Does God Want Bush Reelected?

A bumper sticker one often sees along Colorado's Front Range asks: 'If God is not a Bronco fan, why are sunsets orange?' Dallas Cowboy fans will tell you that Texas Stadium has an opening in the roof so God can watch His favorite team.

This is good fun. Certainly, no one believes that God has a favorite football team. However, I cannot help thinking that a lot of people seriously believe that God supports their political party.

Consider the following. On December 14, David Frum of National Review stated that 'For now, let's say that while the President's opponents have made much sport of the idea that God called George Bush to the presidency, it's becoming increasingly difficult to doubt that God wants President Bush re-elected.'

Over the last several years I have heard some really idiotic political comments from my fellow Christians. Frum's remarks epitomize this idiocy.

I remember in early 1995, I was at a Bible study when a girl opened her prayer saying she thanked God for the election of 1994 and the new House and Senate majorities. I once heard of a woman who walked out of a Bible study at my church telling a friend that she would never ever again sit at the same table with ' horror of horrors ' a Democrat! Since GWB took office, the idiocy has gone into overdrive. Time and again I hear that we must stand behind him because, well, he's a Christian. I have been told more than once that because I do not support GWB, I am ipso facto not a Christian.

When you pin down a lot of Christians about GWB, all they can tell you is that (a) he is not from Bill Clinton's party, (b) he said he was a Christian during the 2000 campaign and (c) he has not hoed around with any interns. Based on these three factors, a lot ' not all, but a lot ' of Christians will believe anything Bush says, heap praise on anything he does and ignore any of his wrongdoings.

In this the age of the apostate church, Christians no longer examine things in light of Scripture. From now until November 2, millions of Christians across America will be carrying on like idiots trying to make the case that supporting GWB is the Christian thing to do.

Much of the blame can be placed on pastors, most of whom refuse to discuss what the Bible says about politics. I can empathize with those who prefer to keep things apolitical or who are uncomfortable discussing the subject. However, it is madness to say that we should just not discuss politics in church. This current generation of pastors is the third or fourth to have been raised on this lie.

The word 'king', as well as variations such as 'kings' and 'kingdom', appears over 2000 times in the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible says all kinds of things about how God's people should respond to their government. Most of the time God's people are at loggerheads with their earthly rulers. And yet pastors tell us that these things really don't matter. God's people suffer for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

C.S. Lewis once observed that, concerning political and social issues, we do not read the Bible with an eye to what it says, but rather to try to find biblical support for the views of our party. If Christians did consult the Bible, it would absolutely blow their minds not only about what God says about things political, but also as to how horribly deceived they have become. Also, it would disabuse Christians of their absolute certitude that GWB is God's man in Washington and that God wants GWB re-elected.

To begin with, they would find no biblical mention of their political party. But more importantly, they would find that the Bible rebukes those who hold an inordinate amount of earthly authority (Psalm 2) as well as people who set up rulers without God's approval. (Hosea 8:4)

Galatians 5:1 tells us that liberty is a gift from God. GWB has taken away our liberty more than any previous president. Would God support a president who so recklessly violates our liberties?

In Romans 2:14-16, we learn that there is such a thing as natural law. Such law is antecedent to and has a higher origin than man-made law. GWB is handing down man-made laws at a rate surpassing any other president. Will God endorse GWB in 2004?

With the Eighth Commandment (Exodus 20:15), God tells us not to steal. GWB presides over a regime that steals half our income before we the people can even buy groceries. (For those of you from the deep side of the river I am talking about the taxes we pay.)

With the Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:17), God tells us not to covet anything that belongs to others. This covetousness is the basis for the modern welfare state. With the recent prescription drug expansion of Medicare, GWB has expanded the welfare state more than any prior president. Does he have God's vote on November 2, 2004?

Our God-given right to pursue happiness (Ecclesiastes 3:13) is severely hampered by our oppressive tax code. Is God enthusiastic about anyone who presides over such a monstrosity?

