Why I’m A Political Independent
There is a danger in Christians viewing politics in black and white. Many assume Republicans align with conservative Christianity and Democrats do not. While I do believe this to be generally true right now on some major issues (such as abortion and homosexuality), there is a lot of grey that is being ignored. And there will be people in heaven from all political parties, so maybe we should keep this in mind.
Not in my lifetime have I seen America more politically divided. While most Americans hold some important priorities in common, such as loving relationships, having a good job, enjoying life, etc., there are forces at play to tear us apart. Foremost working against us are toxic social media platforms, a gaslighting press, and power-hungry politicians. People associated with all three of these areas can be incredible forces for good, but over time they have seemingly become more and more degenerate.
It is not good for America when these three areas are out of balance. For example, Only 3.4% of American journalists are Republican. Republicans have one mainstream news outlet, and Democrats have the rest. The deck is blatantly stacked on one side. This means that most of the press provides news coverage that is biased (consciously or subconsciously) against a notable percentage of Americans. What is more egregious, however, is the near disappearance of independent news media.
Let’s take that word independent and expand it to the political realm. I belong to this group, the largest political “party” in America. Independent voters, or in some states “unaffiliated” or “no party affiliation” voters, are not part of any organized political party (and should not be confused with organized parties containing “independent” in their names). You might be surprised to know Democrats or Republicans aren’t the largest group—independents are. Twenty years ago, the voting public was almost divided into thirds. Now, independent voters have tied an all-time high at 43%!
Many Americans like me are disillusioned, from the candidate choices to the loss of unbiased news sources to the irreversible government spending to general pessimism over the direction of our country, regardless of who is in charge. Some independents are just anti-party or anti-establishment. Some just don’t care. Many are closet voters who lean toward one of the two main parties.
Let me explain when and why I became an independent (“unaffiliated” in my home state of North Carolina). It was just after the 2016 presidential election. I was so dissatisfied with the two major-party choices that I chose a write-in candidate. After all, it was either a candidate who was arrogant and disrespectful or one with a shady political career (the 2024 election could be described similarly, by the way). While the choices weren’t any better in 2020, I reluctantly decided to vote with the dreaded “lesser of two evils” mentality. In 2024, my decision will be based more around policy than person because there are clear governmental track records for both main candidates.
There was, however, a deeper motive for my political conversion to being an independent. There are two spiritual reasons why I became unaffiliated:
- First, being an independent helps me focus on my true allegiance to God. He will one day judge me for my words and actions, and it won’t be based on my political affiliation. Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12).
- Second, the neutrality allows me to have more fruitful conversations with those affiliated with the main parties. I’ve found it doesn’t make me an opponent to be defeated; it is much easier to “agree to disagree” amicably. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).
Feed the Hunger carries out our ministry like an independent. While we do not hide our strongly held Christian beliefs (here are our Organizational Statements), all are welcome to pack food with us and all are welcome to receive help from us, regardless of political, religious, or ethnic factors. We do everything in the name of Jesus and for His glory—and we want to attract people who don’t think or believe like we do. We can have a fun and impactful time together, united around the cause of feeding at-risk children, and we can have meaningful interactions with others in their hour of need.
So, as we carry on in this toxic political environment, please consider how you can help bridge the political divide, not expand it. Here’s some practical advice as it relates to politics and our role in America as believers:
- Our ultimate allegiance is to God (Luke 9:23; Acts 5:29).
- We are to respect our civic leaders (Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:1–7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13–14).
- We must let our spiritual light shine (Matthew 5:16).
- We must love our neighbor and love our enemy (Matthew 5:43–44).
One more piece of advice that isn’t directly from the Bible but certainly goes along with being a spiritual light and loving people. Get involved in politics on a city, county, and state level where more grassroots change can happen.
America needs more mature Christians involved in all levels of government. Why? I believe that God has blessed America because our imperfect forefathers dedicated the country to Him. Further, we corporately sought to adhere to Judeo-Christian standards in public and private life. This dependence on God, however, is now mainly in the rear-view mirror.
Many believe that Christianity has no place in government. There’s not room here to fully delve into the debate about “separation of church and state.” But in short, a Supreme Court justice in the late 1940s named Hugo Black misapplied a quote by Thomas Jefferson, redefined the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution, and the false concept spread from there. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” has nothing to do with keeping Christianity out of the government and everything to do with not having a national denomination of Christianity. Our ancestors came here to avoid this from the Church of England.
Why do I share this? Because nearly 250 years after our independence from British rule, our democratic republic has decided over time to move away from its dependence on God. It has kicked Christianity out of the government, schools, etc., and now embraces moral relativity and the breakdown of the traditional family, the bedrock of any civilization.
God loves us too much to force us to follow Him. But turning away from Him has consequences. With no spiritual and moral compass to unite us as a nation, it is only a matter of time before an unprecedented crisis occurs. God’s blessing is always eventually removed when His people turn their backs on Him. The Bible repeatedly demonstrates this.
We live in a fallen world. We live in a fallen nation. We are fallen. Life is unfair. There is so much wrong. But God can use us to help our fellow Americans turn back to Him. So, as we go forward as followers of Christ, be reminded that we are not spiritual independents but God-dependents whose citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Until we get there, let’s be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.