11/5/06 Faithful Politics “Moral Values” as Key In a national exit poll, when asked to choose the most important issue that influenced their vote, 22 percent chose “moral values” from a list that also included…  the war in Iraq  terrorism  health care  education  taxes  the economy/jobs. Does anything strike you about this exit poll question? What do you think “moral values” represented for people? The real question is not whether religious and moral values should be a part of politics and help shape our national political conversation, but HOW!

11/5/06 Faithful Politics Not Whether but HOW! There are two ways that religion/moral values have been brought into public life in American history:  The first way is to claim God is on our side. “It is the responsibility of every political conservative, every evangelical Christian, every pro-life Catholic, every traditional Jew, every Reagan Democrat, and everyone in between to get serious about re-electing President Bush.” Jerry Falwell, The New York Times, July 16, 2004 "The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong." Abraham Lincoln  The second way is to ask if we are on God’s side “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my great concern is to be on God's side." Abraham Lincoln

11/5/06 Faithful Politics Searching for the Politics of God Our task as people of faith is to search for the politics of God rather than using God to justify our politics.  God’s politics calls the rest of our politics into question.  God’s politics are never partisan or ideological.  We as God’s people must maintain a prophetic voice that does not speak fully for one party or another, but must challenge both the right and left based on the complete range of Christian ethics and values. “The best contribution of religion is precisely not to be ideologically predictable nor loyally partisan. Both parties and the nation must let the prophetic voice of religion be heard. Faith must be free to challenge both right and left from a consistent (and comprehensive) moral ground.” Jim Wallis God’s Politics

11/5/06 Faithful Politics What do you think are the politics of God? What are the values and principles presented in Scripture that we are to evaluate parties, candidates and policies against?  Compassion and Economic Justice  Peace and Restraint of Violence  Consistent Ethic of Life  Racial Justice  Human Rights, Dignity and Gender Justice  Strengthen Families and Renew Culture  Good Stewardship of God’s Creation Searching for the Politics of God

11/5/06 Faithful Politics Changing the Wind Habakkuk’s Complaint “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you ‘Violence!’ and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous - therefore judgment comes forth perverted.” Habakkuk 1:2-4 The Lord’s Response “Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end - it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.’” Habakkuk 2:2-3