Faith and Politcs

For as long as the earth has been in existence, we have had many great countries and
nations. From the days of the Romans, to the dynasty rule of Great Britain, we have seen the
power of and influence of man over people. We have seen these great nations use their
economic and military power to solidify their rule over the world. Although these countries
have a rich history of power and success, no country in history of mankind has driven the entire
world order like the United States of America.

The founding fathers of this country were driven to create a nation that would allow its
People to have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They created a document according to
Many experts, is the greatest work of literature ever created behind the Holy Bible. This
document was called and still is called the Constitution. Some may even argue that God
inspired these men to write this document. However, did God indeed inspire them, or was it
the hatred for England which burned deep in their soul drive them. In America today, there has
been a great debate over whether or not Faith and Politics should work hand and hand. Since
the beginning of the George W Bush Presidency and the aftermath of 9/11, and now with Sen
Barack Obama’s Pastor, God has once more become very dominant in the political spectrum.

Many conservatives would argue that our elected officials should look to God for help
and use their Christian Beliefs in their decision making and the way they govern the country.
Liberals believe that an elected official should not wear their faith on their selves. They believe
an individual should not press their religious beliefs on others, and should practice separation
of church and state. This argument has been going in America since the very beginning. The
founders of America did not want to live the same religious oppression that they experienced in
Europe, they wanted to live free. Many of you may be asking yourself as you read this article,
what do I believe? Well, here is my take on this matter. I believe that Faith and Politics has
been a battle for the last 2000 years. If you go back to the time of Christ, he challenged the
Jewish Political System at that time in Israel. The political system at that time believed that
the resurrection did not exist and that certain religious acts should not take place on certain
days. Faith and Politics increased more after Christ. The Holy Crusades were wars that were
fought for political gain and religious influence.

During the days of the British Rule, the church was very influential in what the King or
the Queen decided to do. The Catholic Church and the Pope was very powerful and directed
the whole world. They also clashed with some of the British Kings such as King Henry VIII
which fought with the Catholic Church over his view of marriage and other matters. With all
this said, I believe that yes, an elected official should have a relationship with God but I also
believe that the debate of faith and politics is nothing new. I also believe that Sen Obama should
not be judged by his Pastor, he should be judged by his character. This battle defines our very
existence as a democracy. If we could not debate this topic, everything we fought for over 250
years will die in vain. Faith should not divide us as a country but unite us as a country. Faith is
the ability to believe in what we cannot see or feel. According to the bible, we cannot please
God without faith. If this is the case then if we are divided as a country then we are not pleasing
God.

I believe that were we are as a nation at this point in time as it pertains to faith has a lot to do
with the War on Terror. Whether you agree with Iraq War or not, we are in the true last crusade
of our time. The War on Terror is more than just a fight of terrorism and ideology, it is a war
between the human mind and the human spirit. Our mind guides us and our spirit defines us. If
a human being believes in something strong enough, its spirit will engulf itself in that belief.
Whether you support Sen. Obama or not, if we start electing or not electing people based upon
their church, we start to kill democracy slowly. In order for our country and our strong belief in
faith to endure the uncanny hands of time, we must begin to understand and each other. We
must also not allow our difference blind us so much to the point that we become clouded with the
spirits of confusion and complacency.