Presidents and their power on social change
Politics has been and is a big deal in this country. Different political parties that talk trash about each other and so much controversy between people. There is no doubt that a lot of things have been changing over the years, and will continue to change. However, does change happen all on its own? Of course not. There are so many factors that play into change. Politics has had a big part into how society in the United States has changed over time. Change is a big part of life. There will never be a time where change will completely stop. This is obvious because we have seen how society has changed over time. Sociologist have come up with different theories of social change, and many of these theories seem to be legit. However, as Christians we know that God is control, and change happens on His watch [1].
Social change is something that all people can agree on. We know how society changes because we live in it. Politics and power have a special relationship [2]. Those involved in politics have always had a way of power in this country. They have a life where power can bring change into the whole country. Let’s think about the President today. Donald Trump has power. His power has brought a lot change to this country. For example, His immigration laws and his plan for the wall have brought change within how society deals with these different cases. Political power is not always accepted by the society, and those people in society are always clashing heads with them.
I became a citizen of the United States about a year ago. The last presidential election was a very hard one, but I was not able to vote. However, it is that time again, presidential candidates for 2020 are lining up, getting ready for the upcoming presidential elections. This time in politics is always such a big responsibility for all American Citizens, and this year I will have the chance to vote. Leading up to the elections, candidates will debate, and share their views with the public. They will have the chance to show the American Citizens why they would be such good Presidents. As we have seen on the news, the two different political parties are not fans of each other. President Trump is running for re-election, and many Democratic candidates are not thrilled about it. Presidents have such a big influence in our social change process because they may sign new laws that are presented, that affects our society as a whole. Additionally, movements are started as protests that leads to social change.
I want to look closely at one particular candidate on the Democratic side. The views of this individual are surely different than our current President. Although many of the Democratic candidates share similar views, He has been a very big influence for Democrats. He was second to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 elections. This man has influenced many young people because what He says sounds good to them. He believes in socialism and “free” things. Through this man’s views, our society may see a big change if he gets elected in the 2020 elections. This man is Bernie Sanders.
In the elections of 2016, we heard all about Bernie Sander’s ideas for this Country. The Republican party is not a big fan of his ideas because they are socialist ideas. His elections slogan for 2020 is “Not me. Us.” He is all about economic, racial, social and environmental justice for all [3]. Our country runs on a capitalist economic system. Today, we have a president who has a very capitalistic mindset that tried to get rid of many socialist ideas that President Obama implanted. While today Capitalism is still the system used today, Bernie Sanders has a different idea. Socialism is on the radar for Bernie. He want’s equality for all in every aspect of life. However, is that actually just for all people in the United States?
Biblically, socialism sounds to be a very great idea for the country right? However, it actually goes against a lot of Biblical principles. There is a very interesting article that I read about Christianity and socialism. In this article, the author gives 5 reasons of why socialism is not Christian. The author has very good points on how socialism has a materialistic worldview, punishing of virtue, endorsement of stealing, encouragement of envy and class warfare, and the seeking of destroying marriages [4]. The article has very valid points, but we always need to have our own convictions on these types of matters. This article was written in 2016 and Bernie Sander’s viewpoints are being torn apart through a Biblical standpoint, but Bernie has not changed his views so it is still valid today.
If this Presidential candidate actually wins, will he actually bring social change into the nation with socialism? In short, yes. Perhaps not as drastic as we would like to admit. After all, before a law can be made, it has to go through a whole process. However, we can see how the president’s power has served the society for change in past presidencies. For example, in the Obama administration we saw Obamacare come to place. This was a very big deal for America. Then when Donald Trump became President, we saw a very big divide between political parties and economic change through taxes [5]. In comparison to other presidential campaigns, people have told me that Trumps election had the most influence on the political side of social change. Political divide has been a very evident change in our society from our past. It has always been there for sure, but it is now a bigger deal for the people in the United States.
2019 will soon be over, and the presidential election of 2020 will be at our footsteps before we know it. As Bernie Sanders and other Democrats try to outrun President Trump, Christians need to be ready for who they will be voting for. A good question to ask ourselves is, “what kind of social change do I want to see?” This is a very difficult question because we want what is best for our families and country. As Christians we always need to look to the Bible for answers.
There needs to be clarity that no presidential candidate will be the perfect president for the United States. No matter their views on socialism, capitalism, abortion, same sex marriage, etc., all Presidents will not be perfect. I think that a Christian needs to be aware of the fact that there will never be a perfect president that will bring a Christian-like social change (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:10). God has instituted the government for a purpose, and we need to respect those in office (Romans 13:1). However, we need to make sure that our ultimate King and governor is Jesus Christ (Acts 5:29).
As Bernie Sanders and other candidates keep debating on their plans for the United States, Christians should not only listen to the things that sound good, but also evaluate them through a Biblical perspective. I am not saying that Republican views have the perfect Christian views, but logically speaking, they have a lot of Biblical values, Christian candidate or not. Also, even many Republicans have crazy unbiblical perspectives, and many Democrats have Biblical perspectives. We cannot judge someone just because of their political party.
As Christians, we need to be looking for social change that will impact society towards God. The church as a whole and Christian individuals have a big part in social change. We are to preach the gospel to all nations (Mark 16:15, Acts 10:42) and we are to be examples to all (1 Timothy 4:12, 1 Peter 5:3). It is a difficult job that we have as Christians in such a sinful world. That is why we need to vote for candidates that share similar values. We do not want to become a Country like North Korea, where all kinds of freedom are limited.
I think that the 2016 election was very difficult for Christians to vote. I had a lot of conversations with different individuals about this matter. Many decided not to vote, some were hesitant, and others were sure of who they were going to vote for. 2020 may be a similar kind of election. President Trump is running again, and Bernie Sanders is very popular in the democratic party. 2020 will be here before we know it. We will be at the voting polls pressing the button of who we want as President for 4 years. As of now, there is no way knowing of who may win. However, Christians need to be intentional of who they want to vote for.
Christians here is a word of advice for the 2020 Presidential elections: Do not settle with your own personal views for social change on a Presidential candidate, rather look to the Bible for guidance. Look towards Biblical values, and not your own. Remember, there is no perfect candidate, but vote for He who can bring a Christian-like social change.
[1] Burwell, Ronald. “Social Change.” Christian Perspectives on Sociology, edited by Stephen A. Grunlan and Milton Reimer, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001, pp. 385–400.
[2] Cobb, Stephen G. “Politics.” Christian Perspectives on Sociology, edited by Stephen A. Grunlan and Milton Reimer, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001, pp. 204–225.
[3] Milligan, Susan, and Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder. “Bernie Sanders: Where He Stands.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 12 Sept. 2019, https://www.usnews.com/elections/bernie-sanders.
[4] Roys, Julia. “5 Reasons Socialism Is Not Christian.” The Christian Post, The Christian Post, 12 July 2016, https://www.christianpost.com/news/5-reasons-socialism-is-not-christian-opinion.html.
[5] Dimock, Michael. “How America Changed During Barack Obama’s Presidency.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 10 Jan. 2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/2017/01/10/how-america-changed-during-barack-obamas-presidency/.
