Apply Truth in Tribe: Christian and Politics
- Follow the Lamb and Be the Salt and the Light in the Broken World
I was recommended to check out a Christian podcast "Truth Over Tribe: Christian Takes on Culture, News & Politics". The podcast was hosted by two pastors from a church in Ohio.
I have not heard about this podcast or those two pastors before. Nothing was surprised for that. In today's world, it seems that half of the population have podcasts.
The description of the podcasts:
“Tired of the culture war? This is that podcast that’s too liberal for conservatives, too conservative for liberals. We seek to follow the lamb, not the donkey or elephant.”
I would admit that this show description struck me, and got my attention. I guess that the podcast title and description were created by the professional and tested by survey. It's an attractive title and meaningful description.
When I wrote this post, I have listened two episodes of the podcast. First I will talk about in general about what the podcast title and description brings to me. And then I will give review to the two episodes of the podcast.
This post is not just about this podcast, but in general how Christian should apply the truth in tribe, and follow the lamb, and being salts, and light in politics. I will use this podcast as kind of intro for a bigger and wider topic, which is much more important and urgent than just reviewing a podcast.
For the title "Truth Over Tribe", it should not be hard to understand "Truth" is referred to God's truth, while "Tribe" needs some definition. What kind of Tribe? I don't have to spend time to find the definition or guess. The description of this podcast gives the answer. The tribes stated in the title of the podcast are donkey and elephant, which are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
By looking the face value of the title and description, it seems the content of this podcast is Biblical. As a Bible believing Christian, how can I not agree that God's truth is the ultimate source of authority. God's truth is not just over tribe, but over everything. The title implies that some Christians may put tribe over truth or at the same level of truth. From the description, we can know that the hosts of this podcast try very hard to imply that millions of Christians put politic party above truth. Also very interestingly their arrow is more target to the Christians on Republican tribe. How do I know that?
I scrolled through a few reviews of this podcast. This one is completely in sync with the description of the podcast. This listener gave 5 starts, and proclaimed to seek truth only.
Another listener wrote this review, and gave one star, and pointed this podcast is one side anti Trump and Republican while the hosts promoted the show as neutral. This listener also unfollowed this podcast.
These two listeners seems on the complete opposite spectrum. Interestingly, they may both be right from the episodes that they listened. I have listened two episodes of this podcast. Those two episodes can be representatives of this show I will give some more details review on the two episodes. I will first offer some opinions in general about the themes coming out this podcast.
First, the title of this podcast gives us impression that the hosts seek the truth only, and not belong to any Tribe, and those Christians who joined a political party are in a tribe, especially those who are passionate about their party.
Besides two major parties, Democratic Party, and Republican Party, almost half of voters identify as independents in America. Per Gallup poll, 43% of American voters identified as independents. Democratic Party and Republican Party are tied at 27% of voters. Another polling data is interesting about religious faith in voting. Per the same Gallup poll, 34% of protestant votes went to Democratic Party while Republican Party captured 64% of protestant votes. Obviously, the majority of protestant voters are align with Republican Party.
When breaking down the protestant voting, among white evangelicals, only 12% voted for Democratic Party, and 84% went with Republican Party. No doubt that protestant as whole, especially white evangelicals, is the major voting block for Republican Party. Another voting pattern needs attention is that atheists voted for Democratic Party by 87%, which means that the modern Democratic Party is leaning to a godless tribe. In fact, the democrats in their convention did boo God a few years ago.
Since the number of independents are more than Democrats or Republicans, independents have voted for either of the parties, and a big portion of Independents including protestants have voted for Republican candidates. What tribes those independents belong to? Are those independents who voted for Republicans counted in the tribe of Republicans or not? It seems that the host of this podcasts didn't count the independents in a tribe because the description of the podcast only mentions donkey and elephant, and you can vote for Republicans, and you are not in the tribe of elephant as long as you are not identified as Republican.
It's very obvious that the host of this podcast used a strawman argument to attack Christians who are in two major parties, especially in Republican Party. In fact, it's very true that Christians without a party affiliation are in a tribe too, which is the tribe of independents. In the past years, another tribe emerged from 2016 election, which is called Never Trump, and those people will never vote for the Republican candidate Donald J Trump no matter how close Trump's policies were to the conservative Christian values, and how much Trump did good for Christians. For example, Trump put three conservative Justices on Supreme Court. Those Never Trump people were not grateful at all. For them, still orange man is bad no matter what. In this Never Trump tribe, to not vote for Trump is the highest goal among all other things including conservative Christian values, and polices. Per the confession of the host, he has been belong to this tribe as he didn't vote for Trump in 2016 and 2020. He will be very like to not vote for Trump in 2024 election either.
As a matter of fact, a more principle and practical way is "Truth in the Tribe". The subtitle can also be "Seek the lamb and be the salt and the light in life including political life".
There are no Bible verses teaching that Christian should not be involve in society activities including politics or Christians should vote for perfect political candidate. Bible believing Christians should apply the Biblical worldviews in the real life, and vote for the party and candidates, who promote more Biblical values in their policies. This is one way of being the light and the salts in the world. The political party doesn't own me. On the opposite, I can use the political party to promote the policies, which are more align to the Bible. In other words, I can apply the Biblical truth to evaluate the political party and vote accordingly. In the past decades, most of evangelicals have voted for Republican candidates, which is not an accident, but Republican Party is more align with Biblical values.
We Christians should use Bible as our ultimate authority for every aspect of our life including politics.
