Bitter Battle over Judges: Conservatives Work to Undo Successes by the Left
Ventura Star, May 30, 2005
By Terry Paulson, PhD

Even with the "nuclear option" vote avoided by the actions of centrist Senators, it is apparent that many people still fear that evangelical Christians want to make America a theocracy. Some believe that power-hungry, radical Christians want to stifle descent and impose their social agenda on the rest of America. There is more direct evidence that Democratic Senators have decided to go beyond their Constitutional right of "advice and consent" to block any catholic or evangelical Christian appointment who believes that abortion is wrong from serving as a federal appeals court judge. To many liberals, these potential judges with conservative Christian values, no matter how qualified or what their record in upholding the law, are too far "out of the mainstream" to serve.

In the past, liberals have worked to elect politicians who have appointed activist judges who "interpret" laws in support of liberal policy. In some cases, judges have delivered decisions that have no basis in precedent or are even contrary to written law. Some have negated the will of the people basing their decisions on references to "evolving standards" and even "world opinion."

Many conservatives, Christians and non-Christians alike, have had enough. They have exercised their votes in support of politicians who will appoint judges who are more likely to support written law and uphold the Constitution.

American's political system is built on maintaining a healthy tension of forces-Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, environmentalists and capitalists, pacifists and military advocates, and the list goes on. Whenever those forces get out of balance, the other side becomes motivated-they fund politicians, they walk the precincts and they vote their values.

In recent years, the conservatives have worked harder to gain seats in response to past liberal successes and judicial victories. When Christian evangelicals came out in record numbers to support George Bush's victory last November, they did so expecting that more conservative judges will now be appointed, and some will be Christians.

But if conservative judicial appointments go too far in making radical decisions from the bench, a revitalized left will be challenged to elect politicians more supportive of their views. If one side oversteps, it sows the seeds of its own fall from political grace. Such is the nature of American politics.

There is something else that non-Christians need to keep in mind. Most evangelicals actually take the Bible seriously, and there is no call for creating a Christian theocracy in the New Testament. Jesus did not come to change Rome; he came to change people's lives one soul at a time. If anything, many who knew him were disappointed that Jesus did not actively take a more militant stance on the issues of the day. Many wanted a Messiah who would rally the people against Roman rule, but His kingdom was not of this world.

Whenever I get carried away with my own political views as a Christian, I am drawn back to a centering statement about politics by the influential Christian author, C. S. Lewis: "He who converts his neighbor has performed the most practical Christian-political act of all." Billy Graham recently expressed a similar sentiment: "Evangelism is when the Gospel, which is good news, is preached or presented to all people. If I took sides in all these different divisive areas, I would cut off a great part of the people who I really want to reach. So I've felt that the Lord would have me just present the Gospel and stay out of politics." Christ came to change people, not control governments.

European Christians tried imposing their faith during the crusades. It didn't work then, and it wouldn't work now. American Christians have also seen what state-sponsored churches can do to the church. In Denmark, Lutheran ministers are employed by the state and only the government can fire them. Recently, a Danish Lutheran minister, Rev. Thorkild Grosboell, was suspended by his bishop after publicly denying the existence of a "heavenly God." Without having to recant his atheistic statements, the state has allowed him to return to the pulpit by simply renewing his clerical vows.

Most evangelicals don't want to be controlled by the state or distracted by politics, but liberal changes that are being imposed on this country from recent judicial decisions are drawing them back to the ballot box. They do not want a theocracy, but they do not like the changes liberal judges are making to traditional American values and established laws. They want to preserve the country they hold dear. They still want freedom of religion extended to all faiths, but they do not want "freedom from religion" rammed down their throats by liberal judges or Democratic senators.

Since many Americans are evangelical Christians and they have worked to elect politicians who support their values, they have every right to expect some judicial changes. If you don't like those changes, start campaigning now. Your chance to change national priorities will come again-they are called elections!

Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker and author of The Dinner: The Political Conversation Your Mother Told You Never to Have

—May we never forget how truly blessed we are!