Christ Among the Partisans

Garry Wills editorialized in NYT There is no such thing as a "Christian politics."

True, but people that really believe in Christ tend to prefer a party where there are more like them, than a party that caters to the Secular Humanists.

If it is a politics, it cannot be Christian.

Not necessarilly true.

Jesus told Pilate: "My reign is not of this present order. If my reign were of this present order, my supporters would have fought against my being turned over to the Jews. But my reign is not here" (John 18:36). Jesus brought no political message or program.

This is a truth that needs emphasis at a time when some Democrats, fearing that the Republicans have advanced over them by the use of religion, want to respond with a claim that Jesus is really on their side. He is not.

He is not on the Republicans side either. However more Republicans are on His side.

He avoided those who would trap him into taking sides for or against the Roman occupation of Judea. He paid his taxes to the occupying power but said only, "Let Caesar have what belongs to him, and God have what belongs to him" (Matthew 22:21). He was the original proponent of a separation of church and state.

But not separation of Church FROM State. Separation of church and state merely means that the state cannot select one particular faith to be the official state church. It does not mean that the state should be antagonistic toward religion, or that religious people should not be involved with matters of state.