Ok ….going to church does not necessarily mean that you are going to heaven. But according to a recently released two year study, it may mean that you are more likely to vote Republican. (Click Pic For Details.)Gallop Poll conducted a two year study into the correlation between voting tendencies and church attendance. And what they discovered is the following:
• Forty-two percent of Americans attend a church or a synagogue once a-week or almost once a-week; 43% say they seldom or never attend church.
How often do you attend church or synagogue?
Once a week 31%
Almost once a week 11%
Once a month 13%
Seldom 27%
Never 16%
• There is a strong correlation between frequency of church attendance and partisan voting tendency. The more frequent a person attends church the more likely they are to vote Republican. Conversely, the less frequent a person attends church the more likely they are to vote Democrat.
• The closeness of the national political divide is mirrored by the nearly even split between regular church attendees (42%) and non-church attendees (43%).
• Nine of twelve swing states in Presidential politics are within 4% above or
below the national frequent church attendance average (ie: they range between
38% to 46% frequent church attendance.)
• There are eleven states where frequent (once a-week/almost once a-week) church attendance is 50% or more. Each is a safe Republican voting state in Presidential elections.
This study does nothing more than shine a light on what has long been obvious to us BIBLE BELIEVING Christian voters. Of the two major parties, it is the Republican Party that is most consistent with our Christian values.
But it also raises an interesting question for “Christian” Democrats. How do you explain the inverse relationship between those who regularly sit under the word of God and those who vote for Democrats? And secondly, do they see themselves as an anomaly in this phenomenon or is their church attendance and belief in the biblical scripture just as shaky as those who don’t call themselves Christians?
The fact is many who call themselves Christians, spend very little time getting to know Christ. Few attend church more than two times a year; Christmas and Easter. And even fewer actually spend time reading the Bible or praying. I have even encountered those who claim to be Christian, but don’t believe in the Bible. And without exception, these folks have all turned out to be liberal Democrats.
Then there are those who do attend Church, pray and I believe love God. But for some reason, they continue to support candidates for public office who are actively working to promote laws and statutes that conflict with the word of God.
I will be the first to admit that the Republican Party isn’t perfect. But when it comes to supporting Christian Values, it stands head and shoulders above the Democratic Party. In my six years of studying God’s word as it relates to the role that Christians are supposed to play in civil government, I have discovered the following duties that we, as believers are called to do:
1. Pray for Leaders-
whether we like them or not.“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers,intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” [I Timothy 2:1-2]
“IF My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [II Chronicles 7:14]
2. Select God Fearing Leaders- who Advance Christian Principles in Civil Government
“Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” [Exodus 18:21](e.g., Federal—State-County/City)
“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. You shall not pervert justice…” [Deuteronomy 16:18+]
3. Seek Knowledge and Wisdom (Biblical principles are to be the benchmark for selecting political parties, people (candidates for office), and ballot propositions.)
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...” [Hosea 4:6a]
“Incline your ear to wisdom. And apply your heart to understanding. …Cry out for discernment… Then you will understand the fear of the LORD.” [Proverbs 2:2, 3, 5]
4. Take Action to Advance His Principles Until He Returns
“Occupy [do business on My behalf] till I come…” [Luke 19:13b]
“Faith without works is dead…” [James 2:26b]
“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required…” [Luke 12:48]
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” [James 4:17]
5. Obey Governing Authorities and Laws
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” [Rom. 13:1] (see also I Pet. 2:13,14)
6. Resist Tyrants and Laws that Violate Scripture [Daniel 3 & 6, and
Acts 4 & 5] See Daniel 3 & 6 and Acts 4 & 5 for examples of godly individuals who violated man’s law in order to obey and honor God.
7. Teach Our Children the Biblical Principles (including their duty to select just leaders and the Biblical principles of Liberty); we must re-establish an inter-generational perspective
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” [Deut. 6:6-7a] (Also see Deut. 4:9 and Proverbs 22:6)
How many of us really do these things? I would say very few Christians do even half of them. If we did, we would not see the degradation in the moral values of our leadership that we see today.
Take for example my home state of California. Frequent church attendance stands at just 32% (23% once a-week and 8% almost once a-week) Placing the state near the bottom in frequent church attendance. Only six states have fewer people attend church on a regular basis. This is the same state who’s legislature was the first legislative body in the country to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage and is currently considering a measure (SB 1437) that would force school children to learn only about the positive contributions of gays, lesbians and trans-gendered individuals in history. How exactly is this in line with the values of Christian Democrats?
I would ask my Christian brothers and sisters to consider whether they have transformed their political world view to be consistent with their Christian faith or if they have perverted their faith to conform with their political beliefs. Are you a Christian first or a Democrat first? By their every action, the Democratic Party has demonstrated that they “despise” God. Do you?
No comments:
Post a Comment