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Contributors
John Mark Reynolds- Contributor
John
Mark Reynolds is the founder and director of the Torrey
Honors Institute, and Associate Professor of Philosophy,
at Biola University. His
personal website can be found at www.johnmarkreynolds.com and
his blog can be found at www.johnmarkreynolds.info.
 The
Religious "Right"
The Compatibility of Christianity and Republicanism...
[John Mark Reynolds] 6/18/04
Why should a Christian be a Republican? First, no political
party should dominate our thinking. Christianity is not just
first in my view of the world; it is the only view of the world.
Having said that, it seems important to me to work for and with
the Republican Party and not just stand on the edge of the field
being critical. No party is perfect, but the Republican Party
maximizes my ability to make a difference. So why am I a Republican?
The Republican Party has a glorious past. It was founded to
free the slaves. Abraham Lincoln, the greatest president of the
United States, was its first president. It has always had an
active, evangelical wing. It has never been the party of bigotry
and disunity.
The Republican Party has long been comfortable with Western
tradition and a sensible Christian civil religious fingerprint
in policy. It is no accident that before it went mad, the Episcopal
Church could be called the Republican Party at prayer. While
a great advocate of social justice causes, it also has always
had a high respect for tradition. Republicans produced Theodore
Roosevelt, a patrician reformer. Democrats produced Woodrow Wilson,
perhaps the worst President of the twentieth century.
The Republicans are the party of government. William Jennings
Bryan, three times the Democrat nominee for President, gave great
speeches. Republicans ran the nation and made her great. Democrats
weep for the poor and produce programs that create more poor.
Republicans reduce the number of poor and create citizens. Democrats
pit the haves against the have nots. Republicans unite Main Street
and Wall Street.
Republicans are the party of the well lived life. The Republican
Party respects innocent human life and if it errs, does so in
the direction of life. On the other hand, as the rational and
religious party, it makes no idol of simply being alive. It takes
murder seriously enough to demand the life of the murderer. It
knows that a defense of freedom, which brings the death of some
brave boys in uniform, is better than a life of slavery. Ronald
Reagan was a Republican and only Reagan had the nerve to call
communism an unthinkable option.
Republicans believe in liberty and not mere freedom. It understands
that every man should have the freedom to do whatever good he
can find. On the other hand, it understands that no man has a
right to do evil. Republicans are the party of law and order
who do not go too far. Republicans would ban abortion, but not
ban your right to do business.
Republicans accept that the state does some things well, but
that there are other spheres of human authority. Strong families
are necessary for a strong Republic. Democrats may every area
of life dependent on government; Republicans strengthen other
social groups to oppose government run amuck. We are not opposed
to government, we govern, but we are opposed to government that
prevents good. Democrats are libertines opposed to liberty. They
would allow children to access porn in the local public library,
but would regulate Dad's business to death. Republicans see no
right to evil and would allow local government to regulate the
library, but would leave Dad alone to produce wealth. Put simply
Republicans are joiners and do-ers. Democrats are whiners and
activists.
Is the Republican
Party perfect? By no means, no human institution, including
Christian ones can be perfect. But a primary vote is
the most powerful vote I have and I plan on using it to back
the one party that support rational families, a well lived life,
and liberty. tRO
copyright
2004 John Mark Reynolds
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