Politics and the “Evangelical Rift:” Is this a Good Thing?

There is an excellent article in today’s New York Times that every evangelical concerned with politics should read: “Evangelical movement shows deep rifts: Love affair with Bush has largely ended, sharpening latent internal divisions.” I agree with the author that the rifts are present and, perhaps, increasing. But what the author doesn’t answer is this: is the rift good for evangelicals?

The interested reader should read David Kirkpatrick’s article in its entirety, but I’ll try to summarize its two major points:

Point #1: In recent history, the evangelical movement has become increasingly active in the political world and has been typically united together around the Republican Party. Kirkpatrick provides several examples from Witchita, Kansas, which he claims is hub of this engagement. Specifically, he focuses on Pastor Terry Fox, “the Jerry Falwell of the Sunflower State,” who, among other things, “mobilized hundreds of Kansas pastors to push through a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, helping unseat a handful of legislators in the process.” Furthermore, “For years, Fox flaunted his allegiance to the Republican Party, urging fellow pastors to make the same “confession” and calling them “sissies” if they didn’t.” Kirkpatrick cites James Dobson and the near universal evangelical support for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 as additional evidence (including a Bush-Cheney campaign “pastors” reception at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2004).

Point #2: This evangelical unity around the Republican Party is evaporating. Kirkpatrick attributes this to a changing face of evangelicalism and George W. Bush’s political woes, particularly the Iraq war (W’s approval rating among evangelicals is below 45%). He notes that Fox and other Witchita pastors have been forced out of their churches in recent years by parishoners wanting to hear more than sermons against abortion and homosexuality. Furthermore, some previously unthinkable alliances have been seen, including Rick Warren and Barack Obama. To top it all off, the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Frank Page, “campaigned on a promise to loosen up the conservatives’ tight control” and will not allow a future Bush-Cheney-type reception.

Kirkpatrick concludes that 2008 will be a telling year for evangelicals. Will evangelicals vote Republican? Will evangelicals, as Dobson has threatened, form a third party rather than support a Guliani candidacy? How many evangelicals will vote Democrat?

But is this rift good for evangelicals? YES! Here’s why:

1. Evangelicals have placed too much hope in politics. Don’t get me wrong, I love politics and I encourage Christians to be involved in politics. But Evangelicals speak as if having the right person in office promoting the right positions will “save” our nation. No it won’t! Let me be blunt: overturning Roe v. Wade and preventing same-sex marriages will not “save” America.

2. Evangelicals have been politically one-sided. As stated above, Evangelicals have placed so much effort on Roe v. Wade and same-sex marriages that many other issues have received little to no attention. But I believe that God is concerned about the environment, God is concerned about corporate tax-fraud, and God is concerned about the poor, etc.

3. Jesus Christ is the only source of true hope. I don’t know all there is to know about the Bible but I know this: individual redemption is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ. More than that, societal redemption is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ. This is where the religious right got it wrong, and where the upcoming religious left is getting it wrong as well. Both have looked to humanity to provide a solution that only God can provide. So pass all the laws you want…prohibit everything “unchristian” that you can think of…create a Constitutional amendment against same-sex marriages…overturn Roe v. Wade…stop using petroleum…it won’t change a single soul. But, introduce a person to Jesus Christ and you’ll change the world!

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want division. I believe that God grieves over a divided church. But sometimes God has to shake things up to get people focused on what really matters, and maybe that is what He is doing now.