You need only open up your social media to see dramatic evidence of polarization in our culture. Racial issues, LGBTQIA+ rights, religious freedom, gun control, and pandemic response are just a few of the issues that divide us. Perhaps the greatest divider in our nation is politics as it seems to impact every highly charged topic today including those listed above. As a nation, we are more politically divided than ever.
A 2014 study by the Pew Research Center found that the number of Americans who moved further to the “left” or “right” had doubled from 1994. The number of partisans that had highly negative views about the other party more than doubled in that same time frame.1. A 2017 study showed the gap between the parties grew significantly from 2012 to 2017 especially with regard to issues of aid to the needy, racial discrimination, immigration, and diplomacy.2 A subsequent 2019 study found that this division and animosity has continued to increase, and it has become more personal in nature. In this study, both sides considered members of the other side to be close minded, immoral, unintelligent, unpatriotic and lazy.3
As human beings, we were designed by God to be social. As early as Genesis 2, God created Eve because he knew it was not good for Adam to be alone. As social beings, our thoughts and opinions are shaped by those around us. Family, friends, church, school, work, and volunteer groups are all powerful influences in our determination of values. Our relationships with any of these influencers will also affect our belief systems. For example, if you viewed one of your parents as weak and ineffective, you may be less inclined to believe as they did. Or if you had a negative experience with someone in your church, you may tend to reject their values.
As our belief systems become more concrete, they become a part of our identity. For some, a particular belief system can become a defining feature of their identity. In many cases, this is where things become problematic because if someone disagrees with that person’s belief system, they feel personally offended and even threatened. Typical responses to this include lashing out against the “offender” and more closely aligning yourself with a group that has a similar belief system, such as a political party.
This can lead to polarization.
Two key psychological elements will aggravate the polarization effect further:
- Confirmation bias is the tendency for people to search for evidence to reinforce their belief system and to interpret ambiguous results in their favor. This is why two people of differing beliefs will interpret the same evidence in very different ways.
- Group polarization is the tendency to adopt and defend the position of a group to which you belong. This occurs even if you do not have personal contact with the group but are simply a member. The group may be a job field, union, religion, school, social group, or political party. The more important the group is to you, the more you will identify with their belief system.4
Both of these tendencies are food for the news media and social media. Both thrive on dissension and turmoil to increase revenues. As intelligent human beings, we need to guard against becoming pawns in that game.
As noted in the earlier Pew Research study, polarization has increased and both sides feel strongly that they are right. But ironically, according to the same study, most are concerned about the effect that polarization will have on our country. Most also agree that both of the major parties are too extreme.3
Polarization carries with it many consequences. These include: an ineffective government divided along party lines, lack of effective policy decisions due to an inability to see both sides and take the best from both sides, and personal relationships strained and damaged by name calling and unyielding arguments.
What is the answer to all of this? Jesus.
I believe that all of our political leaders, regardless of party affiliation, have made sacrifices for us as Americans and have done good for our country. But all of them have also made mistakes, and none of them can save us.
Jesus didn’t make mistakes. He lived a perfect life, so that he could willingly pay the penalty for our sin. Jehovah God, a perfect being, cannot allow imperfection in Heaven, because then it wouldn’t be Heaven. We have all sinned and cannot reach Heaven on our own, but Jesus made a way for us to spend eternity with him in Heaven through the cross. Grace is not having to pay the eternal penalty of sin by faith in Christ Jesus.
If we begin to understand (within our limited capacity) the magnitude of grace, our only response can be to place Jesus first in our life and place our identity in him.
When your identity is found in Jesus, your world view changes, as do your reactions to opposition. You understand that you are a treasured child of the King and the bride of Christ. When his opinion of you is the most important, you are less likely to be defensive or to go into attack mode, since we are called to love others. Plus, we live with the knowledge that God is in control, regardless of any political or social outcome.
Does this mean that we shouldn’t belong to a political party or hold an opinion on an issue? Not at all. What it does mean is that we should place eternity (and the eternity of others) at the top of our priority list, and that we should base our individual values on the things that God values.
