by Michael G. Mickey
(9-17-07)

Let me begin by saying I am just as disgusted with politics as everyone else is. Truth to be known, probably more so than most. Having said that, I am left to wonder why the Church has allowed itself to be marginalized to the extent it presently is in the political arena, particularly during this time in our nation's history when so many threats exist to our liberties, freedom of religious expression and national security.

Tonight, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, a Values Voter debate is going to be held. The debate will be aired live on the American Family Association website, as well as on ValuesVotersDebate.com.

The candidates who will be attending the debate are going to be grilled by Joseph Farah, founder of WorldNetDaily.com. Thus, there is little question that the GOP candidates in attendance are going to be asked a lot of questions that we, as Christians, should be very interested in hearing answered.

As great as it is that some of the GOP's candidates are willing to do what none of the Democratic presidential candidates will do, did the GOP care about our values enough to have all its candidates attend the event? No. The GOP is no more interested in its top candidates addressing one of the largest voting blocs in America than the Democratic Party is in having even one of its candidates for president attend an event of this nature!

That's right, Christians! As a Sun-Sentinel article points out, "all the Republican presidential candidates were invited, but none of the leading contenders are showing up." The article adds that, although Rudolph Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson bill themselves as conservatives, none of them is viewed as 100 percent true-believers. Perhaps that's why they don't want to answer questions coming from a Christian conservative like Joseph Farah, huh?

And John McCain, who says he's a Baptist but has never been baptized? He has been quoted by Fox News as saying of baptism, "I didn't find it necessary to do so for my spiritual needs." In similar fashion it seems, Senator McCain doesn't believe addressing values voters is necessary for his political needs!

Apparently McCain and the rest of the GOP's leading candidates think no harm will come to them in their quest for the White House as a result of their refusal to show up at the Values Voters Debate which is exactly why their refusal to do so needs to hurt them - and badly! Church, if we want to have a voice, even a faint one, in the affairs of our nation's government, we need to step up to the plate right now! We need to send a massive message to the GOP's front runners by voting for GOP candidates who show up for tonight's debate ONLY. In keeping with that theme, we need to refuse to vote for any Democrat for president for the same reason.

As Janet Parshal put it in the Sun-Sentinel article, "Everybody who cares about our values will be there. If you care enough about our votes, you care enough about our values to be there."

Why are we withering in our nation's time of need?

Christians, look at the following excerpt from the Sun-Sentinel article and see how small our voice has become. Speaking on the topic of why none of the GOP's top candidates will be appearing, a political expert had the following to say (emphasis added mine):

"It reflects a decline in the influence of the conservative Christian movement and the social conservatives in the Republican Party," said Hastings Wyman, founding editor of the Atlanta-based Southern Political Report.

"I don't think the Republican Party is going to desert that base. But I do think that the degree of influence that we may have seen in the past of the religious-political conservative coalition no longer holds true," he said.

If we're not concerned by those words, we certainly ought to be! Are we no longer salt and light in this wicked world?

Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 5:13-16:

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

On many occasions I have stressed that we need to get involved in our nation's political process and take it back from those who are hand-picking our leading candidates for political office for us, primarily the mainstream media which, naturally, gives the vast majority of its attention to liberals from both parties to ensure that, regardless of who sits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a result of next November's election process, they will lean as far left as possible, even if the winner turns out to be a Republican.

I know that this type of commentary isn't very popular with many but it needs to be said. If we, the Body of Christ, refuse to act as the salt of the earth concerning the selection of our nation's leadership, we are good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men! And trodden under the foot of men we will be if we don't seek out men who hold our values to hold the highest political offices in our nation! Trodden underfoot we will likewise be if we don't get out and vote in our primaries, as well as in next year's elections!

In closing, we need to keep at the forefront of our minds the fact that no (ZERO) leading candidates for President of the United States of America from either party want to share their values with us. Why, therefore, should any of them get our votes next November?

Something for us to think on - and pray about.

September 17, 2007

The Church's Waning Political Influence