Park Cities Presbyterian Church (PCA)

What's God got to do with my vote?

D. Michael Lindsay speaks at PCPC

By Lawan Andersen

Published November 1, 2008 in Witness

On October 9, the Covenant Community hosted a free dinner and presentation, “What’s God got to do with my vote?” With a crowd of 200 people in Fellowship Hall, award-winning author D. Michael Lindsay spoke candidly about the power of evangelical Christians in the country and especially in Washington, D.C. Lindsay treated both the current Republican and Democrat candidates with fair, but scrupulous words, citing mostly historical patterns and social research that he conducted while finishing his dissertation at the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies at Princeton University.

In his research for his book Faith in the Halls of Power, Lindsay looked deeper than just the surface and challenged the audience to consider 10 things before voting:

1) Be informed. Be engaged in the political conversations of today.

2) Don’t get caught up with faith-based initiatives. They “were settled 50 years ago, “ states Lindsay, “and they will still be being discussed 50 years from now.” The concept is here to stay. Lindsay pointed to the examples of food distribution to the world’s hungry through such organizations as Catholic Charities and Red Cross. “The only true question that remains with faith-based initiatives,“ added Lindsay, “is the one regarding employment. Will companies be allowed to hire only faith-sharing individuals and still receive federal funds?” But Lindsay feels that this question will not be answered in this election or the next presidential term. So look for this issue to rebound again in 2012.

3) Do not presume that the Christian right is unified. Lindsay reminded the crowd of President Ronald Reagan’s celebrity evangelical surgeon general, C. Everett Koop, and the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Koop wanted to be straightforward with the public in handling the matter, even to the point of sex education in schools beginning as low as third grade. Gary Bauer, Reagan’s chief domestic policy advisor, strongly disagreed with Koop and desired to publicly stress that sin was the route of the disease. The party split on the issue.

4) Evangelical Christians make the greatest policy advances when not in power. Evangelicals have made huge strides in the workplace regarding their freedom to show their Christianity freely. Lindsay told the audience that “however the Federal workplace goes—so goes corporate America.”

5) Watch the State Department. Religious freedoms are guided by this office and are tested on the world’s fronts. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, promoted religious freedom as a U.S. foreign policy and advocated for individuals persecuted in foreign countries on account of religion.

6) Watch foreign affairs. It is in this arena that the priorities and emphasis of a president will usually lay. A president’s ideological influencers are expressed on the foreign affairs front because that is where the press covers it.

7) Watch the economy. Wall Street reverberates on Main Street. Dr. Lindsay strongly stated that the current economy would drive the 2008 elections. He sees only two things that would bring the country out quickly enough from its situation: a major national security threat or the capture of Osama bin Laden, neither of which he expected to happen in the next month. And judging from the chuckled reaction of the crowd, few others did.

8) Watch advisors and members of the inner circles. They will be running the company if their man is elected. For Obama, Lindsay stated it would be Michele Obama and David Axelrod, his chief strategist. For McCain, count on many of the old D.C. insiders that this candidate has known for many decades.

9) Know that politics is downstream from culture. Here Dr. Lindsay revealed his sociological bent (he is a professor of sociology at Rice University). In everything, Lindsay firmly stated, “Politics is just a validation of public opinion. What you see in Washington, D.C., today existed in the academies 30 years ago and could be viewed in the popular culture (i.e. cinema and music) a mere 20 years ago.” The audience was strongly encouraged at this point to begin (if not already) supporting Christian artists, musicians, actors, and movie producers. The need now is for more Christian professors in our universities and Christians being applauded in the arts, media, and entertainment. This support would make a difference, if not in 2008, then in the politics of the future.

10) The Kingdom of God does not come riding in on Air Force One. It never has; it never will. Dr. Lindsay urged everyone to approach politics using the Apostle John as an example. People were drawn to him for his gracious demeanor. And he reminded everyone to remember that it is more important for us to be known for our faith than our party affiliation.