The politics Jesus wouldn't do

From the Houston Chronicle op-ed page:

There is no such thing as a "Christian politics." If it is politics, it cannot be Christian. Jesus told Pilate: "My reign is not of this present order. If my reign were of this present order, my supporters would have fought against my being turned over to the Jews. But my reign is not here" (John 18:36). Jesus brought no political message or program.

This is a truth that needs emphasis at a time when some Democrats, fearing that the Republicans have advanced over them by the use of religion, want to respond with a claim that Jesus is really on their side. He is not. He avoided those who would trap him into taking sides for or against the Roman occupation of Judea. He paid his taxes to the occupying power but said only, "Let Caesar have what belongs to him, and God have what belongs to him" (Matthew 22:21). He was the original proponent of a separation of church and state.

And

The Romans did not believe Jesus when he said he had no political ambitions. That is why the soldiers mocked him as a failed king, giving him a robe and scepter and bowing in fake obedience (John 19:1-3). Those who today say that they are creating or following a "Christian politics" continue the work of those soldiers, disregarding the words of Jesus that his reign is not of this order.

Some people want to display and honor the Ten Commandments as a political commitment enjoined by the religion of Jesus. That very act is a violation of the First and Second Commandments. By erecting a false religion — imposing a reign of Jesus in this order — they are worshipping a false god. They commit idolatry. They also take the Lord's name in vain.

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While I do think that Democrats should do everything they can rhetorically to expose Republican hypocrisy on the Jesus issue, this essay is right on: Christianity should play no role in American politics. Never mind, for a moment, the great pains taken by our Founding Fathers to ensure that this would be a secular nation; Christianity is obviously an apolitical point of view, dealing with a spiritual kingdom instead of an earthly one. Granted, much of what Jesus asserted about morality is easily translated into politics, but the United States should pass legislation because it is right, and because it is the will of its citizens, not because the Lord commanded it--to the best of my knowledge, the Constitution bestows no power on the Nazarene carpenter, only on the Federal Government. The bottom line here is that it makes no sense to use the government to force a version of Christian morality on Americans. "Do not boast of works, lest ye be judged," said Jesus. In other words, following Christian law doesn't do anybody any good spiritually. For Christians, it is only the relationship with Jesus that gets people into heaven, only the relationship with Jesus that makes people want to follow Christian rules. From a Christian standpoint, a Christian government is inherently a spiritually bankrupt concept. Pointless.

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