Besides Bible, I would recommend Wayne Grudem’s book “Politics According to Bible”. Read this book with Bible. We should not take advice on voting from the hosts of this podcast (Patrick Miller, Keith Simon), or Jack Graham, or any other pastors or Christian leaders without consulting with Bible. We have Holy Spirit indwell in us and we can study the Bible and understand God’s guidance. We follow no one but Christ. We worship no one but Christ. We take no other authority as highest, but Bible.
I have finished listening two episodes of the podcasts. The one with football coach is great. They talked about faith and life lessons. It’s an excellent podcast, insightful and practical. It benefits Christian and non believers alike.
I happened to see the Episode with Nancy French who is David French’s wife. I was so interested in that episode. I listened it too. These two episodes are good representation of the podcasts scope. The one with coach is more or completely on faith and Christian life; the one with Nancy French is more on politics. I enjoyed with the episode with the coach. But I will comment more on the episode with Nancy French because politics is a much hotter and controversial topic.
About the episode with Nancy French, the topic of the episode is “Should Evangelicals Vote for the Lesser of Two evils?” In their thinking, seems that there could be a saint in a political campaign. Only if there is a Saint in the campaign, they will cast their votes with satisfaction of moral high ground. In fact, not one righteous, but all falls short of the glory of God.
In this episode, the primary goal is to swing votes away from Trump and Republican Party in this election. I know why they do this. They didn’t tell why Christians should not vote for Trump and Republicans in term of the policies, like many accomplishments in first Trump administration such as putting conservative Justice on Supreme Court, and securing the borders. They have no excuse to not vote for Trump over Harris if they compare the policies. Their only focus is Trump as a sinful man. I am not defending Trump’s moral failing and bad words and behaviors. But it’s unbiblical and unethical for Nancy French lying about Trump’s conviction. Trump was not convicted rape. The court document is online. Everyone can read it. Nancy French said that Trump was convicted rapisr, which is a lie. The host went along with her lie. They acted as false witnesses.
As I said, Trump is a flaw person, and he had lots of moral failing in his life. But a few things we need to pay attention. First, Trump is the most investigated person in this country and in history. If all other politicians were investigated like Trump, we would have known more sins of those politicians. Second, legacy media lied about Trump, and put out news 90% of negatives. You can try Google search on Trump and Harris. You will see almost all the negative news about Trump at first a couple pates, and the opposite for Harris. For people who reply more on legacy media and Internet search, they hardly find anything good about Trump. For example, Trump puts out beautiful and gospel centering Christmas message. Most of people would not see it. The third, Trump has improved his moral living even though he is still with a big bad mouth. He has not had any moral failing since he was elected. But the media and many righteous Christians still focus on Trump past moral failing, and use those past failing to not support his candidacy.
I will give the host the benefit of doubt that he might not know the facts of conviction. But Nancy French deliberately lied above Trump rape conviction. In fact, Harris is not mother Teresa. They advised that Christians should not vote for either candidate. It’s not biblical at all. In fact Nancy French’s husband David French who told the whole world that he will vote for Biden and now he will vote for Harris who promotes policy to abort baby until birth even after birth during abortion accident, and she also pushed and will continue for transgender surgery for kids. In the past few years, David French attacked Christians viciously who supported Trump. But he praised drag show, same sex marriage while he proclaimed that he is a devoted Christians. He said that support to Trump is evil and idolatrous. One thing we should pay attention. They always talked about bad person Trump, but didn't mention Trump policies at all. They also ignored how Trump behaved when he was in white house. Did Trump commit any sexual sin when he was president? No. But they ignore that fact.
According to Nancy French and the host of this podcast, God should have never used David or Paul who committed not just sin, but crimes. I am not comparing Trump with David or Paul, just showing that God can use anyone even the very bad sinner for His purpose.
Another observation is that this podcast criticized Republican convention for a weaker position on abortion, but didn't condemn that Democratic Convention hosted abortion at the front door and conducted abortion during the convention.
In term of my personal voting history since 2016, I was not Trump supporters at first in 2016. I voted for Trump eventually in 2016, and 2020. Here is a post that I wrote in more details about my journey of becoming a Trump voters. Why Have Most of American evangelical Christians Supported Trump? I will be voting for Trump this year. But I do know that we are not voting for Trump as a person, but vote for his policies, which are closer to Biblical views and vote for 4000 people who will join the Trump administration if Trump wins. There will be much more devote Christians in Trump administration than Harris’ administration.
Of course, we Christians should know that election is not our goal, but one of the means to be the lights, and the salts in the world. In each stage of history, Christians deploy different ways to promote Biblical values in the world. In first century, Christians saved the abandoned infant at the street corner by taking them home and raised them, but they didn't have any opportunity to vote for policy making. Today, we Christians should do the same and also vote for the political party and candidate who are more align with pro-life values. We Christians should use all the ways to save life including voting for flaw candidates have done and will promote life. In fact, many Christians were involved in government or politics in some way, which were available at the times.
Apostle Paul used Roman government and Roman soldiers for protection of his life. Church fathers worked with Roman emperor Constantine to formalize Nicene Creed even though Constantine was a murder, and conducted many other immoral actions in his life including precutting Christians. Some of those church fathers had scars of suffering and Roman prison. As a Christian, William Wilberforce worked with many immoral politicians and ended slave trade. Why did they all work with imperfect political systems and immoral politicians? Among all reasons, the bottom line is that they all know that God can use anyone for the good who love Him.
The same is true for today's Christians. We Christian should not be tired of culture and politics, but fight Biblical values in the culture and through politics. Christ called us as the soldiers of His, but not deserters.
If I would do a podcast about Christianity and politics, here is the title and the description:
Apply Truth in Tribe
Follow the Lamb and Being the Salt and the Light even in politics in the Broken World
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