Politics

A Discusion on Religious Liberty

/ Marcus Glover / Leave a comment

With the recent healthcare mandate put into effect by the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), there is a growing concern on the part of many that the American federal government has transgressed constitutional parameters guaranteeing religious liberty. In fact, many believe that the government is on a slippery slope toward obliterating religious liberty altogether.

The concern stems mainly from the provision in the HHS mandate which requires employers to offer their employees healthcare insurance that covers, among other things, abortifacients like the “morning after” pill. Any employer who fails to do so faces a stiff fine of $100 per employee, for each day of non-compliance. Aside from “houses of worship” (i.e. churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.), there is no exemption for religious organizations. That means that any “secular” employer who objects to the healthcare mandate on religious grounds is, well, out of luck.

Capitol Hill Baptist Church (Washington, DC) recently hosted a lecture about the HHS mandate and its implications on religious liberty. The keynote speaker was Kyle Duncan from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The event also featured a response by Carl Trueman, professor at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Watch the full lecture here:

This is an important discussion about the trajectory of religious liberty in the United States. As we consider what it will look like to live in a civil democratic society with increased religious pluralism, it is vital that Americans grapple with what it means to remain faithful to our own beliefs–as unpopular as they may be in some spheres of society–while always seeking to preserve the freedom and dignity of those who disagree with us.

God and Government

/ Marcus Glover / Leave a comment

In light of the recent elections, politics and government have been on the forefront of the minds of many Americans. And regardless of political affiliation, many people in this country, like myself, are quite glad to finally be done with the constant bickering on social media and the steady assault of scathing attack ads on the television and the radio.

Still, I think there are important lessons to be learned from this election, especially with regard to understanding the relationship between faith and politics. If there’s one thing that we can safely say, it is that the spirit of the present age is division. That is, we live in a time in which the American political climate is more polarizing and, dare I say, mean-spirited than ever before. If Americans thought the Bush tax cuts were reason to fight, surely it seemed like another Civil War was afoot when ObamaCare blew into town.

It’s true that on both sides of the aisle, people in this country hold strong opinions on a myriad of political issues. And with the left-wing and right-wing camps moving farther apart each day, more Americans who might otherwise identify themselves as moderate, are being encouraged to pick a side and dig their heels in.

Christians, however, are faced with the challenging question of how to faithfully follow Christ while being actively involved in politics and government. Living where I do, in Washington, DC, I have no shortage of God-fearing Christian friends who work for elected officials—of both parties, mind you—and are faced with this apparent dilemma every day. These are people who love Jesus, understand Scripture, share their faith, and have a deep-seated desire for God to be known and honored above all else in this world.

To be honest, this describes me as well. I often find myself wondering if I am rightly understanding what it means to be a faithful Christian and a good citizen. Do I care too much about the outcomes of political elections? Do I care too little? To the degree that I take an adamant stance or choose to stay out of the fight, am I commending Christ? Does my engagement in civic life—or lack thereof—point people to a better understanding of God’s character, or does it send the wrong message?

As I’ve wrestled with these questions, I have been greatly helped by a few key resources, and I want to share them with you here. If you are a Christian of voting age, I encourage you to check these resources out—even if you don’t think you need to. Just do it. You might be surprised by how it helps. I realize that there are many other resources that are just as helpful. If you know of any, please send them my way.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Sermon: “Jesus Paid Taxes” by Mark Dever

This is a sermon preached by Mark Dever on Mark 12:13-17 where Jesus is questioned about the legitimacy of paying taxes to the secular Roman government. In this hour-long sermon, Dever presents a biblical, careful, and compelling vision for the Christian’s role in secular government. Collin Hansen of the Gospel Coalition call this the best sermon he knows on Christianity and government. I would have to agree!

Lecture: “Was Jesus a Liberal or a Conservative?” by Garrett Kell

In this lecture to students at Georgetown University, Garrett Kell offers biblical answers for a provocative question. Kell’s thoughts here are especially helpful with regard to thinking through partisan politics and the need to think well about specific issues.

Sermon: “I Am…God’s Only Son” by Mark Dever

Mark Dever preaches this sermon on John 3, which lays out clearly God’s plan for salvation of sinners through the life, death, and resurrection. Among various other points of application, Dever explains why government lacks ultimate power to save yet is worth the Christian’s thoughts and energy.

A Christian Response to Obamacare

/ Marcus Glover / Leave a comment

Last week, the United States Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold the controversial Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare.”

What is Obamacare? In a nutshell, Obamacare is a healthcare initiative proposed by Obama administration with the broad purpose of providing healthcare to all Americans, regardless of income or medical history. The bill was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2010 and thus became law. Though this certainly appears to be a noble endeavor, Obamacare is a piece of legislation rife with controversy.

