In Defense of the Republican Party and Partisanship

It’s become very in vogue among conservatives to beat up the Republican Party over the last couple of years. And many Republicans have deserved to be criticized for their liberal votes and policies. Medicare part D is one of the worst pieces of legislation in the last several years. There certainly have been some bad Republicans lately, both in policy and personal behavior. I believe that some have taken the easy way out by adopting a populist-yet-conservative philosophy. They say they don’t care about party, they just want people in office that listen to the people. They want politicians who believe in and understand the Constitution. They want politicians with “common sense.” They don’t care what party you’re in if you are a true conservative.
The problem with this is it doesn’t work that way. It might sound good. It might feel good, like you’re proclaiming your independence from any given party. You’re no partisan hack, you’re a free thinker! Or maybe you’re even a “libertarian.” You don’t vote for Libertarians and think they get carried away sometimes, but you like that they’re so individualistic they have absolutely no cooperation or cohesive strategy. Well, stop patting yourself on the back for a minute and think about this critically for a second. You don’t care what party someone’s in? I think you do. Have you ever once found a conservative Democrat? Can you think of one Democrat that you are glad you voted for or wanted to vote for? Have you ever seen a race in which the Democrat was more conservative than the Republican? Of course, the answer for any conservative to these questions would be no. Perhaps there’s an exception to this out there somewhere, but it would be an extremely rare exception. (Zell Miller, perhaps?) And it doesn’t pay to vote for third party candidates. Third party candidates are automatic losers. If a third party candidate actually wins election it is a candidate that is more liberal than the Republican. Libertarians have yet to win a national office. Furthermore, which would be more feasible: to elect a conservative Republican or a third party candidate? While all Republicans aren’t perfect, and there are some that are almost just as liberal as Democrats, following a rigidly idealist voting strategy is simply not helpful. A vote which is wasted on a third party candidate is not only one vote which a Republican should get, it is also an encouragement to the needless and harmful third party.
But before I go further, let me just point out how great some of our conservative Republicans are. You wouldn’t know it by listening to those “conservatives” who enjoy defaming everything Republican, but there are some great leaders in both the House and the Senate who stand for individual liberty, a strong national defense, real family values, and limited government. Leaders like Jim DeMint, John Thune, James Imhofe, and Jon Kyl in the Senate. True conservatives such as Michele Bachmann, Mike Pence, Jeff Miller, Eric Cantor, and Paul Ryan in the House. While none of these are perfect, they are all true conservatives, and they’re all Republicans. They could very well agree with those conservatives who express antipathy towards the Republican party on 100% of the issues. Aren’t the conservatives who demonize the Republican party attacking real conservatives like these? I would argue yes. By turning “Republican” into some dirty word, they are besmirching all Republicans. They are throwing the  baby out with the bath water in some delusional and self serving attempt at “objectivity” or ”fairness.”
The question is, what can an average person do to help more conservatives elected, how can we as individuals affect national politics in a way that favors individual liberty? The answer is not to waste a vote on a meaningless loser. The answer is to get involved at the local level first. Get involved in your local Republican party. Read the Republican platform. You can find it right here: http://platform.gop.com/2008Platform.pdf. I dare you to find something you disagree with in it. More importantly, get involved in the primary process. Inform yourself on the primary candidates, find the best conservative leader and advocate for him. I realize this isn’t easy. It takes work to actually make an impact in politics. But just like those who don’t vote shouldn’t complain about our politicians, those who don’t vote in the Republican primary shouldn’t complain about the Republican Party. Unless you’re a Democrat.
Finally, let me say that there is certainly more to life than politics. This is, as Jefferson might say, self evident. But politics does require a great deal of passion and knowledge from those who would wish to actually serve their country in a seemingly self-serving profession. Indeed, our founding fathers truly saw themselves and office holders as public servants. For this reason they gave office holders a meager salary. Higher office was an honor bestowed, not a duly chosen position of power. Great conservatives tend to not make a career out of politics, though it could be argued that they could better serve their country if they remained in the system. But conservatives don’t treasure the power. They don’t tolerate the types of strain that public life puts on their families. They have interests outside of politics and they realize there is more to life. But it is commitment to those individual, Judeo-Christian principles which animates a true conservative. A passion for politics does not strip someone of his social or cultural ideals, nor does it require that he lose his moral and religious foundation. Rather, true men of integrity recognize that they are inseparable. An exposition of religious principles naturally relates to certain corresponding political philosophies and vice versa. These worldviews are what separates left from right, pagan from orthodoxy.

Unsound Judgement

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the work of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:1-3. (ESV)

If anyone hears my words, and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. John 12:47-48. (ESV)

In light of the controversy surrounding Barak Obama’s pastor Jeremiah Wright, those who have any intellectual honesty who wish to defend Obama point to pastor John Hagee’s endorsement of John McCain as if there is any similarity between the two pastors. And of course, there isn’t, and McCain probably hasn’t attended Hagee’s church once let alone year after year. But there is a legitmate problem with Hagee, one which when asked to explain (at least when I heard him on the Dennis Prager show, he did issue a good rectraction by email, apparently, but then on Prager reaffirmed his original statement, more or less) he has only dug himself further. I don’t know enough about pastor Hagee to question his theology in any meaningful way. But he has made statements which have not only called his theology into question, but also his commitment to the gospel. For these statements not only reflect on him but on Christians in general. The statements I am referring to are his statements about hurricane Katrina, in which he proclaimed that New Orleans was hit by a hurricane because of a gay pride parade that was scheduled for a few days after Katrina hit. This is one in a long line of foolishly judgemental statements which the most public of evangelical pastors have made.
If there is anything that could make Christ look bad, if there is something that could make the gospel less effective, I can’t think of it. Hagee’s retraction statement says it most eloquently: ”As a believing Christian, I see the hand of God in everything that happens here on earth, both the blessings and the curses.  But ultimately neither I nor any other person can know the mind of God concerning Hurricane Katrina. I should not have suggested otherwise.  No matter what the cause of the storm, my heart goes out to all who suffered in this terrible tragedy.  There but for the grace of God go any one of us.” The only thing that I can think of is that these pastors allow pride to convince them that they do know the mind of God. It is a daily struggle to find out God’s will for our personal lives, how one can pronounce the will of God for thousands (apart from that which is expressly written in the Bible) is beyond me. When someone does proclaim to know the mind of God, they bring the gospel to disrepute.

