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Why shouldn’t religion be involved in politics? Is religion the problem?

Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory. 2 Kings 18:5-8

In the Bible, when a king trusted God and followed His commands, God blessed the nation during that time. The books of Kings show the political rollercoaster that occurred when obedient kings and evil kings took power. Their faith determined the stability of Israel.

The religion or faith of a politician could determine the legacy of a nation, since his or her faith influences all sorts of decisions. It’s important that the tenets of that particular faith must come from a source that takes into consideration all of humankind, not just the motives of one particular person or denomination.

God wanted to set up a nation in Israel and asked the people to follow His commandments as a governing system. The people eventually did not want God’s system and it all fell apart.

Politics should never try to coerce the freewill of the individual, because God himself will never do that. That’s when politics and religion become a problem (remember England and the early colonists to the United States). Politics must allow for the free expression of all faiths, but hold to the moral code that God outlined as true and right for all of mankind (don’t steal, don’t murder, respect others, etc.).

Christianity accepts our freewill and allows for freewill choices. Other major religions are not so accommodating (see Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq).

A politician’s moral basis comes from their faith. A politician should never discard their beliefs just because they are in office. It’s that moral compass which will guide their decisions for just and good laws for everyone.