Navigating political and societal issues challenges the Christ follower in many ways. So many “solutions” are presented in “package deals” where we can agree with parts but not all. The Bible has guidance on how to navigate these difficult issues and how we should interact with those who are in opposition to our views.
Let’s see what the Bible tells us about this issue.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas.
Hebrews 13:8-9a (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
The first thing we need to understand is that God is timeless. He knew exactly what we would be facing today when he inspired the writings of the Bible. His wWord can be trusted and should be the ultimate guide for our decisions. If the Bible says something is good, it is good. If the Bible says something is wrong or not good, it is wrong or not good. When we try to twist his words, we are creating a false god. God has all wisdom and knowledge. We don’t.
The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.
Proverbs 15:28 (NLT)
The first rule in any engagement is to engage your brain before your mouth. The same rule should apply to social media posts, especially the “cute” little sayings that are so easy to forward or the slogans that are so easy to Tweet. Before saying, posting, or tweeting anything, challenge yourself to look at things from the opposite side. Then consider your listener or reader. Are your words hurtful? The Bible tells us to speak the truth in love. Are they broad generalizations? If the words all, none, never, or always are in the sentence, you should probably think twice. In fact, you should probably save those words for a discussion about God. “God is always right.” “Jesus never sinned.” “All of us have sinned.” “God wishes that none of us would perish, and he is being patient with the world, but that time will run out and many will miss his gift of salvation.”
Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.
2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NLT)
Are your words quarrelsome? Do you say or post things that you know will anger others? Consider your reason for doing so. What is it really accomplishing? In most cases, a quarrelsome word or post will only push the opposing reader in the opposite direction. I think one reason we do it is to gain favor with our chosen “group” – whatever that group may be. Is it gaining favor with God? If you are a Christ follower and are talking to a non-believer, do you think that you can argue someone into the Kingdom?
To be clear, it is perfectly fine and even good to enter into a respectful debate. There is also a time for “tough love” in a strong relationship. I have been thanked by more than one person for giving them a “kick in the butt” when they really needed it. The defining feature is your motivation. Is your motivation to help the person or simply to prove that you’re right and they’re wrong?
Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
Titus 3:1-2 (NLT)
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
Romans 13:1-2 (NLT)
These two things can be tough to swallow if you don’t like what the authorities are doing – but it is Biblical. If you think for one moment that we have it worse than Paul, you need to think again. The Roman government hated the Jews. Jews were seen as lesser humans, and they were persecuted continually. When Jesus came, the Jews believed that he would at that point in time lead a revolution to free them from Roman oppression. But Jesus came to free them from the oppression of sin instead.
God allows people to come into positions of authority for a variety of reasons. It may be to get our attention, to encourage us to turn from sin, to prepare us for something bigger, or to position a society for something bigger. Whatever the reason, God has the higher vision. The only Biblical reason to not submit is if you are asked to do something that is clearly non-Biblical.
Does this mean our vote doesn’t matter? Not at all. I believe that we should prayerfully cast our ballot, asking God for guidance so that we can vote according to his will.
There are people in our government who I appreciate and many who I don’t. When I go to the polls, I don’t vote based on personality, sex, skin color, or personal habits. I look at an elected official in the same way that I would conduct an interview – based on their work habits and political track record. Then, I pray and ask God to lead me to vote for the person that he wants in office.
“But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
Jeremiah 17:10 (NLT)
It is interesting to me how the same action can be seen in very different ways, depending on your opinion of the person. Let’s look at an example. Political Figure A donates time and money to a charity you support. If you like A, you are more likely to view the donation as a selfless act that proves how wonderful A is. If you are opposed to A, you are more likely to view it as a publicity stunt or political maneuvering. In fact, it could be both!
Only God can judge hearts. God knows what is behind every action. We can rest in the knowledge that if things are done for the wrong reasons, God will handle it. As humans, we can only see the action, not the heart. In all cases, we should try to look at the bigger picture. In this case, a worthy charity received a gift and that action, regardless of the motivation, is still good.
Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Romans 12:3b (NLT)
Pride is a strong motivator. Have you ever fully supported something through your words or actions, only to find out that you were wrong? If we’re honest, I think all of us have been there. It is not only embarrassing, but sometimes having a change of heart can cause people you thought were friends to turn away. But the truth is, neither your embarrassment nor what those “friends” think is really important. The only important thing is what God thinks of you.
Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18 (NLT)
God does not want bickering among his people. This doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything someone says or does, but it does mean that we need to try to deal with those disagreements in a civil and respectful way, always speaking the truth in love.
There are always two sides to every story. This doesn’t mean that the other side is right, but it is still a side. Stephen Covey, in his book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, lists two habits that are necessary for success. Habit 4 is to think “win-win”, and Habit 5 is “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.”5 This doesn’t just apply to a business setting, but to any interpersonal communication.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7 (NLT)
As humans, we tend to think that we are smarter than we are! We think we know all the answers, and sometimes we even think it is our job to make sure everyone knows that we have all the answers! Again, I’ve been there!
The truth is, only God has all of the answers. My vision is so very limited. I am one person living in one tiny part of the world, and my experience is limited to my very short lifespan. God is infinite. He has always been and always will be there. And he is everywhere! He knows more than I do! This is why we need to be in prayer when we have a decision to make or an interaction to have. We need to ask God to guide us through in a way that will glorify him.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Polarized people bickering back and forth with hurtful words do not glorify God, and it does nothing for a relationship. We are called to love God and love each other. Period. It doesn’t matter what political party someone belongs to or whether or not we like them. Even if you think the other person is the worst human alive, we are called, as Christians to love them and pray for them.
One of the most common reasons that people give for leaving the church or avoiding Christianity completely is hypocrisy. They have seen people who identify as Christians acting very non-Christ-like, and they want nothing to do with it.If we are going to claim Christianity, we need to look at how Christ lived and seek to act as he acted. Jesus was humble, honest, and loving. He also spoke strongly when needed, but it was always purposeful. If he gave a rebuke, it was for the purpose of warning someone that they were going in the wrong direction. He did it out of love.
Even if you don’t claim to be Christian, it is clear that the polarization of a society will likely lead to its downfall. As human beings, we need to do everything possible to see all sides of a position and avoid judging someone because of their political affiliation or their stand on various social issues. We need to work harder to come together. We need to seek first to understand the other person before ramming our position down their throat. We need to live with a “win-win” mentality. If we don’t, everyone loses.
To close, I want to quote a part of a poem by CT Studd called “Only One Life”
https://joshuavandermerwe.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/only-one-life-a-poem-by-c-t-studd/
“Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
For more on this discussion, I suggest the article below in the Resources section by Ian Paul called “(How) should Christians engage in politics?” It was written in June 2020 and is very relevant to our world today.
God Bless!
Songs of Victory
Resources
- “(How) should Christians engage in politics?” by Ian Paul.
- To see animated data showing the widening gap from 1994 to 2017, check out “The shift in the American public’s political values: Political Polarization, 1994-2017”. This animation has not been updated since 2014.
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Franklin Covey.
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” YouTube from Wisdom for Life.
- “How Should Christians Respond to Political Turmoil?” from The First Academy.
- Vote Smart – a bi-partisan resource for looking at the facts about political candidates.
We attend Fishhawk Fellowship Church in Lithia, FL. The August 2nd message was on the topic of why unity is important that relates well to this article. Here is the link to that service with Pastor Daniel Butson. If you want to go directly to the message, it begins at 14:18. God Bless!
Citations:
- Political Polarization in the American Public” from the Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/
- “The Partisan Divide on Political Values Grows Even Wider” from the Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2017/10/05/the-partisan-divide-on-political-values-grows-even-wider/
- “Partisan Antipathy: More Intense, More Personal” from the Pew Research Center.
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/10/10/partisan-antipathy-more-intense-more-personal/?utm_source=link_newsv9&utm_campaign=item_268982&utm_medium=copy - “Attitude Polarization” from Psychology Wiki. https://psychology.wikia.org/wiki/Attitude_polarization
- Covey, Stephen R. “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” Free Press, 1989.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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