Politics & Government

Politics & Government gathers Christian Standard articles that explore the Christian’s relationship to civic life through a biblical lens. Here you’ll find thoughtful engagement with topics like authority and obedience, religious liberty, public policy, elections, justice, and how believers should speak and act in the public square. These articles aim to help Christians pursue faithful citizenship with conviction and humility—seeking the common good while keeping ultimate allegiance to Jesus and his kingdom.

July 5, 2012

Christian Standard

A Ministry to Immigrants in Canada

By Jennifer Taylor “When you first get here, even the most basic things can be difficult,” says Javier Bustillos, who is originally from Cali, Colombia, and lived in the United States before arriving in Toronto, Canada, in 2003. “You don”t know where to shop for food, what school your children should attend, where to live. It”s a confusing time.” Bustillos and a small group of other Spanish-speaking members from Churchill Meadows Christian Church (also in Toronto) began visiting a local shelter to become friends with the refugees and immigrants. “We didn”t begin with a plan,” he admits. “We just listened

July 5, 2012

Christian Standard

You May Not Know You Know Me

By Mandy Smith Meet Marco Saavedra-Mendez, a young man as “American” as any you”ll meet. An undocumented immigrant with an uncertain future. I”m an immigrant to this country. I first came on a student visa, then had a temporary work visa, then a permanent work visa (or “green card”), before becoming a citizen. I read the fine print, filled in all the right forms, provided all the required information, consulted legal professionals, paid the visa application fees. And waited. Many times. So when the immigration issue comes up, my initial thought is often something like, I had to go through

July 4, 2012

Christian Standard

The Immigrants, My Friends

By Jim Phegley Let me introduce to you to some wonderful people I will never be able to forget. Twenty-seven years ago, my wife and I came to New York with our two children expecting to start one Hispanic congregation and then return to our home in Michigan. Now our children have made the Northeast their home, and we have two grandchildren. We will have roots in the Northeast the rest of our lives. Most undocumented immigrants arrive with the same expectation, go north for a few years, and return home. Then children are born, friends made, and lives established.

July 3, 2012

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned, What I Believe About Immigration

By Gayla Cooper Congdon and Erin Illingworth As a resident of an international border city, I encounter immigration issues on a regular basis. Every time I drive down Interstate 805 to my office in San Ysidro, California, a warning sign reminds me to watch out for people running across the freeway. That sign is there to protect those who cross the border on foot and are in danger of being hit by cars. Each time I travel to our camp in Mexico near the border towns of Tijuana and Tecate, I see a fence that was constructed to keep people

July 2, 2012

Christian Standard

Immigration: Our Position

By Mark A. Taylor What is Christian Standard”s position on immigration? Read carefully the articles, opinions, and interviews posted at our site this week before you decide the answer to that question. You”ll see that our writers don”t always agree with each other, so any one of them does not speak for all the rest””or for Christian Standard. That diversity of opinion among Bible-believing followers of Christ is one reason we”ve tackled this topic. We fear that too many Christians have come quickly to their conclusions without considering counter views from others who also love God. And some Christians haven”t

July 1, 2012

Christian Standard

The Other Side of the Fence

By Fernando Soto-Dupuy Was it right and legal when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob crossed the Canaanite border on several occasions? The Canaanites would have said no. Was it right and legal when the children of Israel crossed the border into the promised land? The Philistines and Ammonites would have said no. Was it right and legal when the Assyrians and the Chaldeans crossed the Israelite border? The Israelites would have said no. Was it right and legal when the Greeks crossed the western border of Persia? According to the Persians, the answer would have been no. Was it right and

June 30, 2012

Christian Standard

Liberty & Love

By Troy Jackson Sadly I”ve discovered that our country”s heart and the church”s compassion for the immigrant are much smaller than I would have imagined. Twenty years ago, I set out on an East Coast road trip to look at potential seminaries and graduate schools. Reared in Indiana, I had never been to New York City, Philadelphia, or Boston. I was excited to see those great American cities and some of the iconic landmarks of our nation. As I rambled down the New Jersey Turnpike, approaching New York, I caught the city”s famous skyline in the distance. As the traffic

June 29, 2012

Christian Standard

Immigration: What”s a Christian to Think?

By Alan F.H. Wisdom In spite of widespread advocacy for immigration reform by some Christian leaders, Christians remain divided on this crucial issue. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers. There is no biblical passage that lays out the details of a just immigration policy for 21st-century America. In spite of this, a chorus of voices from Christian leaders with many different groups has called for liberalized immigration measures. As a result, many Christians might be left to wonder how there could be any doubt on the issue. But there is doubt. Polls show church members deeply divided, or even inclined

June 28, 2012

Christian Standard

Immigration: What Does the Bible Say?

By M. Daniel Carroll R. The immensity of this human dilemma should drive Christians to the Scriptures to see what God might have to say about engaging the stranger. Immigration has been a hot political issue in this country for the last several years. Some in the media can be a bit shrill, labeling newcomers as part of a “tidal wave” or an “invasion” of foreigners. Heated and exaggerated rhetoric, of whatever persuasion, is not helpful and is not becoming for Christians. What might a self-consciously Christian position on the topic look like, one that doesn”t consist simply of a

February 17, 2012

Christian Standard

The Candidates and Causes We Worship

By Mark A. Taylor In her post this week, Eleanor Daniel offers one warning as we face the claims and counter claims leading up to another U.S. national election: Look carefully for the truth instead of believing the latest rumor or accusation. In his powerful little book Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller suggests another: Be sure you avoid the error of some people who have turned politics into an idol. Keller”s thesis is that even good things become counterfeit gods when we look to them for the fulfillment, security, salvation, or hope that can come only from God. He speaks incisively

February 2, 2012

Christian Standard

Sherman Interviews President Bush

By Jennifer Taylor   After former President George W. Bush spoke at the Real Choices Pregnancy Center Banquet Nov. 17 at the Irving (TX) Convention Center, he sat down for an onstage interview with Drew Sherman, lead pastor of Compass Christian Church (Colleyville, TX). The candid conversation covered such topics as the presidential experience, post-presidency life, 9/11, faith, and much more. There were serious and somber moments, but also many instances when the former president showed off his good humor. Thousands of people attended the banquet to benefit Real Choices. Sherman asked Bush about the day of the 9/11 attacks.

