We put this first so you won't get it twisted. We are appalled at how religion has been manipulated and abused for political gain and the attainment of power. So, I run openly as a Christian so you can see what my faith means to me and how it calls me to serve you powerfully.

THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

The current state of things is ugly. I, as a Christian, am embarrassed by it. What is parading as faith, what is wrapping itself in righteousness on both sides of the aisle is abhorrent to me personally. Christianity is not nationalism in disguise, it’s not God’s law used for political points and persecution, it is not white supremacy, it is not the Bible twisted to favor one people group over another. It is also not using the “End Times” as an excuse to engage in a spiritual war that, on its face, looks like hate, violence, and racism. 

Christianity is also not loose theology, stretched to include all manner of doctrine, to be “inclusive” to the point of not resembling the Word of God.  Accept all who need acceptance, love fiercely, but do not use scripture to make God say what you want Him to. I struggle with the same hard spiritual tugs of war as most of us, how to reconcile the tenets of our belief with what our hearts feel for each other; with the kindness we should want to show to those who believe differently. Yet, even in struggle, I cannot change who God is and what I’ve known to be the truth. Nevertheless, none of that changes how we are called to serve one another in the midst of our differences in belief. 

WHAT MY FAITH DICTATES

Our faith dictates how we honor and serve, especially when we believe differently than you. Our faith requires that we care for the poor, protect the underserved, and fight for justice in the face of hatred, discrimination, division, and fear-mongering.  It means my religious differences do not decide whether or not I treat my constituents with respect, honor, and love. Still, you won’t hear me trying to frame man-made policy in biblical terms or claim that God is on my political side, or supports my political or policy-related plans. God gives us reason, discernment, prayer, His presence, His anointing and also calls us to be prudent, compassionate, just, to care for those who cannot care for themselves, and to especially mind the plight of children, the poor, widows, and the sick.  He does not explicitly support Obamacare or Trump Accounts or tax abatements or the death penalty or cancelling student loans. We are to use judgment and the political process to determine what policy to create and what legislation to pass. You will not hear me try to put my policy in God’s mouth. 

This nation was founded on the freedom of religion, so we practice our faith boldly even while you have the free will not to do the same. In my leadership, my faith mostly shapes my character, my mode of speech, how I see people (usually bigger than they see themselves), how I see possibility (endless), and how I treat people (how I’d want to be treated). Love, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, honor, honesty, integrity are not at odds with order, transparency, discipline, justice, excellence, consequences, and even power. 

ARE YOU GETTING A PASTOR OR A POLITICIAN?

You are not electing me as your priest or your spiritual counselor, and I am also not running as a traditional politician. In fact, I am the Anti-Politician, committed to service and prioritizing people instead of being loyal to party politics or obsessed with the attainment of power. You may simply want me to be a fighter, and I am. But, I fight clean, and I fight for what I believe to be right, no matter the popularity of a cause. 

I am devout in my faith and stand firm in it, yet I do not condone ridiculing, dismissiveness, or fear-mongering toward others who believe differently or do not believe at all. My faith does not make me perfect and does not give me the monopoly on the moral high ground, but I pray it makes me a model worth following or at least a leader known for speaking the truth as they believe it to be.

I believe Christians should be recognizable not by political causes and partisan alignments, but by the example we set of disciplined honor, devout passion, firm belief, and rampant love towards others. We should shed tears for all blood shed and look to right all wrongs, not for political gain disguised as a righteous quest, but to honor the God who created the very people often lost in all of man’s quests for power. 

WHERE RELIGION AND POLITICS COLLIDE

I believe in protecting religious freedoms and will work to preserve the right to worship as we see fit. What we have forgotten in this era of what I call pendulum politics, is that whenever power changes hands, we can now expect revenge policy-making designed to undo what the previous party or administration put into play. We forget that the precedents we set can be used against us, the rules we break will be broken again as retaliation, and the overreaches we commit will be used to snatch us back to worse positions and conditions than previously existed. My concern is that as politicians exploit religion (specifically Christianity) to win cultural wars, those wins will turn into greater losses for religious freedom down the road. Nevertheless, I will support legislation that strengthens our right to make decisions that align with our spiritual conscience, maintains our rights to free speech in and out of the pulpit, and our ability to gather and worship freely according to our beliefs.