Religion and Politics

Outside a deli I once saw a man who had cut his arm on purpose. I went outside and he was bleeding very badly. The odd thing was that his blood looked like watered down red cranberry juice. It was very transparent on the ground. 

How amazing that the human body is built in such a way by God that even when the life blood has been alcohol'd into such diluted uselessness, that the human body still somehow continues to function.

This left me amazed at how well God created us humans.

We humans have so mangled our air, water, food, soil.. that it truly is a miracle that we last to 70 years old. Wonder what the original Adam was like? That original body must have been amazing. No wonder God allowed it to live 930 years before Adam's body died. Genesis 5:5 "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died."

Religion and Politics. Or mainly, true Christianity and politics. Are they snuggle bunnies? 

Well... 

What I think I'm pondering is how God could make Believers, or called ones, or church, and even if it is eons from the original, it still will function and have some sort of valuable use. 

Maybe this way : There are two main groups of 'God People' in the Bible. One is the Elect. The other are the whosoeverwills or simply the others who profess christianity of some sort. 

The Elect would be the template. The original. Rather like the human body in prime shape at birth before it becomes an extreme alcoholic in the story above. 

The minute politics is added to true Christianity.. Christianity becomes an alcoholic. 

Constantine handed Christianity, by force, a big bottle of whiskey.  Drunks can be so happy. 

Now should christians not get involved in politics? Sure they can as a human. But when a human starts mixing the politics into 'The Church', then the smell of spiritual alcohol spreads quickly. 

The Elect or predestined will get pulled away from it all.. whether they want to or not.  Having a church with political behaviors is so much easier.  Now, I'm not talking Washington DC politics here. I'm talking about a group of people who gather in love with God and His Word and revelation. As they begin to grow it is always the pattern that 'church politics' enters the picture. This can especially go smelly if the pastor or head person ministering ends up being the bartender. 

Never cross a bartender pastor. They bite. Denominations deal with this issue by using headquarter's politics to control individual church politics. Pot calls kettle black.  If a minister doesn't line up with required policies or doctrines they have lots of legislature'istic doodles that allow them to scoot that minister away.  Independent churches not so obvious.

Independent churches can hit a stagnant evolution. The temptation to keep what they got can many times open the cabinets of political whiskey.  It is not so easy for the pew sitters in those cases. Usually they are embedded in the fellowship of that church and the loss of leaving is too painful and scarey. Usually it is like cleaning a garage - don't throw anything away, just move it around so it looks prettier. 

Church politics is quietly brutal to those who smell the whiskey but refuse to drink it. They don't want to displease God. They don't want to cause arguments with church friends. They just quietly start becoming unhappy. Eventually they just don't fit in.  If the minister is an aggressive type, it can be rougher because scriptures are one of the best weapons used to promote guilt and forces alignment. If the minister is a spiritual narcissist, then psych issues can occur when made to look like you are the spiritual disfunctional one.

 One definition of POLITICS is : "the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power."

".. having or hoping to achieve power." 

Look at Constantine. Look at the Vatican. Look at denominational systems. Look at independent churches with forceful controlling pastors. Look at Betty Lou who gossips to bring down Mrytle from getting more attention... SELF, is always the problem. Politics feeds SELF. 

So, the amazing thing is that as drunk as a church can get, it somehow can still help people, do good deeds, be a great fellowship gathering in an ugly world, raise money, build build build, ... but somewhere in there the basic foundation of the Good News, Gospel, is bypassed. But the wine is now whiskey. But the machine still works!  God made His Plan so good that even the counterfeit can look fine and keep on ticking.

But.. to the sincere Christian that truly loves God and hungers for His Word and revelation ... they have to leave.  Since Pentecost it simply has followed that process. The true Christians feel like they don't fit in. They try.. they really do.. but their hunger for God makes all the whiskey religion painful in their hearts and stomachs. 

Look at Martin Luther : God revealed to him that the "Just shall live by faith". He tried to share but found out he was now the odd bird in the pond. So he left what he knew.
Look at John Wesley : He tried and tried to share what God revealed to him, a sanctified life, but he was rebuked until finally he left all he knew and went to the common people.
Look at Jesus Christ : need I say more.

The Vatican is probably the best example. It is the most 'spiritual' political christian system there is. It is also the oldest. It is basically the most wide spread political system in the world. It pulls money from most nations. It has the most experience than any political entity or nation. It is actually a political system with christianity on the side. That is simple history. Not a judgement call. 

When Israel became a nation the protestants merged into their own political system called the World Council of Churches. They and the Vatican hold hands.  Once again this is simply history. 

The United States of America is organizing all aspects of its political system. Any good business has to do that. Eventually, christianity in its various forms will tighten its political power. The protestants have yearned for it. I'm certain it will be a wonderful thing full of great good works.  The system will be able to self police and keep the radical ministers, especially narcissist ministers, away from hurting the citizens.  That is a normal solution in today's world.

Bible Christians? They just won't feel comfortable around all that. Thousands, maybe millions, have already quietly left their family church and ventured to other congregations. In the world of 2025+ faith is being tested by so many things - like science, AI, ideologies, compromisings, fears, threats.. on and on.  Many who have not been guided correctly are just tossing this 'concept of God' to the side.

People are starving for love, acceptance, and fellowship. It is so easy to tilt a church in those directions. Is it evil. Not really. BUT.. it is bad if the Word of God, which became flesh, is brushed aside for self made creeds and ideas.. in order to keep the people, or keep the popularity, or keep the programs, or keep the preacher. 

Simple true Christians hold their noses to politics in the church groups. Whiskey just does not smell good to them. They wish it did. It is so much easier to drink with your buddies. But God has a way of pulling His Own out to special one-on-one times with Him.  He kind of says to that individual person, "Hey, come out here to the land of no politics. The only thing here is the Tree of Life with lots of yummy fruits. I'll find you some friends. Come hang out with Me.". 

It's a sweet offer to hang around with God in the land of no politics.

Hanging out with the King is an honor that is much more awesome than awesome itself.
God might even mix you with others who want to be non-alcoholics themselves.
God is Very Good all the time. And very Personal.

This is what I believe.. comma,
T.H.Tatman
GodComma.com

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