Unless you live under a rock, you know about the assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump. Only a few days after this attempt was the Republican National Convention, and Americans were eager to tune in. According to Variety, just over 18 million Americans watched the RNC this past week, many of them waiting to hear the former president speak for the first time following the assassination attempt.

This is a great thing because it exposes more people to politics, and those leading this great country we live in. Most voters will never turn on CSPAN, and I wouldn’t either, but they would be interested enough to watch a few speeches from the convention.

However, the increase in viewership is an open invitation to criticism, especially from the evangelical Christian base of the Republican party. If you follow conservative- leaning evangelical voices, as I do, there is no doubt that you have seen backlash concerning the speakers at the Republican National Convention this past week.

On day one of the convention, two speakers stood out. Amber Rose, who is described as an American model, rapper, and TV personality, spoke about her political switch from being anti-Trump to now being a supporter of Trump after being challenged by her father to do some research and uncover the truth. Rose wasn’t criticized for her speech, as much as she was criticized for her sexually immoral lifestyle, selling photos on OnlyFans, and her association with the Los Angeles-based SlutWalk.

The second speaker, Harmeet Dhillon, is a lawyer and the former Vice Chair of the Republican Party of California. Dhillon practices Sikhism, a religion and philosophy originating in India. This was the second appearance Dhillon has made at the RNC, once in 2016 and now in 2024, to offer prayers to her pagan god “Waheguru.”

Following these speakers, Christian Evangelicals rushed to social media to criticize Rose, Dhillon, and the RNC. Others who want to distance themselves from politics were quick to condemn Christian Nationalists for being willing to participate in the pagan political process, as if to say, “Look at how foolish you are for supporting Republicans, they are just as bad as Democrats, and we shouldn’t get involved in politics.”

As a Christian, who loves God and nation, I understand their criticism. I want our political and moral views on the right to come from Christian values & beliefs, and it upsets me to see prayers offered to pagan gods. However, the presence of these beliefs in politics should not lead Christians to disengage from politics. It should be an eye-opening realization that Christians must engage in politics.

Politics are downstream from religion, that is to say, our religious beliefs naturally flow into our political beliefs. Ben Carson illustrated this in his RNC speech where he references Alexis de Tocqueville’s experience studying America, and visiting its fiery churches during the Second Great Awakening in 1832. Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America writes, “Christianity has therefore retained a strong hold on the public mind in America…” He continues, “The Americans, having admitted the principal doctrines of the Christian religion, without inquiry, are obliged to accept in like manner a great number of moral truths originating in it and connected with it.”

For Tocqueville, there was a connection between politics and Christianity in America. I am a firm believer that Christians should engage in politics. Not just voting in November, but also in political discourse. I also believe, what we saw at the RNC is a reflection of this nation’s faith.

Just like the RNC, American culture is filled with syncretism. We’re seeing people who call themselves Christians, and even those in the pulpit, adopting immoral lifestyles; and practicing forms of paganism. It’s no surprise that what we religiously practice is represented on the political stage, but rather than pointing the finger at the RNC we should first point the finger at ourselves. As the fiery preacher Charles Finney puts it, “If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it.”

Christians should engage in politics, for the same reason they should engage in evangelism. We recognize that politics are not perfect, but by engaging in public discourse we can see our communities and nation move closer to godly ideals, and ultimately to a Christian faith.

Amber Rose and Harmeet Dhillon are sinners, like us, who need a Savior. They look willing to sit at the political table with Christians on the right. The soft-bellied evangelicals who want us to disengage from politics like to throw rocks at the sinner who is coming to our side of the table, and at the Christian who sits with sinners hoping to move them to Christ. To quote the philosopher Rose, “When you cut through the lies you realize the truth.”

Again, politics is downstream from religion, and Christians who sit back and throw rocks shouldn’t be surprised when a rocky dam blocks their faith from flowing into the political scene. If we continue to disengage from politics we will find only a trickle of Christ in our political future. This is true not only for our national politics, but also for our state, local, and family politics. Sure you may rightfully be upset with who is speaking or praying at the RNC, but are you also upset about those making decisions at your local school board, or the influencers preaching to your children on their iPads?

As Christians, we worship the King of Kings, God is both a king-maker and a king-taker turning their head ever so slightly to the left or the right. If our Creator is engaged in politics, should not we as image-bearers also be willing to engage?

Written by: Nic Dykstra

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