Before reading this article, we need to define terms, namely what is meant by "the Church" in this article.
By Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese at Probe Ministries "Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese answers a common question of a Christian view of politics and government: How would a biblical worldview inform us on being in the world of politics but not of it? “Dr. T” models a critical yet engaged distance in assessing the beliefs of Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama."The universal church is that organism of professing believers making up the body of Christ through baptism by the Holy Spirit, which was formed first on the day of Pentecost, is distinct from the nation of Israel, and is not limited to local congregational or denominational affiliation.
Everyone, living or dead, who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost till now, is a member of the universal church, Christ’s body, of which He is the head. From bible.org
The Church could not be true to its universal calling if it was a political power like Israel because this turns its mission into one of war and conquest, such as the Crusades in the middle ages, rather than conversion through faith (John 18: 36). Islam is a good example of a religion that does follow Israel’s kind of political identity in the establishment of Sharia Law. The Church is not one nation, but one people among many nations, cultures and systems. It cannot afford to be a nation with its own civil law and government, which sets itself against other governments and other people. When the Church establishes itself as a political power it compromises its prophetic mission and loses its unique contribution to politics. Instead the Church has a more complex role in any system it finds itself in.Read a related post: Urban legend: Should Christians Support President Obama? A message attributed to Dr. David Barton on the Charles Stanley program
My own comment to this post was this (in case anyone cares):
The Tunnel DwellerI know all this and am troubled over the way my blog runs counter to the Biblical injunction to always build up and never to tear down. But somebody please tell me how to remain silent and supportive when I see this administration bully average citizens and drive hate-filled wedges between segments of the American population.Every facet of my beliefs I see being denigrated by the left in Washington, academia, news media and the entertainment industry; people who have my convictions being ridiculed on every channel, called "extremists" in the halls of Congress and I cannot remain silent.
But I do realize that in the end, all will come out as our Lord has ordained and that he chooses who will rule over us. In the end, all that matters is that all will bow down before Him as King of Kings.
So my issue is still unresolved; I only know that - in the end - the good guys win.