Should we Chose our Political Leaders based on Character or Competence?

As those who want to see the kingdom of God continue to expand on the earth, we must be able to answer the question presented in the title of this post.

As with most lofty matters, one must always start with the Bible. If one starts with reason, untethered to the Word of God, one can justify just about anything. If you want to see reason running amok on a daily basis just tune into the popular prime time hosts on MSNBC or Fox News.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.

Proverbs 29:2

If there is any doubt about whether the Lord values righteousness and ethics in political leaders, one only need read the Biblical accounts of the kings of Israel. Even a cursory review reveals the Lord generally blessed righteous rulers and judged the wicked.

As much as the world pretends otherwise, one cannot compartmentalize character from the rest of who we are. Our character informs our worldview and policies and is the basis for our conduct. We cannot be separated from who we are.

At the same time, is character enough to make a good political leader?

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A Christian’s Response to the 2024 Presidential Election

Well, the people have spoken, and we now know who our president will be come January. We will have to wait to find out whether Donald Trump’s election to a second term is God’s sovereign blessing, judgment, or something else.

There are, however, a couple of things that are clear.

While the Democrats and Republicans differ on which social and political issues are more important to each, money is most important to both. The evidence is strong that those Democrats and Independents who voted for Donald Trump did so because of the economy.

Jesus was obviously right–He’s always right by the way–when He said where one’s treasure is, there his heart will be also. That applies equally to one’s vote when that treasure is money.

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What Christians and LGBTQers Must Agree On

It is becoming clear the defining moral issue of the younger generation is sexual identity. It is also clear that Evangelicals are finding themselves increasingly marginalized on this issue. Their resistance is equated with intolerance, and their opinions are increasingly reserved for hushed conversations with other Evangelicals.

The reality is there is common ground for conversation, though I doubt either side recognizes it. That common ground is found when one recognizes that even most in the LGBTQ community believe pederasty, pedophilia, and bestiality are wrong. In other words, like Evangelicals, the LGBTQ community believes there should be limits on sexuality.

The difference between the two is a disagreement over where to draw the line. Thus, for the LGBTQ community to insist that only they could be right about where to draw that line makes them as intolerant as they accuse Evangelicals of being.

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On the Trump Assassination Attempt

When I first read about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, I knew three things would happen.

I knew Evangelical pastors would tell their congregations Trump’s narrow escape was proof of God’s support of Trump and that they would be mistaken.

I knew prominent Democrats would go on television and say they were glad Trump was okay and that they would be lying.

And I knew non-Christians would say Trump was just lucky in avoiding the bullet and that they would be wrong.

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Irish-Scotch Travel Journal Day – 8

Saint Augustine’s Church (on the Wall), Londonderry, Northern Ireland

I’ve often said the existence keys is the best evidence we live in a fallen world. Keys are necessary to unlock locks, and locks are only necessary because people steal.

In terms of such evidence city walls run a close second. We’ve seen many examples of city walls in our travels: Jerusalem, Istanbul, Vienna, York, Dubrovnik. Today we added Londonderry to that list.

Londonderry’s famous walls

The irony is in Londonderry the walls could not defend against what threatened to tear the city apart following the Reformation. That threat culminated in “The Troubles” of 1968 through 1972, and more acutely on Bloody Sunday (January 23, 1972), where 13 civil rights demonstrators were killed by the police.

St. Columba and St. Patrick would have been shocked to hear “The Troubles” framed as a religious dispute amongst Christians. It was more political and cultural than religious. I never heard the leaders of the opposing sides debating salvation and the merits of monergism or synergism.

Our tour guide was careful to make clear that his use of the name “Derry” (the Irish Republican designation) instead of Londonderry (the UK/Unionist name), was not intended to be a political statement but a more convenient name for the city we were touring today. Fortunately, things have quieted down here since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and we no longer associate Northern Ireland with bombings and the IRA.

Key in bringing about that 1998 peace agreement was John Hume, a devout Christian who attended St. Columb’s (Columba’s) school, and St. Patrick’s College, where he studied for the priesthood before choosing a career in education and ultimately in politics.

Northern Ireland can be thankful Hume chose a career in politics rather than the priesthood, and more importantly that he choice to be peacemaker.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9.

When we act as peacemakers, we are imitating our Father. Like father like son. The Apostle Paul spoke of this imitation of the Father when he told the Galatians that those who are lead by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Galatians 8:14. When we are led by the spirit, we imitate God, Who is spirit.

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