The Law of God and Public Policy: Three Ls (3)

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6.6, 7

The logic of public policy reviewed
The logic of public policy defines the first of the “Three Ls” of public policy-making and consists of two parts.

First, government is not God; instead, government is God’s servant for the good of those served. And second, the people are not God, and therefore must not be allowed the last word on what defines the terms of “good” public policy. Only God can define what is good for people, for He alone is good (Mk. 10.18; Ps. 119.68). From the perspective of a Christian worldview, all matters of public policy-making must be guided by these two fundamental principles.

Public policies, then, should express the good purposes of God for people living together in society; and it is the purpose of government, as God’s servant on behalf of the governed, to establish and enforce such policies.

From the logic of public policy we turn to consider the second “L”—the loci of public policy, or, the places in our society where public policies begin to be forged and put in place.

It would be a mistake to believe that public policy is made by government in the first instance. The loci of public policy-making are three: conversation, publication, and participation. What comes to law as public policy is shaped in each of these arenas, and of these three, the first—conversation— is by far the most important.

We the people
In this county, “we the people” represent the bottom-line of government. Public policy-making begins with us. This has been the experience of Americans from the very beginning. The policies by which a free people are governed are incubated among the people, beginning in homes, workplaces, social gatherings, and neighborhoods across the country. This is why politicians spend so much time and energy on two efforts: trying to influence the way their constituents think about policy matters and polling to determine the present state of their thinking.

Conversation, therefore, remains the most important locus for public policy-making today. What folks talk about, discuss with their friends and neighbors, and teach their children will have long-term implications for and effects on the policies government enacts. Believers in Jesus Christ must make good and consistent use of every opportunity to talk with others about moral, social, and cultural issues in a manner consistent with God’s good and perfect will. But for us to do this, we must be assisted and encouraged by local church leaders, as well as by Christian leaders in all facets of society. We must be taught how to think with the mind of Christ about the Law of God and public policy.

The “spiral of silence”
At present, the voices of believers on matters of public policy are scarcely being heard. As German sociologist Elizabeth Noelle-Neumann has shown, those who are the most active and outspoken regarding their views and demands are likely to carry the day in democratic societies such as ours. The more people talk about their issues, the bolder they become. The bolder and more outspoken they become, the more persuasive they may be, and the more a “spiral of silence” begins to engulf those who think otherwise.

Christians cannot allow the outspoken voices of an age in flight from God to dominate conversations about matters of public policy. Whether in the workplace, among friends or neighbors, or in any of various social settings, Christians must be prepared to discuss the issues of the day in a way that points to the goodness and wisdom of God. We must be ready to explain our views on all manner of public policy issues and to refute those views which serve only the interests of government or the people. If we do not feel ready for such conversations, the proper response is not to withdraw, but to prepare. We need to become like the sons of Issachar, those mighty men of King David’s army, who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron. 12.32).

If we will not engage in conversations concerning matters of public policy, then it is all but certain that policies will be articulated and pushed up toward decision-makers without representation or input from the perspective of a Christian worldview.

Making the most of conversation
So it is very important that believers in Jesus Christ make the best use of every opportunity to talk about what is good and pleasing to God, and to resist the pressure of the “spiral of silence” to keep us from airing our views. We must especially learn to think about the Law of God, and all His Word, with respect to matters of public policy. We have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16), and it is certain that Jesus’ thoughts track always with the teaching of His Law. We must not fear to bring the Law into conversations about contemporary issues—though not in a “preachy” manner (more about this later)—and, when we do so, we should be prepared to show the wisdom of the Law and to explain the promise of blessing it contains.

The Christian population of our nation numbers in the scores of millions. Public policy over the past generation, however, has not reflected considered and consistent input from the Christian worldview perspective. It’s not that Christians have not augured for their views in one or another of the public policy arenas, those loci where policies are forged. It is rather that, at this most fundamental level of conversation, we have been neither consistent, nor unified, nor vigorous, nor convincing in arguing the case for the goodness and wisdom of the Biblical perspective on a wide range of public-policy issues. We have been more likely to remain silent, to go-along-to-get-along on issues rather than to risk being seen as either judgmental or weird.

But imagine a nation of scores of millions of people, deeply conversant with God’s holy and righteous and good Law, eager to discuss and able to defend the kinds of public policies it suggests. There is more power in conversation than in either or both of the other loci of public policy-making. Believers in Christ must learn to make the most of this opportunity.

For reflection
1. When was the last time you talked with a friend about some matter of public policy?

2. How well prepared are you to discuss public policy? To explain a Biblical perspective on such matters?

3. What can you do to make yourself more conversant about such matters?

Next steps—Transformation: How can you prepare each day to make the most of your opportunities for conversations in making known the goodness of God?

T. M. Moore

What is the place of the Law of God in the Christian’s life? Our book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, answers this question and shows us again why Jesus taught us that keeping the Law is an indispensable part of our calling in God’s Kingdom. Order your free copy of The Ground for Christian Ethics by clicking here.

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