We interrupt our series on science and faith to discuss something many Americans are thinking about as they enter the holiday season…how to interact with those family members and friends who hold vastly different opinions. While some advise avoiding family who hold different political opinions, communications expert Peyton Luke encourages listeners to have fruitful conversations, following a few specific tips. Listen to this episode in preparation for your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering, and take notes on keeping your interactions civil, calm, and productive.
In this episode, Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center challenges Christians to reframe the way they interact with politics. As Dr. Spencer and Liberty discuss topics like cultural Christianity and Christian nationalism, Dr. Spencer argues that Christians’ political involvement should stem from a place of discipleship, not a desire for comfort.
Wholesome vs. Holy
Dr. Spencer’s recent book, Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness, argues political action is often an effective means for loving God and loving our neighbor—the two greatest commandments in the Bible. But our motivation can be misplaced. For instance, as Christians, our motivation for getting involved in politics shouldn’t be “saving the culture” or restoring a cultural Christianity for our own comfort.
“Christians tend to settle for wholesomeness when only holiness will do,” Dr. Spencer said.
Won’t activism that is inspired by Christian principles have a positive effect on the culture? Dr. Spencer says that’s not guaranteed in Scripture.
“Our task is to be faithful regardless, and to allow God to do through us what we can’t see,” he told Know Why. That doesn’t mean our faithfulness won’t bear fruit—but it may not be in ways (or on timelines) we can see. “As we’re faithful, he’ll use that faithfulness across the generations.”
Christian Nation(alism)?
Many people use the term “Christian nation” to refer to America, due to strong Christian and theistic elements of its founding and history. But Dr. Spencer says we shouldn’t call America a Christian nation, since “Christian” has a precise definition that doesn’t apply to earthly governments.
“There’s a big distinction to be made between being inspired by the Bible and believing that the Bible is an inspired authority,” he said.
While he believes “Christian nationalism” is a “pejorative” often used to demean Christian political activists, he does believe that actual Christian nationalism is wrong. “I think that merging the church and the state is a fundamental theological error. The two simply do not go together,” he said.
Knowing about presidential politics in the United States requires knowing about the Electoral College. What is it? Why do we have it? How does it work? How does it impact the weight of your vote? How does it impact candidates’ campaigning strategies—and why does that matter? Richard Lim, historian and host of the podcast This American President, joins Know Why to answer all these questions and more!
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a representative body like the Senate or the House of Representatives. Citizens don’t vote directly on federal laws but elect representatives to vote on laws for us. Similarly, the Electoral College consists of electors who vote for U.S. President based on the votes of the people they represent. Richard tells listeners to pay attention to their ballot this November. You’ll notice that you aren’t technically voting for your preferred presidential candidate, but rather for electors who will cast that vote for you later.
“Which system protects the rights of as many people as possible? That’s what you have to consider.”
richard Lim
Why Does the Electoral College Matter Today?
Many people today believe the Electoral College should be abolished in favor of a popular vote. Richard explains that the Founders created the Electoral College to protect the rights of states with smaller populations. Richard told Know Why this helps bring balance to presidential races. Candidates are motivated to spend time talking with a wider variety of people than their main voter base. This makes candidates more attune to the entire nation. With the Electoral College, the presidential race becomes about more than getting the most votes (even though winning the Electoral College without winning the popular vote is rare); it becomes about which candidate can understand and connect with the broadest range of Americans.
Listen to the full episode for more—including interesting facts about past presidential elections and the Electoral College, why the Electoral College makes recounts much easier, and how it can positively impact the power of your vote. Be sure to check back next week for Part 2 of Richard’s interview.
Feel confident next time you head to the polls! To kick off our new series, Know About Political Engagement, Lisa Hendrickson joins the Know Why Podcast with tips on becoming an informed voter. Drawing from her years of experience managing campaigns and working in various political roles, Lisa encourages listeners to own their vote and know why it counts.
Own Your Vote
Lisa’s interest in political engagement took root when she was young. In grade school when she would complain that something was unjust, her mother would ask, what are you going to do about it? Today, Lisa believes in taking responsibility for one’s own freedom by staying politically active.
“If you’re not involved in politics, in my opinion, it will control you,” she told Know Why.
The first way to get involved is to vote. But for first-time or inexperienced voters, heading to the polls can be overwhelming—especially because there are no one-size-fits-all instructions. Details on how, when, and where to vote can vary between states, counties, and even precincts. Lisa offers tips on finding the relevant information for your area. She and Liberty also discuss tips for staying aware of important local elections.
“Do you care enough to make sure that you own your vote?”
Lisa Hendrickson
Most of all, Lisa encourages Know Why listeners to do the hard and time-consuming work of researching candidates and issues and truly owning their vote. Don’t just vote for someone because a celebrity or politician you like endorsed them, she says.
“I’m ok with people voting a different way than me as long as you’re ok to own it,” she said.
Check back next week for Part 2 of Lisa’s interview with Know Why.
People of faith are free participate in either political party and advocate their convictions, but Christians often don’t speak out when their party is wrong. That’s what Justin Giboney, attorney, political strategist, and president of the AND Campaign argues in this episode of the Know Why podcast.
The United States has seen dozens of political parties and multiple party systems throughout history. Today, American politics are largely dominated by two major parties, the Democratic and Republican parties.
Unchanging Values
So which party does God belong to? None of them.
According to the Bible, God and his values are eternal and unchanging. By contrast, earthly politics change constantly. Even the platforms of today’s two major parties evolve year by year.
So, people of faith shouldn’t worry when a political party they don’t like prevails, thinking that it interferes with God’s will. The Bible teaches that no purpose of God’s can be thwarted.
‘Be About Righteousness and Justice’
“You got to read the prophets,” Justin told Know Why. “What we know about the government from Genesis on is that it’s God-ordained. However, you got to remember that God is absolutely sovereign, but he also does a lot of his work through us. And so you see Amos, and you see Isaiah, and you see these people [in the Bible] going to government and going to people in power and saying, ‘You’re not doing the right thing.’ So although it’s God-ordained and God is sovereign, he works through us. … He has an expectation that we’ll be about righteousness and justice. In fact, he’s appalled when we’re not doing that work.”
Many Christians will argue that their favorite political party does these things better than the rest. Who is right? The truth is that different parties, politicians, or policies may reflect different parts of God’s value system at different times.
“We live in a broken world and as part of that the parties that we’re in are broken,” Justin said. “And so I would say that both parties fall well short of where the gospel would have us to be.” He mentions both abortion and racial justice as examples of where Democrats and Republicans have fallen short of biblical values.
That’s why Christians’ main allegiance should be to God, and not one party or person. Earthly political parties are sure to change, but God’s values never will.
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