As I said before the election, I was not a big fan of either presidential candidate this year. And I think the fact that conservative Christianity has become so closely affiliated with one party is a very bad development. When the church becomes just another cog in the political machine it has lost its way and abandoned it’s true purpose. Although I certainly believe individual Christians should be involved in politics in whatever manner they see fit, the church as a whole must stick with being a clear prophetic voice on societal issues, not an apologist for a particular candidate. The culture will never be saved through legislation and we should not expect it to.
Those who think, like Frank Pastore, talk show host or this family profiled by the Washington Post, that this election represents a blow to a major evil in our society will be disappointed. Jonathan Chatt writes in yesterday’s LA Times that people who voted for Bush expecting him to implement a "Christian" social agenda are in for a surprise and I think he is right. Bush used conservative Christians to keep his job, but now that their job is done, he will move on to other things. I think we will find that the things he thinks are of utmost important are those that Christians don’t care that strongly about or have a unified view on – like social security, a flat tax and a neo-conservative vision for the middle east. Those looking for real moral reform should set their sites elsewhere – like to a revival in the church. May that happen soon.