Integrity in Politics

Chuckle: Newspaper proofreading goof: "Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant." Might work better than a fair trial!

Quote: "Integrity is the equivalent to being honest, trustworthy, sincere, genuine, and is fundamental to good moral character." --Bible Encyclopedia

"People with integrity have a firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall" (Proverbs 10:9 NLT). "Good people are guided by their honesty; treacherous people are destroyed by their dishonesty" (Proverbs 11:3 NLT).

I have avoided making these daily e-mails political in nature. I try to write about moral and spiritual issues purely from a Biblical perspective. However, this does not mean I am passive in my political views. I have always encouraged my readers to be good citizens in the Biblical sense (Romans 13, etc.) and to be active in the political process. Here, I hope to describe how we Christians should conduct ourselves with integrity when expressing our political views.

I have been reminded that Christians are being used, sometimes unwittingly, to spread malicious and false accusations against political figures with whom they disagree. Regardless of your political persuasion, you are no doubt aware that our modern-day political environment is fraught with anger, slander, dishonesty, rudeness, and sometimes even hatred and violence. The use of innuendos, half-truths, and outright lies are commonplace when attempting to destroy political opponents or promote political agendas.

Believers are to be different. We are admonished in Scripture to be people of integrity in every aspect of our lives -- including politics. I believe God would have us be active in the political process, and we should have strong convictions concerning political figures or issues based on the authority of God's Word. But our uncompromising support for certain individuals or issues does not mean we should use falsehoods to promote our views or destroy other candidates. I don't believe the smearing of someone's character and reputation with false accusations is acceptable conduct for Christians. The end does not justify the means if the means include conduct contrary to Biblical teachings.

We should not be quick to assume that a slick e-mail or website demeaning the character of a political figure are true. Some are but many are not. Some of these false or misleading ads are well done and believable, especially to the uninformed. Because of our political leanings, we may want to believe them. We may even agree with the theme of the ad, but to forward it to others without determining its authenticity and accuracy is not acting with integrity.

Let's pledge together to be active in supporting godly people and moral issues in local, state, and national elections. Let's speak out against corrupt politicians when appropriate, and let's pray that our efforts will help return our beloved country to the Judeo-Christian values espoused by the Founding Fathers. But let's do it all with integrity, self-control, and love for others with opposing views.

Love, Jerry & Dotse