Alexithymia Antithesis

Christianity and Politics

Normally, I avoid politics like the plague.  I can't stand them.  And I have little faith that politics and government make a real difference in the world.  However, with this being a Presidential election year, it's hard to get around it.  You see it everywhere on the TV, paper, web, and radio.  So many people have various views - what is right or wrong, what the issues are, the war, poverty, thoughts on Democrats and Republicans, opinions regarding our current President, gas prices, the economy, global warming/climate change.  And I tend to avoid most of the political rants as it relates to these issues.  However, one of the biggest influences on politics today is Christianity and morality.  Should we vote for those that align with our religion?  Should Christianity, or any other religion, get involved in politics? 

Here is my answer to both of these questions - No and yes. 

My 'no' may not be a popular opinion.  However, I don't think Christianity should have an audible voice or a large presence in politics.  I think our voice and presence in politics should be a quiet one.  Maybe one in which we shouldn't even have a voice at all (an audible or public one, anyways).  My honest feeling on this is that the huge influence of Christianity in politics is the one reason many people have turned away and been turned off from the faith in the first place.  In a sense, we have lost our true mission.  And now so many people see Christians as moral superiors pushing their agenda rather than loving people offering a message of hope in Jesus.  There's no denying this.  Ask anyone "what is a Christian?" and the responses you get will almost always have some tie to politics or morals.  As Christians, we are to live morally but not shove morality down people's throats.  I don't think our agendas on gay marriage or abortion and the roles those issues in politics play will ever save a single soul or make any real difference in a person's life.  For far too long, our voice has been a vocal one telling America what is right and wrong. 

So should we have any voice at all and allow faith to play a role in the political process? 

Yes, we should be aligned with our religion IF our faith touches our hearts, minds, and values.  And if they do, we should vote with that in mind and live these things rather than taking our opinions on these issues public.  I don't want to vote for a candidate just because he is pro life or against gay marriage.  I don't want others voting just based on party lines so why should I vote strictly on religious ones?  If so, I become just as guilty as those I criticize.  I think we should vote with our hearts and mind as we are personally convicted to do so.  However, we have an obligation to vote for the best candidate for our country, even if they don't follow everything according to the Christian political agenda (the same for Democrats and Republicans as well).  There may be a time when voting for the best "Christian" may not be a vote for the best leaders of our country.  (And by saying this, it is not a reflection on any of our current leaders or future ones.)

Here's an example of a Christian issue in politics - abortion.  Many Christians believe that abortion is wrong according to God.  There are many points of discussion in this - when is a fetus a life, at what point is aborting ok, partial birth abortions, and whether it should be allowed for instances of rape or incest.  And while I agree that it is wrong (not getting into the details), you will never see me protesting at an abortion clinic or pushing any legislation that overturns Roe vs Wade.  Why?  Whether abortions are legal or illegal, there will always be women who choose to get abortions.  The legality of it doesn't matter as a woman who wants an abortion will have one, legal or not.  And here is the question I have asked myself - does making abortion legal have a real impact on a person's life or is it just a 'victory' for Christianity and God? 

I have a friend who was a devout Catholic in high school and really loved God (she ended up becoming a Christian).  Even in high school, she was strongly against abortion.  A girl she knew ended up getting pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.  I don't even remember if her parents knew but she had already decided that she was going to have an abortion.  Yet none of her friends agreed with her nor did she have any family to help her through this.  So even though my friend disagreed with the abortion, she went with her because she didn't want her to be alone and have to go through this by herself.  My friend showed love and was there for this girl.  Whether she ever became a Christian or not, I don't know but I am sure she felt something of God's love as she went through this.  And even though Christians may have looked down upon and disapproved of my friend going with her, I think this is what real Christianity looks like.

Does this mean I will now vote for someone who supports abortion?  Not necessarily as my personal convictions may not lead me to vote for this candidate because I may feel that I can't fully support them.  However, that is a personal decision.  Because my faith has shaped me, I can vote with my heart and mind.  Yet religion alone doesn't pick my candidate for me. 

As Christians, I believe our voice in politics should be a silent one as we remain in the background rather than the forefront.  If Christians want a voice, do it with their vote and speak loudly without saying a word.  If Christians want a voice, love those around them as government and politics will never save the world.  May our voice be our mission and our faith in action rather than our agenda.  And then we will speak the loudest.

Does the birthday really matter?

In just a few days, many people will be celebrating Christmas.  For Christians, this marks the celebration of Jesus' birthday.  But is December 25th really Jesus' birthday?  Probably not. 

The other night, I saw a few minutes of a special called The History of Christmas on the History Channel.  And there is a lot of compelling evidence against December 25th being the birth date of Christ.  For the first 300 years, Christians never even celebrated the birth of Jesus.  It never mattered to them as only the death of Christ was important to remember.  No real dates were recorded of this event and the only evidence we have is what is in the bible.  In the early days of the church, numerous dates were chosen as possible dates for his birth.  Some of the dates believed to be Jesus' birthday are March 28, April 2, and November 18.  However, December 25th was probably chosen for a couple of different reasons.  For one, it marked the pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice in the calendar.  It was also the Roman celebration of the Persian sun god, Mithra, who was born on December 25.  In 435, Pope Sixtus III celebrated the first "Christ Mass."  Since it coincided with the birth of Mithra and the celebrations, the Church of Rome decided this date would be the celebrated feast of the birth of Christ to counter the pagan feasts.  Thus the birth date of Jesus as December 25 became widely accepted by Christians. 

Other evidence also suggests that December 25th is not the correct birthday of Christ.  For one, Luke mentions the census that was being taken that called for Joseph and Mary to make their way towards Bethlehem.  While winter in Israel isn't extremely harsh, it is much too cold for the government to force people to make these journeys to register.  It would be impractical and very unpopular for Rome take a census during the winter months.  More than likely, this census would have taken place in the spring or fall.  Also, it was highly unlikely that shepherds were in the fields in late December watching over their flocks.  During the winter months, shepherds generally took their flock in and provided shelter during these cold and rainy months.  Also, shepherds, like the rest of the people, were not inclined to travel the roads during the winter because of the conditions they might find due to the cold and weather.  Historical evidence would then show that shepherds watching their flocks and the people registering for the census would have taken place in the early Fall.  Therefore, it is quite possible that Jesus was born in the Fall rather than in the Winter.

For many traditionalists, this may come as a shock and could ruin people's image of Christmas.  Remember that in the early days of the Church, it was not Jesus' birth that was significant but his death.  At Easter, our celebration of this day changes every year but we always take that time to focus on the death and resurrection of Christ.  So at Christmas, does it really matter if Jesus was born on December 25?  It's not so much about a date as it is a celebration.  And like Easter, we should reflect on the event and not just a specific date.  We often make too much of dates.  Birthdays are a day to celebrate someone and we make a big deal of them with parties, cards, cakes, and presents.  Yet why don't we celebrate that person on other days of the year as well?  Not knowing the real date of Jesus' birth or death gives us the opportunity to not be so focused and consumed by a date and celebrate any and every day we choose to remember the birth of Christ. 

Christmas has become so much of a pagan celebration for us as well as we get wrapped up in the presents, the decorations, and traditions.  However, I think God knew what he was doing by not giving us a date for Jesus' birthday or death.  He knew we could get too caught up in the date and not the significance of the event.  While knowing that December 25th is not Jesus' birthday may be hard to accept, maybe it will free people up to celebrate this event in their hearts and lives more often rather than just one day a year.

(While I can't provide my references to this information from The History of Christmas, here is a good site to reference the information I provided above:  http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn08/whenwaschristborn.htm )