For as long as I can remember I’ve been told that America has two camps: Left Liberal Democrats and Right Conservative Republicans. One is always correct and the other always wrong. Yet as a Christian it perplexed me why some of the devout around me picked different parties from each other. How can this be if God is central to their lives? What place does religion play in politics and what role should it play in my life?

Over at the National Review, Jim Geraghty bemoans partisanship in America:

Over the years, we’ve seen more and more Americans adopting that faith or its mirror image, the idea that all good comes from the Republican party. It’s not a formal religion, but partisan devotion so deeply affects its adherents’ thinking, morality, actions, and reactions to world events that it might as well be a religion.

The partisanship leads, not to better policies, but to worse. The correctness is not relevant as long as the other side loses. This naturally leads to a steadily deteriorating state of policy, government, and society in general.

The distinction between “Republican vs. Democrat”/”Left vs. Right”/”Liberal vs. Conservative” has very little real importance to the follower of Jesus Christ. With few exceptions, both parties lead to the same moral dead-end.

Bruce Charlton notes that there is really no meaningful difference between these categories. They are all leftist in philosophy and purpose.

A nation can be run on Religious lines (as all nations were in the past, and many still are); or else it can be Leftist – which means it pursues mortal utility.

This is why President Obama can declare his support for the traditional definition of marriage and then support homosexual marriage a few years later. It is not a contradiction but the natural result of his utilitarianism. Moreover:

Since the only way of not being Left, is to be Religious: then we are each faced with the a choice of a Religion…If you do not accept The Left, and reject its ideology; then you must put a religious goal into the place of utility.

Obviously the choice of religion is of vital importance, but that can be a topic for another day. The important part is the complete rejection of leftist utilitarianism. Politics cannot play a primary role in life. Instead the focus must be on personal and societal spiritual revival.

Christians should remember that Jesus paid almost no attention to the Roman government. He even implored people to pay their taxes! This is a critical time in our history as people flee from any belief in Jesus Christ. Christians must focus on the church and the people all around. Don’t worship the religion of the world, there is no hope there.

And forget politics. No vote is going to change anything, no matter which party is chosen.