Question

John, I want to thank you for the things that we have all been learning about our response to the government.  I understand what you are saying about how we need to back our government, even though it is not the best government, even though it is not a Christian government--there is no Christian government--only Christian people.  I also understand when you say that we shouldn't be into full-time political, even Christian political activism, even though there are some people who are employed--Christians employed full-time in politics.  But now, my question is, "What about people who are interested in some of the political things that are happening, say the 'Gay-rights' bill, or right now there is a bill open for public comment on, 'Rights for Newborn Children' who have some physical deformity, and they are allowing them to die.  And so that's open for public comment, and I am wondering what is our responsibility to the government, to let our legislators know how we feel?"

 Answer

 I think that I may have said this, maybe not clearly enough, I believe that we need to take every means available to us as citizens to effect change in country--legally.  Every time you have an opportunity to do that--you need to do that.  As a conscientious Christian, if there is any way that you can legally protest against abortion--I saw in the "Daily News" today that Tom Bradley says, now he is going to appoint more Gays.  He is going to be giving more Gay appointments.  He is sorry that he has overlooked the Homosexuals.  Well, that's sickening to me, and I am sure that it is to all Christian people, but I am not going to go down and shoot Tom Bradley.  But if there is a forum where I can say what needs to be said, and then I want to say that.  If there is a letter that I can write then I need to write that letter.  If there is a vote that I can make, then I need to make that vote.  If the Lord called me to be involved in government, or in civil service as a policeman, or as a County Prosecutor, or a District Attorney, or I don't know what--working even as a Legislator or something.  I don't see anything wrong with that.

The thing that concerns me is the illusion that Christians banding together, using political means, can bring the Kingdom or expedite the Kingdom.  What happens is, they start out with good intentions to be involved in moral issues, and I am not against that.  I think Christians ought to stand up against Abortion and Gay-rights and the ERA, and a lot of other things.  I really believe that we ought to take our stand on those issues, but somehow, what happens is, in the midst of wanting to take the right and legal means to take a stand and preach and proclaim against sin--we get diverted into the illusion that we can change our country by effecting changes in the political system.  I mean, we want to vote, and we want to vote together on some things.  We ought to know, for example, who are the legislators in the State of California who are "Pro-Abortion" and we ought to let them know where we stand. 

It is a fine line.  I know in my own case, if I feel that I need to write a letter to a Senator--I write a letter.  If I feel that I don't care to do that--I don't do that.  But I want to use every legal means, every means within my power.  I want to teach and preach here so that it is very clear what we believe, and we make a statement, and we teach our people what their stand should be in the world.  What bothers me is I know many pastors who have literally abandoned the church, and abandoned the pulpit, and abandoned studying the Scriptures, abandoned teaching the Bible--to run around and get themselves associated with the Mormons, and the Moonies, and all these cobelligerents to gain certain religious freedom.  To paraphrase, "What shall it profit the Church if we gain our freedom and lose our message?"  I mean, what's the point?  So, we just have to be sure that we are clear what our message is.  What I am saying too is, because my government isn't all that it ought to be doesn't mean that I can shoot people in my government, or that I can be an unruly citizen, disobey the law, not pay my taxes, and so forth.