“Religion and politics don’t mix.”  We’ve heard that saying all our lives.  Most accept it as true because it seems like every time a preacher addresses political issues someone gets upset and threatens to leave the church.  And we’re all about keeping everyone in the church happy.

Cutting-edge preachers sometimes use that slogan as an excuse not to speak about controversial cultural issues because they know most millennials feel it’s awkward to mention anything remotely political in church.  And they are totally focused on reaching the 20-35 age group.

Secular progressives reinforce the idea that, “religion and politics don’t mix” by protesting, “Separation of church and state!” anytime Christians speak up about political issues.  They’d love to silence the evangelical influence by intimidation.

Admittedly, some preachers in the past have used the pulpit to promote issues that weren’t well-defined Biblical principles and to endorse candidates who later proved unworthy.  Since we loathe being identified with the extreme religious right, we retreat explaining, “Religion and politics don’t mix.”

But that popular myth needs to be debunked, and soon…for the following reasons.

(1) Today’s politics frequently overlap with crucial Biblical principles.  The sanctity of marriage the killing of the unborn, the freedom to evangelize, racial equality, the persecution of Christians in Muslim countries, caring for the poor, justice in the courtroom, defining a just war, the proper treatment of immigrants, the right to own property are all matters that are dealt with extensively in the Bible.  Those aren’t just political issues: they are first and foremost Biblical issues.

When these matters come up for debate, preachers who don’t address them fail to preach the whole counsel of God.  Franklin Graham recently pleaded with preachers to speak up about the sanctity of marriage and pointed out that failure to do so is cowardice – and cowardice is a sin.

(2) The Spiritual precedent.  The Old Testament prophets were usually hated by public officials for their firm stand on God’s truth.  King Ahab called Elijah a “trouble-maker” for equating a drought with God’s judgment on the nation.  King Nebuchadnezzar had Daniel thrown into a lion’s Den for his failure to comply with a national law that prohibited public prayer.

John the Baptist was beheaded for speaking out against the immoral life-style of King Herod.  John didn’t just proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God and keep his nose out of what was going on in the political arena.  He understood God’s prophets were called not to reflect the culture but to correct the culture.

Prior to the Declaration of Independence many ministers on the American frontier preached sermons on what constituted a just war and even served as militia leaders.  The book, Revolutionary War Sermons illustrates the fact that 18^th Century ministers didn’t believe the myth that religion and politics don’t mix.

Very few would suggest that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. should have stayed out of politics.  The enforcement of Civil rights laws and the implementation of racial equality rightly mattered to him.  He and his followers were deeply involved in politics and they are lauded today for making a difference.

(3) The uniqueness of the American system.  Some Christians protest that since we have no record of Jesus Christ or the Apostle Paul protesting against the corrupt Roman government, we ought to remain submissive and silent.  (Note: Jesus did commend John the Baptist for confronting Herod, and Paul did utilize his rights as a Roman Citizen when he was beaten in violation of the law.)

What is often overlooked is the fact that The United States of America was created as a unique government, “…of the people and by the people and for the people.”  Jesus and Paul lived under a dictatorship.  We live under a constitutional republic.  That’s a huge difference.  We are the government.  Public officials are to represent us.  That means we have a stewardship responsibility to be involved because, “to whomsoever much is given, much is required.”

(4) The Lordship of Christ.  We are taught in Scripture that Jesus is Lord of all and we can’t compartmentalize our lives.  Ministers compare our lives to a chest of drawers.  They point out that most are willing for Jesus to be Lord over Sunday worship, but don’t want him getting into the drawer marked, “entertainment” or the drawer marked, “money.”  But Jesus seeks to be Lord of every facet of our lives.

Jesus is to be Lord over the drawer marked “politics” too.  Being a follower of Christ should impact our voting record, our endorsements, our monetary support and the letters we write.

(5) Compassion for future generations.  We enjoy unprecedented freedom and prosperity because our forefathers sacrificed their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to provide it for us.  Our freedom was not free.  And future freedom is not guaranteed.

Historians point out that no civilization exists forever and moral decay is the primary reason nations collapse.  America’s rapid moral decline is alarmingly obvious.  Our grandchildren are not going to have the blessings of religious liberty if we don’t do our part to preserve it for them.

Some protest that God is sovereign and so it doesn’t matter to Him who is elected.  God will have His way regardless of what goes on in the political arena.  If that were a valid rationale, we needn’t bother to evangelize or fasten the seat belt in the car. That’s silly!  God works through people who work.

Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen recently suggested most Americans have no idea how critical religion is to the functioning of democracy.  He said, “The reason our democracy works is not because the government was designed to oversee what everyone does.  But democracy works because most people voluntarily obey the law.

“In the past most Americans attended a church or synagogue where they were taught that they are answerable not just to society but to God.  As religion loses its influence, where are the institutions that will teach the next generation that they too need to voluntarily choose to obey the laws?  If you take away religion you can’t hire enough police.”

That’s why politics and religion must mix, If they don’t, democracy crumbles…. and we stand accountable to God for our feeble, spineless stewardship.