GWB believes taxpayers should be forced to foot the bill for churches that participate in our unbiblical welfare system. God wants cheerful givers, not those who give out of compulsion. (II Corinthians 9:7)

GWB presides over a government that will tax churches that do not comply with 501(c) (3) regulations in the Internal Revenue Code. God says otherwise. (Ezra 7:24)

GWB has done nothing to repeal any federal firearms laws. Indeed, since September 11, 2001, he has implemented a host of new restrictions on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Millions of Christians applaud these new laws, even though they run counter to Jesus' instruction that His followers be armed. (Luke 22:36)

GWB put his blessing on the greatest expansion of federal intrusion into education in history. God says that childrearing is the duty of parents, not the state. (Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4) Decide for yourself if God really wants the son of The Education President ' that was how Bush I wanted to be remembered ' re-elected.

GWB has resumed a war his father started against a nation that had done nothing to us, (For those of you from the deep side of the river I am talking about Iraq.) Did that war have God's blessing? (Proverbs 3:30)

GWB gets his foreign policy advice from folks who think America is divinely appointed to intervene whenever and wherever it feels like doing so. Hmm. When Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth, Jesus rejects the offer. (Matthew 4:10) But GWB said he was a Christian during the campaign.

GWB presides over a government that threatens sick people with jail time if they use non-government approved medicine, prices unskilled labor out of the market with minimum wage laws, steals half of the fruit of our labor before we can even buy groceries, crushes small and mid-size businesses in a regulatory vise grip and looks the other way while millions of unborn babies are murdered. (Isaiah 10:2) What a compassionate Christian guy!

If Bill Clinton had put his blessing on taxpayer funding for fetal stem cell research, Christians would be calling for a Nuremburg trial. GWB did just this and his followers conveniently forget about it. God gives us life, forbids murder and hates hands that shed innocent blood. (Genesis 2:7, Exodus 20:13 and Proverbs 6:17) But Bush is a Christian! Sit down and shut up!

Many Jews in Jesus' time were looking for a political savior. We are no different in America today. After eight years of Clintonian debauchery, many Christians were desperate for a political savior. Based on a few highly superficial factors they think they have one in GWB.

GWB and his supporters swagger around as if they were oh so morally superior to Clinton and company. They act as if joining their faction of the Socialist War Party brings about a sudden supernatural enhancement of your genetic blueprint. Indeed, neither faction is prone to humbling itself. However, it is only in our humility that we are exalted. (Luke 18:11-14)

Many Christians attribute to GWB qualities he simply does not merit. A well-publicized study issued recently by the Barna Research Group indicated that less than 10 percent of American Christians have a biblical worldview. Their adoration of GWB is symptomatic of this. They put entirely too much emphasis on earthly power and politics. Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 6:33) He was put to death by people who had no king but Caesar. (John 19:15)

Jesus' Kingdom is not of this earth. (John 18:36) Yet, so many Christians are so obsessed with the kingdoms of this earth and putting the 'right people' in charge, that they forget what the Bible teaches. Indeed, Jesus instructs His followers that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise great dominion and call themselves benefactors, whereas to be considered great in God's Kingdom, one must become a servant. (Matthew 20:24-26, Luke 22:24-26)

Don't expect God to endorse GWB in this election. Don't expect God to buy any ad time endorsing him this fall. Don't think you are doing God's work by voting and campaigning for GWB this year. To do so borders on blasphemy.

If Christians really want to influence America and build a nation pleasing to God, they need to end their worldly love affair with the modern megastate. They need to place far less emphasis on power, politics and policies and far more on their Real King. They need to be guided by Zechariah 4:6, which says, ''Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.'

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Doug Newman's picture
Columns on STR: 34

 
Doug Newman is a New Jersey native who has lived in Colorado since 1995. He hosts a Christian, Libertarian web page called The Fountain of Truth. He writes for several pro-freedom web pages. He is retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve and works in sales to support his punditry habit.