By Brent Woodard
Windermere Valley Shared Ministry
Should religious people care about politics? I could argue “no,” and “yes.” I could argue that there is something more important than politics. First, people need to awaken or have a higher level of consciousness, then they will live together in community in a healthier way. Unenlightened people lead to unenlightened politics. Enlightened people lead to enlightened politics. It could be said that religion and spirituality’s first task is to help people evolve to a higher level of consciousness.
Still, it’s probably not either/or, it’s probably both/and. That is, healthy religion and spirituality addresses both the issue of awakening and the issue of how we live together in community – which is politics.
I believe in the separation of church and state. This is needed because church leaders and people can be just as unenlightened as non-church people and can therefore potentially infect power with their ignorance under the guise of righteousness. So, keep the lanes separate. Yet, do the lanes ever merge? Or, how can they merge in a healthy way?
The church in Germany during the rise of Hitler decided to keep out of politics. That suited Hitler, and no doubt church people were relieved as well. But didn’t the church abandon an important responsibility at a crucial time?
If Jesus had not threatened the people in power in his time he might have died in old age. Yet, he was accused of “turning the world upside down.” He called for a different world where the lowly are lifted up and the mighty are brought down, where rulers are not tyrants but servants. If he was just trying to help people be comfortable in their oppression, those who oppressed and exploited would have been happy to let him do his thing. Yet, the people in power took notice and crucified him – an act reserved only for those who threatened the state.
Marcus Borg, a biblical theologian, wrote ‘In the 1980’s, the most visible American Christian involvement in politics came from “the Christian Right.” Yet their political issues were not about war and peace or civil rights, but primarily about personal behaviour and beliefs. Most were about sexuality and gender: abortion, gay marriage, pornography, the role of women, (and how Christianity is taught in schools). These are not the political issues of the Bible. In the Bible, the political issues – which are also religious – are about economic justice and fairness, peace and nonviolence. The Bible is in constant critique of “domination systems” – hierarchical systems which are politically oppressive and economically exploitive.’
I would hope that the best of religion, the best of spirituality, could influence both why we do politics and how we do politics. It would contribute to more enlightened people working for a more just and compassionate world.