Thanksgiving and Optimism

 It’s almost thanksgiving, but when was the last time you heard someone say something expressing true gratitude? When was the last time you gave thanks for something? In contrast, when was the last time you complained about something or someone? The truth is it’s impossible to be thankful if you’re always discontent. If you think everything is going bad, how can you give thanks? Now is the time to examine your attitudes so you can truly give thanks next Thursday. Actually, it really shouldn’t matter what time of the year it is. The important thing to realize is that giving thanks isn’t something that has to be done like a chore. It is something that naturally occurs when people are happy and satisfied. It is the result of an attitude, not of getting something. A thankful person is thankful regardless of circumstance because they are optimistic. With that in mind, it is important to understand what it means to be optimistic. But it isn’t easy to be optimistic. There seems to be an epidemic of doom saying, complaining and overall pessimism in both the political and cultural world today. And this pervasive attitude is a most poisonous one. Like King Midas, people with this pessimistic attitude affect everything and everyone around them, which probably explains why so many people are adopting these traits. The only way to fight it is to proactively and consciously embrace a positive attitude and an optimistic outlook. First off, let’s look at the different definitions of optimism according to dictionary.com.

Optimism–noun 1. a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome. 2. the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world. 3. the belief that goodness pervades reality. 4. the doctrine that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds.

The first part of 1 and number 2 are the ones that I would like to explore. First, disposition to look on the more favorable side of events. If you’ve read my myspace blog, you know that I strongly believe in the need for people to look on the positive side of things and to control their reaction to circumstances. Moreover, I believe it is our responsibility to act and be as happy as we can. My church even emphasizes this in what they call Christian hedonism which basically states that as Christians, we will be happiest when we are in God’s will. As my pastor John Piper summarizes it, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.” Seeking true happiness is not only not selfish, it is the best thing we can do for those who care about us. Think what your attitude says about you, how it affects others, and how it reflects on the institutions and beliefs you support and identify with. It’s necessary to focus on the positives just to save one’s sanity. This is why the book, or at least the concept of A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You’ve Always Wanted (and also one of my old favorites, Happiness is a Serious Problem by Dennis Prager) is so important. If you haven’t read them yet, unless you can go a month without complaining or can’t imagine being more happy, you need to read them. As for expecting good things to happen, while it isn’t always going to happen, there is a certain amount of self fulfilling prophecy that goes on every day.

The biggest reason not to give into pessimism is definition 2. Good will ultimately predominate over evil. This one isn’t up for debate if you believe in a just God. And none of the bad stuff is permanent. The vastly underrated Christmas song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” says (this part always gives me goosebumps) “‘God is not dead nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.’” Don’t forget that and you won’t have much trouble staying optimistic, and you’ll find plenty to give thanks for on Thursday.

God wants you to be healthy and rich…am I forgetting anything?

Just because, just to get myself riled up, I watched this ridiculous infomercial disguised as a Christian evangelical broadcast. Yes, I had too much time on my hands, thanks to the fact that I was “working” and there was nothing else to do. The show is titled “The Believer’s Voice of Victory” and the deception and misplaced priorities is enough to cause disbelief in the true believer. Not spiritual doubts, of course, but a genuine shock and amazement of what is done in the name of our God.
Kenneth Copeland is the purveyor of this brand of success and wellness Christianity and no doubt beneficiary of a great deal of the proceeds that come from the books and whatever other nonsense they sell on his infomercial. And there he was, with the cheshire cat grin and wide, unblinking eyes looking straight at the camera telling me how there are all these “Biblical principles” that show how to live healthy. And somewhere in his Biblical interpretation, it must say how important it is to be healthy. I never got that part, I must admit. I remember the pharisees questioning Jesus as to why someone was born blind or lame. And of course, immediately Jesus began preaching the virtues of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and how they will keep you healthy. No, Jesus focused on people’s spiritual needs. He used physical miracles to prove his spiritual credentials. He healed the sick so he could reach their hearts.
Yet this preacher, one who might claim the title of evangelist did not once bring up the spiritual needs that he might address. In one half hour, he preached the importance of health as though living past one hundred was as important as the imortality of the soul. His friend who was a “doctor” and who happened to have a hard cover, just released book for sale–no 800 number to call for spiritual guidance, just one to order this wonderful book– sat and nodded like a hollow bobble head doll. 
Copeland is also from the school that teaches that as you follow “God’s plan” for your life you will grow increasingly rich. If any of his teaching is to be believed, Bill Gates is the most righteous man alive. Perhaps I am simplifying his teaching a bit, but I can’t claim to have a deep understanding of his teachings. What I know is that most unbelievers who watch his programs will never gain a much deeper understanding, and will likely remain unbelievers.
Perhaps Mr.Copeland is a well meaning but misguided Christian. Perhaps he is one of those referred to in Luke 13:27 “But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” God’s sovereignity is my solace. Those with impure motives will be judged righteously: “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.” Mark 4:22.