I agree with everything @psalms-and-spells said here so im not gonna harp on it too much but I would also like to add, in line with the previous post
Not only is Christianity political due to Christianity being used for political aims throughout history, its political because it originated as a political religious movement. Messianic prophecy, aka Christ’s role, is entirely about replacing the current empire of domination with a new just society (the kingdom of heaven). Christ came specifically to disrupt political systems and accepted societal orders. He was killed in large part because his growing popularity and presence as a king of Israel was a threat to the Roman Empire’s hegemony and could have brought down the Roman legion upon Israel if he wasn’t dealt with. He actively taught malicious compliance against Roman oppression (going the extra mile for a soldier and turning the other cheek when slapped, for instance, would violate etiquette and laws and in some cases force the oppressor to treat you as an equal). He actively pushed against dominant politics (give unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s, but give to God what is God’s). He specifically came for the oppressed and those suffering under the yolk of political domination and repression. You cannot have an apolitical Christianity because of its history and because by its very nature Christianity is a political project of emancipation and liberation.
Additionally, I agree with prev that it’s an incredibly privileged take to say “let’s leave politics out of this,” because it suggests there is a way for you to exist that is not political or affected by politics. And there’s a long list of reasons why that is untrue and a sign that someone is uninformed or uncaring about the various marginalized groups who are affected politically. Furthermore, however, who gets to define what counts as political? If you ask conservatives, it’s political to exist as queer, to exist as a person of color (esp as Black), to divorce, to engage in certain kinds of work, to support certain programs that benefit people. What does leaving politics out of religion look like, especially if the call is to “reach across the aisle”? Hiding queerness? Avoiding discussions of how systemic racism and discrimination structure people’s lives? Capitulating to conservative norms of the default (aka white, cishet, allo men)?
But also, even calls to “do what the Bible and the Catholic Church calls us to do and help and serve and evangelize others” and “go out into the world and be a decent and kind human being” are inherently going to become political. You can’t help the poor without running into problems caused by capitalism and by discrimination. You can’t help the incarcerated without dealing with the criminal justice system and its long history of racism, slavery and eradication. You can’t help the environment without dealing with settler colonialism. You can’t help the disenfranchised without getting into layers of violence and systemic exploitation. You can’t help expectant mothers or the elderly without dealing with sexism, ableism, medical insurance exploitation, and more. What work is there that is not political? What moral system allows you to exist in this world without the very real systems of violence and domination which structure every aspect of existence regardless of where you’re from? Our work is political. Being a decent kind person demands acknowledgement of how discrimination and oppression manifests in our own mindsets and systems. Following the calls to aid others is the same. Claiming these things aren’t political either erases the actual material circumstances or ignores root causes and conditions for the issues you are trying to solve.
And yes, I also agree with prev that calls to avoid politics (whatever that means) and avoid calling out different political groups inevitably lends itself towards justifying the views of conservatives as legitimate and validating their evil theologies. Where, exactly, is my common ground with conservatives supposed to be? It certainly isn’t on queerness, or race, or colonialism, or exploitation. It certainly isn’t on economics—the capitalist death cult they prop up is a large mechanism for a lot of the problems we currently face, including poverty and homelessness, and it fuels and is powered by other systems of exploitation. Is it on the role of the government? No, they want a domineering state that refuses to aid those who need it. Is it on foreign policy? Never, with their wars and imperialism and genocides. Is it on religious freedom? Certainly not, Christian nationalists are hellbent on eliminating any other faiths than what they approve of. Is it on the role of the church? They would destroy ecumenism, each asserting their own denomination is superior, and they would have the church turn a blind eye to the oppressed and at best put bandages over the gaping wounds of those who suffer and societal problems. What is left? What, exactly, am I supposed to have in common with the beliefs and work of conservatives? The same goes for centrists who refuse to name the evils of society and allow for evil to slide.
I’m happy, as prev stated, to work with those who disagree with me if boundaries are set and their errors are called out. I’m happy to advance causes which benefit people—but these are causes which align with my leftist paradigm. And, as prev said, I can’t separate my faith from my politics. They inform each other. Always have and always will.
At best, being apolitical is ignorance. At worst, it actively reentrenches harms. We are called to aid the oppressed and spit in the face of tyranny. Not ignore suffering for the sake of keeping the peace with those who actively support the very people with blood on their hands I am trying to fight against.
