Why Republicans Continue to Lose Ground

Over the past 20 years, conservative Republicans have made great strides in gaining political power through the exploitation of religion--namely Christianity. However, GOP strategists have failed to realize the flaw in this logic. The moment Republicans took the "moral high ground" by exploiting conservative Christian values and by leveraging wedge issues such as abortion and prayer-in-school to move the faithful from the pews to the polls, the battle was lost.

Why?

By claiming to own morality and "family values", the GOP also had to accept the consequences of human failure. Consider the resignation of Senator Larry Craig, or the plight of Florida's Mark Foley. These moral "lapses" undermine the credibility of the party that righteously claims to own God, morality, and justice.

It will be tough times for all Republican politicians in the next several years. For every politician who exposed for acting outside the lines of Christian morality, the credibility and influence of the party is eroded.

Religion and politics do not mix well, particularly in a society that is becoming increasingly secular and less oriented toward religion.

If people of faith put their hope in changing the world through public policy, they will be sorely disappointed.

While we must continue to vocal about moral living and justice, Christians cannot depend on government alone to make things happen. If we do depend on government, we're going to just get more of the same disappointment as the media pounce on "hypocrites" who have positioned themselves as Christians. In reality, not only are these individuals victims of sin, they are also, sheep in wolves clothing. They put on the appearance of Christianity and flouted it through campaigns and public policy proposals.

What they've really done is to undercut the credibility of the Christian faith in the eyes of not only our country, but also of the world.

The backlash is just beginning.

My faith is in God, not in man (or man's politics).

So if politics isn't the solution, what is a Christian to do?

Change starts with each of us, not with the government. Hope comes from Jesus, not the nominee for 2008. Credibility comes as each of us lives an authentic life dedicated to the pursuit of God right where we are.

Real change will come from the bottom-up, not from the top-down.

It is time for the church to spend less time investing in politics and more time in actually living a life that influences our culture right where we stand.