January 9, 2012

Christian Standard

In Just One Year: I Pray I’m Wrong

Nothing challenges us to think about changing times more than the transition from one year to the next. On this first day of 2012, we asked six Christian leaders to think about the church a year from now and to draw a picture of our progress””and our problems””then.  * * * By Rob Kastens While I pray that I am wrong, my sense is that as the year 2012 draws to a close in the United States, we will be increasingly aware that God”s marvelous church is losing sight of her prime purpose of knowing him, growing in him, and

November 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Negatives We Can”t Ignore

By Mark A. Taylor A quick skim of the newspaper on a Friday in September reminds me of other correspondence I had seen earlier in the week. “¢ A Wall Street Journal report quotes the Pope who warned against increasing apathy toward religion in Germany. “We are witnessing a growing indifference to religion in society,” he said in Berlin. “¢ A column appearing a few pages later chronicles and decries efforts of the Obama administration to promote sermonizing by rabbis on such topics as the President”s jobs bill, the impact of budget cuts on the poor, and the country”s need

November 5, 2011

Christian Standard

Christians Should Care about Collective Bargaining

By Troy Jackson Church leaders have taught us to be very cautious addressing political issues. We have heard about the errors of Constantine, who wedded Christianity and the Roman Empire. We are also justly concerned about the co-opting of the church by politicians and political parties. Over the past few years, however, I”ve been alarmed by the fallout of congregations attempting to completely avoid political discussions. My concern is rooted in the task of church leadership as described by Paul, “to equip his people for works of service” and to help the church to “become mature, attaining to the whole

September 23, 2011

Christian Standard

Reconsidering Politics, Revisiting Columbine, and Rediscovering Fun

By LeRoy Lawson The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America Jim Wallis New York: HarperOne, 2008 Columbine Dave Cullen New York: Twelve (e-book), 2009 Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul Stuart Brown, MD New York: Penguin Group, 2009 I didn”t read Jim Wallis”s The Great Awakening when it came out in 2008. My “must-read” stack was pretty high then, so I opted to skip the Sojourners founder”s sequel to God”s Politics, his opinion of””and this is the book”s subtitle””Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn”t Get It.

September 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Some Churches Might Qualify for Tax Refunds

By Jennifer Taylor Tom Burbrink believes tens of thousands of dollars in tax refunds are available to churches””maybe even yours! Burbrink, a tax professional specializing in service to churches and ministers, has researched the issue in light of changes made by the Affordable Care Act. The act provides federal tax refunds to small employers, and many churches and church organizations are eligible even though they pay no income taxes. To qualify for the refund, a church must have a group medical insurance plan, must pay at least 50 percent of the premium, and must offer the plan to all full-time

January 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Colorado Church Wins Long Court Fight Over Land Use

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it would not hear an appeal from the Boulder County (CO) commissioners in their case against Rocky Mountain Christian Church (Niwot, CO). In a Denver Post article, RMCC lead pastor Alan Ahlgrim said this final, conclusive win for the church could have legal implications for at least 160 other churches around the country. The dispute centered on the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The county will be required to pay the church”s legal fees; most of the $1.5 million will be covered by the county”s insurance.

December 8, 2010

Christian Standard

Two Ohio Pastors Support Undocumented Immigrant, DREAM

By Jennifer Taylor Last week, a Canton, OH-area newspaper reported the story of a Cincinnati teen and the local pastors championing his cause. The student, Bernard Pastor, was brought to the United States as a 3-year-old and taken into custody last month as an undocumented immigrant. Greg Nettle, senior pastor at RiverTree Christian Church (Massillon, OH) and Troy Jackson, senior pastor at University Christian Church (Cincinnati, OH) are among the leaders calling for the passage of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. “At the heart of all of this, we’re talking about caring for children,” Nettle

July 4, 2010

Christian Standard

Interview with Rod Roberts

Rod Roberts By Brad Dupray Rod Roberts, a gubernatorial candidate in Iowa”s recent Republican primary, has served in his state”s House of Representatives since 2000. All the time he has served as a part-time legislator (four months of every year), he also has been executive director of the Christian Evangelistic Mission (CEM), planting churches in Iowa. CEM organized the church in Carroll, Iowa, in 1985 and hired Rod to be its first full-time minister. This came after Rod and his wife, Trish, had worked for five years establishing a church on Long Island, New York, under the direction of Go

July 4, 2010

Christian Standard

God Bless America?

By Marshall Leggett America has a rich heritage of faith, from its very beginning. Columbus, whose name means Christ bearer, saw his exploration of the New World as being guided by the providential hand of God. “Our Lord unlocked within me the determination to execute the idea,”Â Columbus wrote. “Who doubts that His was the illumination of the Holy Spirit? Our Lord wished to perform the clearest work of providence in this matter.”1 Then came the Pilgrims. Their Mayflower Compact expressed the intention of these Christians “to live under the rule of law based on the consent of the people.”2 Their desire, as explained here, was to

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link