This pastoral reflection was outlined on May 31. Ninety years before that day, on May 31, 1934, The Barmen Declaration was adopted by the votes of more than one hundred Protestants—both clergy (pastors and professors) and laity who were assembled at a church in Barmen, Germany. The systematic theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) had drafted the declaration, which aimed to help clergy and laity defend the Church’s faith from being turned into a theological tool of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialism.

At that time, the so-called German Christians were working to nazify their churches and their faith by redefining Christian tenets in terms of National Socialist ideology. For example, they discerned God’s providence in the rise of Adolf Hitler to power and saw divine revelation in his political program. In response to this attempt to make Christianity a servant of Naziism, Barth declared an uncompromised and uncompromising No!

The Barmen Declaration is a theological statement. In a place where the Church’s historic faith was being seduced and exploited, Barmen strives to set the record straight.  In no uncertain terms, it declares: The Jesus Christ of the Bible, not another, is Lord. All people require this Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, for salvation, and for guidance.  The Church belongs solely to this Jesus Christ; the Church does not belong to the State. The Church is provided faithful leaders by the mysterious providence of God. Church and State, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, have distinct (but related) responsibilities in this world, and both realms must be protected; one must never dominate the other. The Church follows the command of Jesus Christ, not the spirit of the age, until the end of history. Needless to say, the “German Christians” and other Nazis did not think well of The Barmen Declaration.

Shift to the United States

Since its founding, what used to be known as the “mainline Protestant denominations”— Episcopal Church (USA), The United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and so on—helped provide the United States with a modicum of religious guidance. In the 1980s, however, they began to be referred to as “old-line,” a sign of their waning influence. These same denominations, or what remains of them, can now be described as “sideline denominations” (Richard John Neuhaus), as they have been destabilized and marginalized over the last several years.

Yet even today, some pastors in the sideline denominations remain addicted to providing political guidance to those beyond their flocks. In what follows, this pastor will admit and demonstrate his own addiction to this once mainline-Protestant pastoral habit.

America is in the midst of a significant political campaign that will end on Election Day, November 5, 2024— or soon thereafter. In one way or another, the life issues will play a major role in many races—especially since Democrats are making abortion an important—perhaps their most important—focus in the presidential race. So be warned, over the next four or five months, the countless political campaigns will become deafeningly noisy and quite exhausting to all of us.

The Principles

In the current political climate, and with the Barmen Declaration in mind, I would like to propose several principles, based on a Christian foundation, to use in evaluating political candidates, parties, campaigns, ads, interviews, and speeches in the months to come.

1. Because the Triune God creates, sustains, and redeems this world: Political discourse that uses God’s name in vain, in mundane or flippant or scandalous ways, should be understood as unnecessary, degrading, even blasphemous, and therefore out of bounds.

2. Because Jesus Christ is the Lord of this world and commands protection of the weakest: Politics and policies that multiply and exploit powerless people—such as pro-choice politics allowing the preborn to be eliminated, and open-border policies permitting cartels to use and abuse those who are illegally immigrating—should be exposed and opposed.

3. Because Jesus Christ is the Lord over creation and history, and because His Lordship includes providence: Political discourse that promotes a paralyzing fear of opponents, and a frightening dread of the possibility of their victories, should be dismissed as a sign of bad faith or no faith. Such fear should be counted as harmful to democracy.

4. Because the Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection defeated (though did not eliminate) sin, death, and the evil one: Political discourse that suggests an opponent is totally demonic or evil should be dismissed as exaggerated and untrue.

5. Because Jesus Christ is Lord and commands His followers to love their neighbors: Political discourse that aims to increase the hatred of a person or a group should be ignored, discounted, and opposed.

6. Because only Jesus Christ is the Lord and Judge of history, whose rule in democratic nations is often exercised through the rule of law: Campaigns in a democracy that use governmental resources for partisan purposes should be understood as exercising unfair, and perhaps criminal and tyrannical, advantage.

I encourage you to use these principles—and any others you may add to my list—as a guide for your political decision-making in the days to come. And if you find they are being routinely breached during the months ahead, you may want to raise objections to the campaigns in question and possibly change your vote.

Karl Barth and Barmen taught the Church and Christians: When political challenges are great, do not just react. Rather, think and act in ways that are, first and last, faithful to the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who is mysteriously engaging, and judging, the nations and empires, the politicians and the parties, of this world.