It’s Time to Stop Associating Christianity with Conservatism.
Ever since the Moral Majority came to prominence in the 1970s, Christianity and Conservatism have been packaged together, as if conservatism is a tenet for believers. I’ve briefly referenced this in older posts, but, in my circle growing up, a phrase I always heard was “Christian-conservative,” like a single, hyphenated word. I had the distinct impression that, if God wasn’t a Republican, at least He always voted Republican.
While I suppose the compound nature of my Christian-conservative identity was originally orchestrated to help keep my ideas safely where my elders felt they belonged, in the end, the politicized nature of the church ended up being a factor that pushed me away. My exit from that world was an exit from “Christian-conservatism,” in its hyphenated form — they were one, and I left them both together.
As someone who is politically engaged — I can’t help but wondering whether I would still be a Christian if I hadn’t grown to associate the belief system so strongly with political views that I came to reject. Perhaps, if Christian leaders were able to divorce their faith from their party affiliations, my generation wouldn’t be hemorrhaging from evangelical spaces. However, separating the Christian faith from conservative politics isn’t simply a strategic suggestion — I think it’s the only moral option for believers. Here is a basic breakdown of why Christendom needs to move away from the concept of conservatism as being the politics of the faith.
It’s Not Actually True
There are some powerful forces in Christendom and in the right-wing political sphere that really want to spread the idea that Christians are conservative and conservatives are Christian. Visible organizations such as Focus on the Family, Liberty University, and the Family Research Council may create the impression that this is the case.
The fact is, while vested interests may want us to think this — it’s just not the reality. If you take a look at the research conducted by Pew Forum, some interesting factoids will pop out: only a narrow majority of evangelical protestants (56%) lean conservatively. Not even half (44%) of mainline protestants do. And more Orthodox Christians (44% to 33%), Historically Black Protestants (80% to 10%), and Catholic Christians (44% to 37%) are are liberal than conservative. Clearly, the political viewpoints of Christians are all over the political map — and many entire denominations lean left.
It Seems Really Racist
Hear me out: Black religious leaders have a long history of left wing political activism. Many famous far left activists have been both Black and Christian. I mean, MLK Jr. was a left-wing radical and a reverend. Shaun King was a pastor for 15 years. Barack Obama said in an interview with Christianity Today, “ I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life.” The three largest historically black denominations in the United States are 75% Democrat-leaning, 87% Democrat leaning, and 92% Democrat leaning. Ignoring, brushing past, or dismissing Black, left-leaning Christianity is, bottom line, racist. And touting the myth that Christianity is conservative is buying into that racism.
It Makes Christianity Inaccessible to Millennials
Only 15 percent of millennials lean conservative. And millennials are passionate about their left-leaning political views. Because propaganda of the Christian-conservative mindset is so rampant, millennials are (inadvertently?) being pushed out. It’s difficult for them to find churches where they will feel protected or respected. And why should they try, if they’re repeatedly being painted as unsaved reprobates because their political opinions differ? See:
- If you are a Democrat, you are not a Christian
- Wake up Christians, There is No Place for You in the Democrat Party
- Are you a Christian and a Democrat? Matt Walsh Explains Why That is Not Possible.
It Transitions Political Focus from Jesus-emphasized Issues to Republican-emphasized issues
The Bible mentions homosexuality 7 times and poverty 300 times. Proportionally, there are way more poor people (14.5% of the population) than LGBT+ people (3.8% of the population) in the United States anyway. But what’s getting air time in Christian political spaces? You already know the answer.
……………..
From so many angles — moral, spiritual, practical, strategic, and factual — Christianity shouldn’t be associated with conservative politics. Faith isn’t meant to be manipulated as a tool of politicians. It’s time to separate the two camps back into their own spaces.
