I received a great email this morning from my friend Lorraine Charles. More and more I am seeing friends who are tired of being considered a "foregone conclusion" as a vote for a particular party because of the group they belong to. I can very much relate to Lorraine's thoughts here.

Last weekend I had dinner with old friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. My mind was only half engaged though--I’m an election year enthusiast and to top it off, it was the night of the South Carolina primary. I tried to wait until at least our food was served, but shortly after the server took our order I blurted out, “so which candidate do you like best?” Their response was something to the effect of, “Huckabee—he’s a Christian”. As both my friends and I are “born-again”, Protestant, Bible-believing Christians, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at their response. Nonetheless, a strong sense of dismay and disappointment came over me. I did my best to smile and ask polite questions about their choice, but I became even more horrified during the conversation when I needed to explain that no, Barack Obama is not a Muslim.

Last weekend’s incident reminded me of a similar experience that occurred during the 2000 Primaries. One evening I told a Christian friend that I preferred a candidate other than George W. Bush (who as most know was considered the Evangelical Christian candidate). Her reaction was utter shock and I even sensed a bit of judgment from her—that perhaps my faith was wavering. When I questioned her about her views, I discovered that if our pastor, who had no prior political or business experience, was running for president, she would vote for him.

My dear friends’ political views mentioned above are indeed what the media and many Americans perceive to be typical of born-again Christians. There are those, like myself, that believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and yet can vote guilt-free for a non-Christian, or even a Democrat! However, I recognize those like myself are not the majority.

With the death of Jerry Falwell, the demise of Ted Haggard and the rumored, on-set of senility in Pat Robertson, I would like to take advantage of the lull from the Christian Right and offer a different view point to my Christian brothers and sisters.

My friends, when you vote this year please remember that you are not voting for a new pastor for your church. You will be voting for the leader of a secular nation made up of a diverse group of people—in race, religion, assets, liabilities, lifestyle and values.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul exhorts the church of Corinth to not judge those outside the church for living a life based on a belief system outside the Christian faith (seems logical). Yet I often wonder if those who vote solely on faith and values are not, in a sense, passing judgment on those outside the Christian faith by trying to legislate and enforce their Christian beliefs on the entire nation. Most outside the church, and some within the church, worry the acts of the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition could trigger America into becoming a Christian State. Some may wonder, “why is that such a bad thing?” Here are two things to consider:

In the 1500s England broke from the Catholic Church and instituted a state church. Over time the church became increasingly corrupt and many argued, increasingly distant from the doctrines of the Bible. Additionally, and rather ironically, despite the creation of this state church, in the years that followed society as a whole—both rich and poor—became increasingly immoral as well. As a result, groups of religious “Separatists” formed, essentially rejecting the state church. They became unwelcome in their own country and eventually sought religious freedom in a new world. We know these people today as the Pilgrims, or a group of people that were among our early American settlers. I believe that we, like our infamous founding fathers, should seek to protect their passion for religious freedom—and not seek to enforce a common religion (which was never their intent). It is my view we need to hold fast to what they knew through experience; that it is only by keeping politics and religion apart that religion is kept clean from corruption (or at least it reduces the chances for corruption). It is also evident that in order to ensure the greatest amount of religious freedom, equal freedom to all religions must be given.

Another thing to consider is the ministry of Jesus. When you search the gospels, you will find that crowds of people followed Jesus. Sometimes they followed Him to be fed or healed, but sometimes they followed him because they wanted to make Him a king by force (John 6:15). Let us not forget that Jesus’ ministry occurred while Israel was not a free nation, but an oppressed region ruled by the secular, Roman government. Every time His followers tried to push Him into becoming a king, He fled the scene. Christ had no interest in a physical kingdom of castles, thrones and political power, but of an invisible kingdom ruling and keeping the peace in the hearts of people. And that my friend, will never come through politics and legislation. To suggest that, is to deny the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of their power. So, perhaps we ought to ask ourselves what it is we are seeking—is it the power of man, or the power of God?

I understand the enthusiasm of a Christian wanting to share their faith. However, based on what I’ve observed, to try and do so by forcing your beliefs on others through politics is nothing but damaging to an unbeliever. It is my humble opinion that if Christians want to see the invisible Kingdom of God expand, consider feeding and clothing the homeless, caring for the sick, adopting an unwanted child, spending time with the elderly, praying and committing other sacrificial acts. When it comes to selecting a leader for our nation, I implore you to select a candidate that best upholds the articles of the Constitution and can lead a wildly diverse group of people living in a secular nation.