"The politicization of faith profanes the sacred."

Photo from Rick Perry's Rally (AP photo)

My Take: Don’t be fooled by candidates’ God talk

"When religion becomes merely another political trick, we all lose. The politicization of faith profanes the sacred."

This second sentence keeps me up at night.

On the one hand, I agree with the context of this article.  The field of candidates for president have been playing up their Christian publicity, because "after being a Republican, the best predictor of someone being a Tea Party supporter is whether a person has a desire to see religion significantly impact politics."  Even Ron Paul (who named his son after a-theist Ayn Rand) has started a new campaign to get support from Evangelical voters.  When political candidates in recent years used their "faith" as a cheap ploy to get mindless masses of sorta-Christian voters to vote for them (sometimes because their pastors tell them it's part of getting into heaven), I determined that the separation of church and state was absolutely necessary.  Those "Christian" leaders went on to do everything they could to destroy the poor, the marginal- God's beloved children.  Making their faith a political tool for personal gain, these candidates/leaders profaned the sacred.

On the other hand, I am bound as a Christian to advocate on behalf of the poor, the marginal- God's beloved children.  If I am to have the heart of God, whom I know in Jesus Christ, as revealed in the scriptures, I must offer the care and concern for those people who are so deeply and historically oppressed by our government and society.  If I can offer that care through my vote- by putting into office the candidate who will care for God's beloved people, I will.  No, I've never found a perfect candidate, but considering how deeply divided this society is around us, I will compromise toward the candidate who shows more promise of bringing health and well-being to both wealthy and poor.  I will also hold that candidate/leader accountable.  But am I politicizing faith?  Do I profane the sacred?  Jesus was crucified on a Roman political symbol of oppression.  Jesus talked political, not only with Roman authorities but with religious authorities.  Jesus politicized faith- and in my faith understanding, he is the Sacred.

How then do I nuance my faith, that I get angry when candidates for office pander for "religious" votes in order to be elected into office- then destroy God's people, yet I vote others into office according to my faith?  Is it the matter of authenticity?  Genuine faith vs. manipulative faith?  How does the notion of evangelism get caught up in this?  Do we vote our faith as an arm of "the sharing of the Good News?"  Is that necessarily a bad thing?  Can it be a good thing, based on a particular understand of what the "Good News" is?

No, I don't really have many well-formed answers; mostly questions.  This is messy stuff.  It sometimes keeps me up at night.  I'm sure I have much room for growth here.  I had determined in seminary that I can and must be politically-active, for the reasons mentioned before, but that it must always be kept severely in check, lest I become what I fear most: the one profaning the sacred by profaning God's people.  I share this inner dialogue with you, dear blog reader, because we don't always give much thought to how we constantly pick and choose, and nuance, our decisions.  Why do you vote the way you do?  How do cultures, society, campaigns, prejudices nuance your thinking?  When thinking about prayer in schools, or chaplains in Congress, or the presence of the flag during worship in a church sanctuary, we often have strong opinions one way or the other.  What about our broad, sweeping votes for this candidate or the other (or a third party)?  Do we export our religion into politics, but not really import politics into religion?  What do you think?