Change does not happen through political power

Sorry for the surprise newsletter. If you’re only here for Ukraine/Russia stuff, skip this and I’ll see you on Saturday. If you are interested in a brief thought on faith and politics, here you go.

To my pro-life Christian and social conservative friends, I am one of you. But I am here to warn you that even though you got “your guy” in the White House yesterday, the culture keeps moving further away from you. In 7 out of the 10 states that had abortion rights referendums last night, the referendums passed. The only reason Florida’s referendum didn’t pass was because it needed 60% approval and it only received 57%. In Florida (where a healthy majority favored abortion rights), Missouri, Arizona, Nevada and Montana, all states where Trump has won or is likely to win, the people voted for abortion rights. This is the most pro-abortion the Republican party has been in at least 30 years.

The culture is moving away from social conservatives in other ways too. The country has never been more in favor of same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization and legalized gambling. Most of this has happened over the last 10 years, as pro-life, social conservatives were hitching their wagon to Trump. When you said “we are not electing a pastor, we are electing a president”, other people were listening. If character and morality do not matter in our leaders, why should they matter in our policies? 

I have devoted my adult life to studying politics, and the more I read, think and teach, the more convinced I am that change, real change, does not happen through political power and passing laws. Real change happens through civil society and social movements…and for Christians, centered on the work of the church. I can give you example after example if you want, but John Wesley understood this. Martin Luther King understood this. Pope John Paul II understood this.

The laws of a nation reflect the culture of the nation. As the culture of the United States becomes increasingly secular, the laws will reflect a society that is less and less Christian. Making transactional decisions to elect presidents and not pastors will not stop culture from moving away from the church.

So, what to do? If you are pro-life, volunteer or donate to a local crisis pregnancy center. Treat people who are considering abortion and who have had abortion with love, compassion, dignity and respect. I know there are many, many Christians who do this. You should know that this is more important than anything the government may do. Remember, abortions in the U.S. decreased under President Obama and increased under President Trump. Culture matters more than politics. If you want to change views on LGBTQ issues, treat people with love, compassion, dignity and respect. Do not use the power of the state to coerce your preferred behavior.

To my liberal Christian friends, the same is true for you. I subscribe to the & idea of Christian engagement with public life. I believe in both Conviction & Compassion. The sermon on the mount tells me that God’s kingdom is concerned about the poor, the immigrant and the marginalized. I want to be too. But, God’s kingdom will not come about because Democrats are elected. Civil society and social movements centered on the church is what will bring change. If you are concerned about these things, volunteer and donate at your local organizations that address these issues. It will have a greater impact than who we do or don’t elect.

That is my warning. By focusing so much on achieving political power, the Christian, social conservatives have lost the culture. Trump’s victory may lead you to think your side is “winning”, but the culture keeps moving further away from you. 

My plea is to stop it and don’t falsely believe that a pyrrhic political victory fixes everything . Focus your time, energy and efforts on showing love to your neighbors and enemies through your local church and civil society organizations. Be true literal readers of the Bible. Don’t just focus on the behavior stuff, but focus on the Sermon on the Mount as well. Stand for both conviction & compassion. That is the way to change the culture. If the culture is changed, the laws will follow.