A Birthday Present to America: More Faith, Less Politics

First published in The Daily Sentinel, Friday, July 4, 2008. Getting closer to catching up!


The other day, a columnist in the paper complained about the amount of attention being paid to the religious faiths of the various candidates for president. He wanted less religion and more politics. And I think he expected to get great shouts of “AMEN!”

He might have that reaction from some people, I am not one of them. I want our candidates to be driven more by faith and less by politics. Right now, it’s almost as if the candidates are putting a religious veneer over a thoroughly secular political mindset.

Our politicians remind me of the “jewelry” I used to get out of the nickel-vending machine when I went with Dad to get my hair cut. The barber’s shop had four or five little machines that held all kinds of goodies in little plastic cocoons. You put in your nickel, turned the crank, and out popped your prize!

I once got a golden ring. I was so proud of that ring; I showed it off to everyone. “Look, Mom! See what I got at the barber shop! It’s so beautiful; I’m always going to wear it!”

That night, as I got ready for bed, I looked again at my “beautiful” golden ring. But there was something wrong! All around the ring, my finger had turned green! It was even green on the two fingers on either side of my ring finger. “Mom!” I screamed. “I’m being poisoned by my ring!”

Of course, what really happened was my golden ring was actually cheap metal and the greening had to do with the veneer rubbing off and the “real stuff” showing through.

In many ways, I think our presumptive presidential candidates are showing some "green" in their faith.

John McCain eagerly sought the endorsement of certain religious leaders, thinking that they would add to his credibility as a presidential wanna-be. John Hagee was one such leader. He is pastor of a mega-church in San Antonio, Texas, and his television and radio ministries reach thousands more people across the country. McCain looked at Hagee and said, “Wow, there’s someone whose endorsement I could really use.”

McCain’s pursuit of Hagee’s endorsement was not religious – it was political. I suspect McCain had no idea what theologies Hagee believed in or preached. That was detail stuff that didn’t matter. Except it did. Once the veneer of the Hagee endorsement wore off, Hagee’s extreme theologies of God, Israel and end times were so off-putting to mainstream Americans that McCain disassociated himself from the Hagee endorsement.

Less religion and more politics? I don’t think so!

On the other side of the political parties, Barak Obama has not done much better. At a recent campaign appearance in Detroit, Muslim supporters were snubbed and two women wearing traditional Muslim headscarves were banned from sitting behind the candidate to prevent them being photographed or televised with Obama. Why? Because of the persistent Internet rumor that Obama is secretly a Muslim and terrorist sympathizer.

The Obama campaign has gone out of its way to keep Obama’s image from being “sullied” by Muslim supporters – that’s a political decision, not a religious one!

Obama has intentionally expressed his religious views in many venues. He claims to be a Christian who emphasizes the social justice portion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the part of Jesus’ message that proclaims good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and release from oppression to the oppressed (see Luke 4:14-21). It’s one of the few scriptural claims that Jesus made himself. Yet, Obama’s politically driven lifestyle oppressed two women because of their differing faith. Actually, because of their differing attire.

I am disappointed in both candidates. Let me see your REAL FAITH rather than your REAL POLITICS. People are desperate for REAL CHANGE in this country – and so far, what I’ve seen is more of the same ol’ same ol’. Wouldn’t it be nice if either candidate would truly live his faith? Let me really see what God is doing in your life, and maybe that will be all the politics I need to make an informed voting decision come November.

Today, marks the birth of our nation through the declaration of independence from Britain. I cannot think of a better birthday gift for our country than politicians who put their faith first, their families second, and their nation third. With the right priorities, we can make a difference.