative (Regal Books) by Joel C. Hunter