I recently heard a person say (and her companions were nodding in agreement) that most republicans were Christian nationalists who wanted to impose their beliefs on folks through laws. Now, we need to acknowledge that the majority of conservative voters are Christian, but does that mean conservatives want a nation where Christianity is the state recognized religion and no other is allowed? Absolutely not. State/Church partnerships have been shown to fail as political power soon infiltrates the church.

Do we Christians really want to impose our beliefs on others? Christianity, by design of God, negates force or intimidation to become a Christian.  Salvation is a choice.  No amount of government policy will ever change that fact. But do we want laws that we feel reflect the character and purpose of God?  We sure do.  But…and this is a fact…a lot of our laws already reflect that!  Can you think of a civilized, government-backed law that would not fit under the umbrella of the last six of the Ten Commandments? If you think you can, then it is not civilized.

Take the issue of abortion, for instance.  Is a law against it a Christian-based assault on women? No.  It would be a law against murder.  “The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception—fertilization.  At fertilization, the human being emerges as a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism, a member of the species Homo sapiens, needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop. The difference between the individual in its adult stage and in its zygotic stage is one of form, not nature. This statement focuses on the scientific evidence of when an individual human life begins.”  (American College of Pediatricians) Science says life begins at conception/fertilization.  Ending that life would be murder.  Even non-Christians agree that murder is wrong. Right?

The objection to The Ten Commandments is not to the last six, but to the first four:  love and obey God.  Proverbs 29:18 says that without a word from God, people cast off restraints.  That’s what the problem is: people do not want restraints.  They want to live how they please without thought of the consequences.  When they disregard the first four commandments, they will then water down, weaken, and violate the last six without worry or thought.

When you take God out of the picture, you remove restraint.  Your moral compass is merely your selfish, uncivilized desires.  That never works out well.