GOP Candidates Meet in Plano to get the God vote, (or when did Religion become political (or can't we all just pray and not worry about politics when it comes to matters of faith.)) By Nash F.
DISCLAIMER: I'm an Atheist who is about to discuss the current state of religion in the United States. I personally believe I have every right to talk about religion even if I do not practice a faith. That being said, if you believe that a non-believer should not discuss matters of religion then feel free to leave the article. Alright is everyone good... Okay lets continue.
Over the weekend GOP candidates Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Rick Santorum, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, and Mike Huckabee, met at the Preston Wood Baptist Church in Plano. What they said is not what fascinated me about this. It was the usual rhetoric of "Biblical values in our government" blah blah blah blaaah. What fascinated me was the fact that six presidential candidates decided to meet in a church after a service. And all I can think to myself is, something feels wrong about this. Why should a church be a place where politics are debated.
I see two ways to view it right now. Either the institution of worship was always a political institution going all the way back at least in the western tradition's catholic church acting as a supreme authority in Europe. Or inserting politics into a religious institution corrupts the entire institute of worship and this should not be a thing. After all a key concept of separation of church and state was based on keeping gov. out of religion.
My bets are on the real answer lies somewhere in the middle but I find it alarming that many higher up people in churches (I speak from experience on both leftward and rightward leaning churches) use there power to push a political agenda. Lets go back to the discussion at the Baptist church with the political candidates, not a single democrat was invited to balance out a view point. It be one thing if they declined, but to not even be given the chance makes the church seem like it has a political agenda. And correct me if I am mistaken, but isn't a key Tennant of christianity that all people are equal and loved in the eyes of God. Or perhaps I'm just thinking into this to much.
What you said is very insightful and I can see where you're coming from. Yes, separation of church and state was indeed intended to keep the government out of religion, but that doesn't mean religion has to be kept out of the government. I think churches are perfectly justified in aligning themselves with a political viewpoint that meshes with what they believe in their religion, and that doesn't make them a political institution, just a group of people sharing an opinion. I feel like it is no stranger for a political debate to be held in a church than it is for one to be held in a Las Vegas casino, as the most recent Democratic debate was. Also, Prestonwood Baptist Church is humongous. Like one of the biggest in the state. It's not just a church, it's really also an event center, so it makes sense for a debate to be held at such a large venue. As a Christian, I can confirm that one of our tenants is to love and treat everyone equally, (unfortunately, many of us seem to have forgotten that), but as i said earlier, I think churches are justified in aligning themselves politically with what they believe in their religion, and that doesn't mean they are hating the other group of people or loving them any less. Also, and this is kinda a side note, I believe that God is above politics. He loves everyone, no matter what. He's not going to condemn someone to hell for a political alignment. So yes, what you said about "all people are equal and loved in the eyes of God" is true, but I feel that that is on a completely different level than political discrepancies, and that a church inviting just republican candidates does not mean God loves them any more.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the really long comment lol