A political survey was recently sent to subscribers of byFaith, which is the magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America. While the results will be incorporated into a future issue of byFaith, I thought that non-subscribers might be interested in the questions and, specifically, any discussion prompted by these responses — marked in brackets (e.g., [X]) and further elaborated upon in the comments — which are representative of my own attitudes, as well as those of our Session and congregation (located in semi-rural Northwest Georgia).

To: ByFaith Readers
From: Dick Doster, Editor
Subject: Survey on the PCA’s Political Involvement

We’re working on an article for the October/November issue of byFaith and wondered if you’d help.

Our story explores attitudes among PCA people toward politics. And we’re especially interested in getting a sense for how 20 and 30-year-olds may think differently from 40 and 50-year-olds. And how 40 and 50-year-olds think differently from 60 and 70-year-olds.

The survey will only take a few minutes. Would you click on the link below, answer the questions (there are six, plus a couple of demographic questions), and add ample comments in the spaces provided?

Your involvement will be a big help as we try to complement and corroborate some of the information we’ve gathered.

Please click here to take the survey:
[link removed]

And thanks in advance for your help.

For the sake of the kingdom,

Dick Doster
Editor

1. Generally speaking, how do you feel about the major political parties? Would you say you are:

• Dissatisfied with both parties? [X]
• Satisfied with one of the major parties?

Comments:

Both parties (or any of them if we are to be fair to those parties that exist yet have no discernible voice), naturally, are concerned about building their own kingdom for the display of their own glory. As parties, they both lay claim to sovereign control over all things according to which all things could be made right (i.e., “If you would just give us the chance.”)

At the same time, by the True Sovereign’s living and active reign over all things, they both passionately proclaim values which should characterize citizens of God’s Kingdom: the value of human life from womb to tomb; as well as the values of caring for the “good creation” made and sustained by the “Good Word” (“Bene-diction”) of the Living and True God, whose covenant name is Yahweh (i.e., this is no mere generic “god,” but a personally living and engaged God).

2. What do you think about the amount of political discussion in your church? Do you think:

• There’s too much talk about politics and political issues
• Our political discussion is balanced properly [X]
• There’s not enough talk about politics and political issues

Comments:

We are not, nor are we called to be, a “political church.” We are a community of Yahweh’s Kingdom people — a peculiar people, a treasured possession. The Kingdom proclamation, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and “Jesus is Lord,” is a categorical, all-consuming proclamation. It requires us to study and model the profound implications of such claims in every area of life, including politics. To bow to the lie of the world that the Church has nothing to say about the administrative functions of our society is to deny the heartbeat of the “good news” that all things are made right only in Jesus Christ and him crucified.

3. What do you think about your church’s identification with a political party? Would you say (Strongly Agree – Somewhat Agree – Somewhat Disagree – Strongly Disagree):

• My church is identified with the Democrat Party [Strongly Disagree]
• My church is identified with the Republican Party [Somewhat Disagree]
• My church isn’t identified with either major party [Somewhat Agree]

Please explain:

We are identified as the people of God, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. To identify with one party or another strikes at the vitals of the gospel, for it effectively sub-contracts vast swaths of a Kingdom view of the world and God’s active rule over it through Jesus Christ and him crucified to people and organizations that are built upon profoundly man-centered, man-glorifying premises.

4. Do people with different political views feel welcome in your church? Would you say (Strongly Agree – Somewhat Agree – Somewhat Disagree – Strongly Disagree):

• A Democrat would feel at home in our church [Somewhat Disagree]
• An Independent would feel at home in our church [Somewhat Agree]
• A Republican would feel at home in our church [Agree]

If someone would not feel welcome, please explain:

The proclamation of the “good news” of the Kingdom in Jesus Christ, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” is a call to both those who consider themselves “righteous” as well as those who know themselves to be “sinners.” The gospel of the kingdom nullifies the claims of independence and sovereignty of every person who enters into the presence of the living God in the name of Jesus Christ and calls each one to “turn away from the lies of the world” and follow after the true and living King.

5. What do you think about your church’s attitude toward the United States relative to other countries? Would you say:

• My church is too pro-United States
• My church is too critical of other countries and governments
• My church has a realistic view of the United States relative to other countries and governments [X]
• My church is too critical of the United States

Comment:

“Realistic” is one of those terms that must be carefully defined: it must be defined relative to the sovereign and gracious reign of the creator God through the person of Jesus, the Christ, and him crucified. For that reason, for example, we do not believe that United States foreign policy — whether a success or a failure (how ever those terms are defined) — will further or hinder the will of God. The rise of the United States and its standing in the world today is a function of God’s exercising his present sovereign rule over all things; the decline and fall of the United States would also be an immediate function of God’s gracious and active reign over all things in Jesus Christ for the display of his glory.

6. Is it important for Christians to be involved in politics? Would you say:

• All Christians need to have some involvement in the political process [X]
• It’s more important that Christians be involved in other, more spiritual pursuits
• Those who feel called should be involved; it’s not as important for others

Comments:

The apostolic announcement of the Kingdom, “Jesus is Lord!” is simply categorical and all-consuming. For those who are self-consciously united and bound together in Christ as citizens of his Kingdom to suggest in word or deed, silence or inaction, that the King has no interest or no rightful place in the political life of nations are, quite simply, in denial of the Kingdom announcement.

At the same time, “involvement in the political process” must be defined properly. Chinese (or even Iranian) Christians are called to embody the proclamation of Jesus’ supreme reign, to be “involved,” as it were, in the political life of their various societies just as first century Christians were called and as 21st Century North Americans are called. We must be careful to recognize the full reality of Kingdom involvement and not limit it to the imaginations and strategies of men and societies who may or may not enjoy the full range of vision provided by the gracious revelation of God’s Word.