Christians & Politics
- Should Christians run for public office?
- Should Christians support specific politicians?
- My church endorses candidates for public office, is this biblical?
Should Christians run for public office?
This is a personal decision. It does bother me when a politician runs as a Christian candidate. The idea is that the church is obligated to support this candidate. Is he or she qualified? If not, they will not get my vote, Christian or not.
A Christian politician should be clear in his testimony about the Lord Jesus. He should be willing to be evaluated based on his personal merit and not the fact that he is a Christian. We should hold Christian politicians to the same standard we hold all others running for political office.
Should Christians support specific politicians?
I think Christians have a right and a responsibility to be involved in the political process. With that said, I would encourage pastors to keep this out of the church, for two reasons: 1) The church services are for the worship of our Lord, 2) It is illegal to promote a candidate as a non-profit religious organization. You may see this in many churches; still it is our responsibility to obey the Law.
Support your candidate but don't let your political view destroy your relationship with your brothers and sisters. Not everyone agrees with your political position. I have made many mistakes in this regard and have unfortunately hurt some good brothers.
My church endorses candidates for public office, is this biblical?
No, your church should not support a specific candidate. It is illegal, if your church is a 501c3 non-profit religious institution, to promote a specific candidate. Even though many churches do this-it is illegal. It is possible that your church is not a 501c3. If this is true, donations to that church are not tax deductible.