SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2011 —In the run-up to the 2012 elections, beginning now with conservative candidates warming up in the bullpen, the evangelical vote remains a coveted prize.
According to The Washington Post, “Likely candidates have met with preachers, conservative Christians and religious leaning home-schoolers in South Carolina, New Hampshire and Iowa, where winning the evangelical vote is tantamount to winning the caucus” (The Washington Post, 5/26/2011).
Ananias and Sapphira
To their sorrow, some candidates will discover that embracing conservative positions is not a given for evangelicals. Christianity Today studied this in 2008: “Exit polls say 26 percent of American voters called themselves evangelical or born-again Christians, and of these, 74 percent voted for McCain, with 25 percent voting for Obama. Another measure put the percentage of evangelicals at 23 percent, with 73 percent voting for McCain, 26 percent for Obama.” (Christianity Today, Nov. 5, 2008)
Obama’s charm and charisma undoubtedly played a role in winning evangelical votes, but it would be naïve to think these statistics reflect Obama's charisma alone. Although frequently stereotyped as being part of the religious right, many would be surprised how many evangelical Christians vote Democrat these days out of habit.
True, most of them part company with their political affiliation on matters such as abortion, but their honest, heart-felt convictions about fairness and inequality keep them in “the party of Roosevelt and Kennedy.”
Take, for example, the socialist tendencies of contemporary Democrats. Often, evangelicals will justify this by citing the Book of Acts as a Biblical basis for redistribution of wealth:
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).
People who use this scripture are often sincere and there is no doubt that they love the Lord. This writer does not judge their hearts. Who knows? On judgment day, they may be rewarded some great mansion while I serve as their janitor.
Still, the difference between mandatory redistribution of wealth and voluntary redistribution of wealth should be pointed out to well meaning, zealous Christians. One has to do with authentic generosity. The other is just downright theft.
For anyone who cares to study the Bible in context, you are invited to turn to a passage on the heels of Acts 4:32, Chapter 5, and read the account of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. They sold their property and turned money over to the church of Jerusalem, but this act of “altruism” was accompanied by deception. They lied about the amount of profit, having kept a portion for themselves. With an intuition from God, Peter accused them of lying to the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead on the spot.
Before anyone is tempted to read this scripture passage out of context, the lesson here is not that the couple was too stringy. Peter only had a problem with their dishonesty.
“Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men, but to God” (Acts 5:4).
See? The money was at their disposal. Yes, the New Testament encourages a giving, generous spirit. No, it does not teach mandatory redistribution of wealth.
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).
So much for reading politics into a narrative that meant something much different. On the other hand, since Ananias and Sapphira lied, I guess it is difficult to read the story without thinking of politicians.
NOTE: Financial matters were different in the Old Testament, but such detail will be saved for a different article.
Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE New International Version NIV Copyright © 1973, 1979, 1984 by International Bible Society Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.Bob Siegel is a weekend radio talk show host on KCBQ and columnist. Details of his show can be found at www.bobsiegel.net. Comments to posts are discussed by Bob over the air where anyone is free to call in and respond/debate. Call in toll free number: 1-888-344-1170.
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