2,400 years ago, when togas were the height of fashion in Rome and astrology was a favorite tool among physicians for diagnosing disease, the famous speaker and statesman Cicero wrote: “It is not by argument that men are moved to action, but by emotion.” Pretty insightful for a guy who lived centuries before the invention of the compass.
Recently, my attention has been drawn to the way emotion is used to access religious voters across America. Appeals to people’s religions are often used as a rhetorical shortcut to deep emotions—and votes. Americans of faith, especially Christians (about 2/3rds of American adults identify as such), must recognize this tactic and avoid being manipulated [1].
Religion offers a powerful community and a sense of “belongingness” for millions of Americans [2]. Individuals and organizations vying for political influence know this. They understand that when people feel their faith is being called upon, tested, or even under attack, they are more likely to show up at the ballot box. As a result, we constantly see appeals to voters’ religious sensibilities. It is insisted that a “true Christian” will stand against abortion. Or perhaps against police brutality, U.S. policy in Gaza, or gender education in schools.
A closer look at this dynamic in action will prove my point. One of the most frequently employed strategies of this type is to claim that a certain party or candidate is disfavoured by God. In 2024, Trump wondered aloud “...how [any] Christian can vote for a Democrat, Christian or person of faith…It’s crazy”[3]. Trump is not the first to express this sentiment. High-profile pastors have been saying as much for years; in 2020, pastor John MacArthur of California’s Grace Community Church said that a “true Christian” would only vote Republican [4]. These statements emotionally box people in: either you’re a good Christian and you vote conservative, or you’re a bad Christian because you vote liberal.
A common line of reasoning among pastors who take this stance starts with abortion: since the Bible condemns abortion, and the Democratic party endorses it, aiding the Democratic party is aiding a thing condemned by scripture. But this is too simplistic. Endorsing the Democratic Party does not mean that one endorses every policy the party espouses. Likewise, being conservative does not mean you agree with everything said or done by other conservatives.
Even with abortion, one of the most divisive issues right now, there is no homogeneity within parties. Consider the organization Democrats for Life of America [5], or Rep. Henry Cuellar (D, Texas), who opposes abortion because of moral and religious reasons. Across the aisle, Governor Phil Scott (R-Vermont) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) have both given support to abortion.
Clearly, opposing a specific policy is one thing, and condemning an entire party is another. America’s two-party system makes each party too ideologically broad to maintain absolute taboos on any issue.
Consider the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Some Christian leaders have claimed that it is morally imperative for Christians to support Israel, but others have called on believers to stand behind Palestine. Pastor Steve Rowland of Iowa called on his congregation to oppose the “pure evil” found in Hamas and support Israel [6]. Many Christians agree. But on the other hand, consider the coalition of pastors from across America who signed a joint petition in September condemning the continuing conflict in Gaza [7]. “We confess that many of us have used the Bible in ways that excuse… violence while ignoring the teachings of Jesus. We have justified the strong and abandoned Christ's call to the vulnerable." And so it is that Christians are being told it is their religious duty to do two opposite things.
What bothers me about these two claims is not necessarily their substance, but that they attempt to use spiritual feelings of devotion to God in order to muster support or opposition to a line of policy. In situations like this, Christians must resist the impulse to react emotionally. Instead, they should carefully, deliberately, and even prayerfully consider both sides of the argument. And then they should follow their conscience. Rather than acting thoughtlessly in the heat of passion, Christians need to recognize the incendiary rhetoric aimed at them and avoid letting it control them.
Religion must stand as a pillar of moral strength in America. As John Adams wrote, “It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand.” Political decision-making is hard enough; manipulative rhetoric doesn’t make it any easier. Consciously resisting that rhetoric is one of the crucial keys for American Christians as they strive to be “the light of the world”.
