Melinda Penner of Stand to Reason blogged on David Kuo’s call for conservative Christians to fast from politics. Her comments were quite perceptive, and cut to the heart of why this suggestion is foolish.

“60 Minutes” this past Sunday night featured an interview with David Kuo, described as a politically-conservative Christian and Federal-government employee for the faith-based initiative office. He claims that politically-conservative Christians are being manipulated by the Republican party so he suggests a “fast” from politics to be able to evaluate the relationship of Christianity and politics. He said that Christians have been sold a bill of goods that Jesus came “primarily” with a political message. Who claims that? What Christians are interested in doing is linking up their values and their politics. Isn’t that what everyone should do? How can value-less, unprincipled voting be a virtue?


Certainly Christians need to be very wary of the allure of political power for power’s sake. Perhaps individual Christians might evaluate whether this suggestion is appropriate for them. However, it would be very unwise Christians en masse “fast” from politics because it would be abandoning our responsibilities as citizens and Christians. Other citizens who have their own ideas of what our country should be like aren’t going to “fast,” and Christians walking out of the public square would leave it without our input and balance to issues being decided. Christians have an interest in the kind of country we live in and the activities of the government we live with because it has immediate impact on the ability we have to be salt and light in our country. “Fasting” even for a time, as a group, could lead to policy changes that are difficult or even impossible to change.


Kuo discussed the issues raised by his book with Chuck Colson this morning on the Laura Ingraham show. Colson pointed out that the earliest letters recovered are letters from Christian leaders to the Roman emperor appealing for justice, so influencing the culture and politics for justice sake has been a model of the church from the beginning. Kuo is concerned that in an effort to stay politically-connected, evangelical leaders will sacrifice their values. There is that danger and that would abandon the purpose of being politically engaged. But Colson also pointed out that the church must be involved in issues of justice, which are often time by nature political. And to leave the political realm is to abandon these vital issues of responsibility that the church should be known by.

 

Christians should not “fast” from politics because it is an abandonment of our duties as Christians to be “salt and light” and it’s shirking our duties as citizens to participate in the important discussions and decisions taking place in our country.