To begin with, Obamacare includes an individual mandate for health insurance. In other words, every individual American will be legally required to purchase health insurance by 2014. Anyone who fails to do so will face a monetary penalty, payable to the Internal Revenue Service on their next tax return.

Though President Barack Obama and supportive members of Congress appealed to the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause as a justification for the individual mandate, the Supreme Court struck down that justification, stating that the Obamacare mandate oversteps the authority granted to Congress by the U.S. Constitution. However, the Court did still uphold the individual health insurance mandate, saying that is falls within Congress’ constitutional authority to impose taxes.

A second controversial aspect of the Obamacare legislation consists of a mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that requires all employers—including religious organizations—to provide insurance plans that cover abortion and certain contraceptive drugs that cause chemical abortions after fertilization. Whereas abortion has not previously been covered in most health insurance plans, the U.S. government is now mandating that such coverage be offered by all employers. That includes, with only a few narrow exceptions, all religious organizations—even those who find abortion morally reprehensible.

This so-called “contraceptive mandate” was left untouched by the Supreme Court, meaning that faith-based organizations will be legally required to offer abortion as a healthcare option to employees.

So needless to say, Obamacare matters for followers of Christ. Imagine this: Christian schools, publishers, hospitals, and ministries telling their pregnant employees that they have the right to obtain an abortion—with the company health plan! Sadly, this is the new reality.

The question is, what are Christians to do? Indeed, it seems we are now facing quite a dilemma. On the one hand, we are commanded in God’s Word to honor the secular government by obeying its laws, pursuing its good, and living peaceable lives. On the other hand, however, we are commanded in God’s Word to be stewards and agents of an even greater good—the Gospel—and thus we must call out evil for what it is and do everything in our power to resist it and oppose it at every turn.

So what must we Christians think and do about Obamacare? Now that it has been upheld by the Supreme Court, what does that mean for us who hate abortion and are deeply concerned about protecting the lives of millions of unborn babies? Should we just refuse to comply to the government in this matter? Should we just throw our hands up and hope that God will work all of this out? How can we be most faithful?

Love God. Love Others. Hate Abortion.

The main thing that we Christians must always do is love God and cherish his laws above all else. Jesus himself affirmed that the greatest and most important of all God’s commands is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37) Jesus also adds that we are to have a genuine, specific love and care for others. Both of these commands, says Jesus, serve as a summary of the whole Christian life. That is, every other command we have in the Word of God amounts to a more specific command to love God and love others.

In loving God and others, we must hate whatever stands against God and the well-being of others. Abortion does both. It violates God’s holy commands to understand that human life belongs to God and must be respected and guarded at every turn. And abortion stands against the well-being of human beings because it suggests that human life is dispensable. Thus, abortion sets a tone for a selfish and violent disregard for others while we pursue our own agenda.

An important part of our Christian growth and witness is our capacity to openly identify the moral failures of our society and reject them on the basis of biblical truth. Of course must not do so in a self-righteous or judgmental spirit. After all, we of all people know that we are helpless sinners who have been forgiven only by God’s mercy in Christ. Though we were rebels against God and his laws, he sent Jesus to bear the righteous wrath of God by dying on the cross. And it is only through Jesus’ death and resurrection that we are made right before God.

So we must reject abortion, because it presents a false and destructive message about the character of God and the value of human life.

Responsibly Challenge Government Overreach

As Christians, it is our moral duty to be good citizens. That is, we must live within the legal bounds set by our secular government, knowing that we are living ultimately under the authority of our God. As we are instructed in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, every secular authority is under God’s authority (Rom. 13:1). So as we seek to respect and cooperate with our federal and local authorities, we are indeed honoring God.

However, this does not mean that secular governments possess boundless authority that cannot, or should not, be challenged. There are times when, in loving truth and standing against evil, we will inevitably find ourselves in opposition with the secular government. In such times, we must not waver from the truth of Scripture, but rather insist on it. But we must pursue responsible, Christ-commending ways of resisting wrong—not simply saying and doing things that we know will draw antagonism and bring backlash but have no immediate or eternal impact.

In the case of the Obamacare abortion coverage mandate, there are legal avenues of challenging the legislation, and many courageous groups and individuals are currently engaged in that battle in the courts and elsewhere. As long as we live in a democratic society that will allow us to do so, we must find ways to challenge the destructive policies of the state, while affirming its God-given authority by working within its legal parameters.

By doing so, we can go a long way in “put[ting] to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:15) who expect Christians to either act out and cause trouble or compromise on our morals in order to comply.