A need for God in a politician

[AndrewJaffery]

Now, first of all, I don’t know if this is the right place (Wow, I start every thread with this….must go with my unsure-ness of other questions.) as it’s about politics, but is not about a specific news story, but a broad thing.

I’ve read it in another thread, and I’ve been wondering this for awhile……why is it wrong to have an atheist in Government? A ‘godless’ government is what I think it was called. There’s, and don’t quote me on this, one atheist in the Senate/Congress (There may be more, but being in a different country saves me from needing to know ) Is there just something totally wrong with them? Do they emit some kind of foul odor naturally that only Religious people can pick up? Do you think they’d pass a law making it illegal to be religious? Is it just the abortion issue? (Please, don’t turn this thread into one about abortion ….that’s not the purpose of this thread, but feel free to include it as a point), is it because they don’t talk to God every night, and He can’t give said person advice? Or is it just because they’re different? Or is it something else?

In addition, if there isn’t anything wrong with it, and you all believe that nothing is wrong with it, and it’s some strange anomaly, then sorry for wasting your time.

(This is a serious question by the way….I actually want to know….)

 

[annie678]

Hi Andrew –

Here’s my feeble attempt to respond to your honest question.

I don’t believe that it is necessarily wrong to have an atheist in government. I am a Catholic and believe that God loves the atheist as much as He loves me, as much as He loves Jesus, as much as He loves you.

I also believe that God’s truth is written in the hearts of all men – called natural law (I think that’s the correct term). Some of us follow that law to varying degrees at varying times, others do not. Some of us acknowledge that the law comes from God, others do not. I believe that man is essentially good and as such, can do good for its own sake. My faith tells me that the good in his heart, is placed there by the grace of God (His gift) where others may not believe that. I believe that the good I do is my gift back to God, done out of love for Him and for His glory.

My problem is with the decisions made by people in government which go against God’s law, not whether they acknowledge it as His law or not (although that saddens me and I pray that all will come to know His Grace and Mercy). And I think the chances of those decisions being made increase when God is not acknowledged. By the way, I believe that anyone in government, or anywhere else, can make decisions which either uphold God’s law or contradict it (better known as sin) whether they are Christian, Atheist, Agnostic or anything else.

That all said. I think it’s hard to live in this world and can’t imagine doing so without God. There are times, however that I do just that – try to live on my own, but He is faithful and always calls me back.

Peace to you,
Annie

Romans 2:14-16
(14) For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature observe the prescriptions of the law, they are a law for themselves even though they do not have the law. (15) They show that the demands of the law are written in their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even defend them (16) on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge people’s hidden works through Christ Jesus.

 

[Verisimilitude]

In a nation where more than 80% of the population claim to believe in God and for that matter any politician anywhere, the majority of people believe in God and so to them the need you speak about comes from a natural instinct of sorts. It gives them a reasonable basis to evaluate what that politician stands for and means when they speak. For a declared Atheist that basis is reasonably undefined to the believer voting for them.

In America specifically I do not have the expectation for that need to be fullfilled because of our founding ideology and laws that spring from that granting freedom to practice a religion or not. I agree and support it, but because of that freedom it makes those who claim one thing and do another all that more distastefull and it no longer becomes a need for God in a politician as much but of personal integrity.

It strikes me that an Atheist would look at a declared Catholic that is a pro-abortion politician as a person lacking personal integrity just as a Catholic voter should because of that conflct in faith and political views. Even if the Atheist agrees with legalized abortion they should be wary of an individual who declares one thing and does another. That politician has the freedom to change their declaration of faith for political reasons, but not the freedom to change the faiths declaration similarly.

A person that believes in God…or god(s) cannot reasonably call themselves an Atheist and so to a person who calls themselves Catholic that supports legalized abortion is like an Atheist that supports a belief in God.

The Church is clear with respect to the position on abortion but not on immigration, war, taxes and other devisive issues. The standard of evaluating those topics is still most often based in the faith of those who claim a faith. It is from that base that those who call themselves religious can and should be judged in the sense of supporting or not a political candidate.

I do not embrace the ideology it is required much less desired for an individual to divorce their personal ideology in order to serve in public office. The 1st Amedment gurantees the individuals right to be and act according to their faith with out fear of retribution. Funny how that fear is not of God, but for their political carrer.

Other than abortion Catholics and non-Catholic Christians in America often say many of the same things but come to sometimes understandable and reasonable but different conclusions- though not always. Atheists may even use some of the same arguments but not applying any religious significance to them which has its own pitfalls in such a discussion.

Example- war.
Many Catholics and non-Catholic Christians cite the Just War criteria as both means to support war or not. I think any reasonable person would conclude most wars in human history do not meet that criteria and the most recent wars America is waging are supported or not for political reasons- not religious. Though religious inferences adopted by social norms are often used to justify them regardless such as helping the less fortunate, oppressed and innocent. Christ never said to leave your home you are protecting from the thief to go out in search of the thief to protect your neighbors home even if they are less fortunate, oppressed and innocent.

Why does the Atheist support or not these wars? How about the Moslem, Mormon or Scientologist? The equalizer is politics not religion, but those claiming a religious reason- and why shouldn’t they if they claim to be religious should be held to those standards of that religion.

Immigratioin and taxes are similar to a degree as that of war. In order to help the less fortunate, oppressed and innocent from poverty, dictators and other evils charity is esposed as a religious and personal responsibility of Catholics and non-Catholic Christians to be offered freely. That religious charity does not dictate it be forced from either believers of non-beleivers alike in the form of taxes or open borders. Only politics does that.

If an Athiest is against legalized abortion, undeclared unjust wars, unfair and forced income taxation to redistribute wealth and respects national sovereignty while maintaining compassion for the the less fortunate, oppressed and innocent of the USA specifically but all humans particularly they would have my vote. I would like to discover why they hold those positions but if they said it and acted on them as such the reasons would not matter as much as the actions taken for them. For a Catholic or non-Catholic Christian to proclaim these things as a religious belief but act contrary to them then they deserve support fom no one to include the Atheist if they be a rational person.

The need for God in a politician is not a required need but it can’t be discarded if they claim a belief in God.