​Are Politics Marring the Gospel?

“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” – Proverbs 18:13
 
I don’t know Roy Moore.  As far as I know, we’ve never been in the same town at the same time. I have no idea whether the charges currently being leveled against him are true or not.  I do know this, the more people that are willing to come out, the more believable the story becomes.  And, no matter the timing, these women have a right to tell their side of the story – even if it’s 40 years later.  If, at the end of the day, we are found supporting a sexual predator because there is an “R” beside his name, shame on us. 
 
Admittedly, I am not a huge follower of political stories.  I simply do not have the time or the passion for it.  For the most part, I do not watch news outlets and I do not read newspapers.  I will make a couple of exceptions – Alabama football and headlines that interest me on social media.  It’s been nearly impossible to ignore the articles concerning the accusations against Roy Moore the past few days.  So, I’ve read an article or two. 
 
No article concerns me more than the one published yesterday.  Fifty pastors came out publicly with a show of support for Roy Moore (two have withdrawn their name at this point) - "Kayla Moore Posts Support from 50 Pastors." That’s right, while he’s being accused of having an illegal relationship with a 14 year old when he was 32, fifty men who are leading fifty congregations are publicly telling the world that they will continue to support his candidacy. Even the same day that a story breaks of another lady accusing Mr. Moore of locking the car door and trying to force her to commit lewd acts, pastors are saying he is a worthy representative (yes…representative) of who we are as a community. Look, I get that politics is ugly – I really do.  And, I get that many argue that voting for the lesser of two evils is always the choice we must make (I don’t agree with that argument – but I digress).  But, I am struggling to comprehend such a public show of confidence at this point. 
 
How can we, as pastors, preach to our congregation the importance of living godly lives while being willing to mar our message by supporting someone that may or may not have engaged in any number of improper relationships?  How can we, as pastors, instruct our flock, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) while declaring that we are voting for and you should vote for a man accused of such debauchery?  How can we, as pastors, preach to our flock, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8) while telling them publicly to vote for a man that is accused of being anything but that.
 
The answer is simple.  We, as white evangelicals, are committed to the Republican Party.  We are so committed that the character of the candidate with an “R” beside his name doesn’t matter anymore.  This was true in November 2016 and it is true in November 2017.  For a year, I have had to endure taunts from unbelievers and liberals concerning the vote of evangelicals in the presidential election.  And honesty, I have few defenses.  Today, article after article and comment after comment by skeptics point to just another example of church leaders supporting a candidate who is (at least possibly) not characteristic of what is preached on Sunday mornings.  While instructing those sheep entrusted to us to live one way, we are telling politicians we don’t care how they live.  The worst thing about it, we are giving aid to the enemy.  We…claiming to be the moral minority…are being hypocrites.  Honestly, there’s no other way to look at it. 
 
I realize there are professing Christians that are political liberals.  Shame on them too!  The same standard holds true for the liberal side.  You cannot preach the Bible faithfully on Sunday morning while publicly supporting every liberal social position our society has to offer – from the murdering of unborn children to homosexual marriage.  That too mars the Gospel.  I am in no way giving a free pass to that side.  It’s wrong and has been wrong for the decades leading up to our present crisis.  For decades, those on the conservative side have pointed out that inconsistency…that hypocrisy, even…of being religiously conservative and politically liberal.  And that is a valid point – and an accurate one.  Today’s problem is that we, as Christian conservatives, are willing to back off our position when we are faced with it while continuing to point the finger at those on the other side. 
 
Jesus addressed such an attitude – “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).  Our society has accepted the first two words of this passage while successfully ignoring the rest.  But every word of this teaching by Jesus is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  If you are willing to support a candidate that is a crook and a womanizer, you simply cannot accuse your enemy of being wrong for the doing the exact same thing.  It is the definition of hypocrisy. 
 
Christian leader, back up…take a deep breath and a long look at the message of God’s Word. Politics will not change a society.  In the Old Testament, as Israel wandered away from God, not one prophet ever suggested that a political change would fix everything.  If only taxes were lower…if only government were smaller…if only we had universal healthcare…or not!  No – a thousand times no.  The message of the prophets was one of repentance…one of believing God and following His Word. 
 
Before Paul visited Rome, he wrote a long letter to the saints there.  In the first chapter, he made a statement that we need to take to heart today – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).  Pastor, if you want to change your congregation…if you want to change your community…you won’t do it by getting some candidate elected or stopping the opposing candidate.  If you want to eternally change your neighbor for his good, the Gospel is the only means to do that. 
 
Politics doesn’t have an answer for the problem of sin.  In fact, if politics in America is any barometer, politics ultimately increases sin.  And, when we speak too quickly…without waiting to see how the facts of an accusation play out, it is “folly and shame” for our congregations and us.  Worse yet, it is confusing to the outside world.  It shows a problem that exists in Christian communities.  It tells the world that we think politicians…no matter how dirty…remain worthwhile representatives for our communities. 
 
Have we forgotten John the Baptist?  “For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.’” (Mark 6:17-18).  What would John be saying today?  I don’t think there’s any doubt of that.  What did Jesus have to say about John?  “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).  John had integrity – even when it cost him his life.  John was far more interested in the glory of God than he was the glory of John.  And I think we can all agree if he were alive today, he’d be more interested in God’s glory than some political party or candidate that opposes what we claim to believe on Sunday mornings – whether Republican, Democrat or Independent. 
 
I am in no way suggesting that we should completely withdraw from the political spectrum.  But there has got to be a point when God-fearing people must at least hold their tongue.  There has to be a point when we cannot publicly support a man accused of being a sexual predator.  Take a moment and consider what the lost see in such a public display of support.  What do these women that have come forward think of those pastors that are willing to do so?  Even closer to home, think of what the women in our congregations must be thinking.  Even more so, what do our wives and daughters think?  Not to diminish the importance of those questions, but consider above all what God must think.  Does such a public show add glory to Him?  The answer to that question is as clear as crystal. 
 
As I said before, I have no idea if Roy Moore is guilty of the charges waged against him.  That will have to play out in the days to come.  But at this point, I cannot support him.  I’ll say the same for his opponent.  Doug Jones supports far too many things that my commitment to Scripture does not.  At this point, I’ll do the unthinkable for Christians in America – I’ll refrain from voting for either.  One does have to wonder which party would step up and run a godly person in the next election to win the Christian conservatives if we all refrained.  But understand, I’m not telling anybody how to vote.  That is not my goal here.  What I am saying is that we are willingly marring the message of the Gospel if we publicly support either of these two candidates at this point.  And, I care a lot more about what my neighbor thinks of my integrity and commitment to Christ than I do who is elected to the senate in Alabama.