CHURCH OF CHRIST

"We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it."- Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams moved to New Orleans in 1939 it was while in New Orleans that he wrote A Streetcar Named Desire. Williams lived a tortured life. During his life Tennessee Williams suffered from physical attacks because of his homosexuality, tragically lost his beloved sister, and finally the death of his homosexual partner brought constant misery to his life. When we find out the circumstances of his view of life we can understand the loss, loneliness and alienation Williams must have felt to have this kind fear and frustration in life. Living our lives as if our life was "a house on fire" with no hope of escape is not what God wants for us. Homosexuality is a complex issue with much pain. Success and fame didn't help the pain for Williams. Only understanding our Creator and the hope He brought to the world will bring us hope and fulfillment in this life and the life to come.
     Is homosexuality a sin? That is a question that in recent years the Christian denominations have flip-flopped on in their teaching. Basically, here is where the major denominations stand on the issue of homosexuality and sin. According to the Roman Catholic Church it is neither a sin or "in itself morally wrong". The RCC goes so far as to say that it is not a chosen condition (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2357-8). Most mainline Protestant denominations while not condoning homosexuality usually sidestep the subject by declaring it a civil rights issue. Pentecostals for the most part denounce and condemn homosexuality and its acceptance but many still hedge their stance when it comes to the civil rights issue. We know in a very general way how the religious, as it is supposed Christian, denominations feel about homosexuality. But, what does God teach in His Word in the Bible about homosexuality? The Bible condemns homosexuality, homosexual acts and condemns the acceptance of either homosexuality or homosexual acts.
Genesis 2:20-24> Plainly teaches that God's plan for mankind from the beginning was the union of one male and one female, woman & man. When the Bible states that for man there was "no suitable helper" God creates woman.
Genesis 18:16-19:29> The account of Sodom and Gomorrah is an account of an entire region given over to sexual debauchery the example plainly given as the presenting sin in Sodom (Genesis 19:4-9) is homosexuality. God condemns homosexuality and all sexual immorality as sin. It is called a "grievous" sin by God in Genesis 18:20.
Leviticus 20:13> When God set aside Israel as the avenue through which the Messiah would come God declared homosexuality to be a detestable sin in the Law of Moses.
Romans 1:18-32> Paul in teaching about the need for righteousness outlines for us the spiritual and cultural downward spiral path that is unrighteousness. In Romans 1:26-27, Paul calls both gay and lesbian acts "unnatural", "indecent" and a "perversion".
1 Corinthians 6:9-11> Paul, in a list of sins, calls homosexual offenders "the wicked" who "will not inherit the kingdom of God". 
     Is homosexuality a sin? According to the Bible it is. Are homosexuals living in a sinful state a state of unrighteousness? YES, and so is anyone who condones homosexuality or a homosexual lifestyle. The chapters and verses we have just read throughout God's Word say- homosexuality is a sin and as a follower of Jesus Christ I can neither accept it nor approve of its acceptance.
     But, what if I choose to believe not in the Bible but in evolution or nature? Well, in the Bible on more than one occasion examples are given from nature and from worldly philosophies to prove a point. Does homosexuality make any sense in a natural or even in an evolutionary environment? NO. Now I reject all aspects of evolution but even evolution does not support any genetic condition such that will by its very non-procreation nature destroy a species. In evolution for a species to survive, and genetic information to be preserved and passed on, reproduction must occur. Homosexuality, if genetic, would have been skimmed off the gene pool by evolution long ago. Homosexuality by its very nature would be at best for the evolutionists a mutation. Although it is possible in the fatal theory of evolution for this type of genetic information to mutate evolution teaches that in almost every case these mutations only result in a terminal or harmful outcome for the new organism. Homosexuality makes no spiritual sense to those who believe in God & His Word and it makes no 'natural sense' for those who choose to believe in nature alone.

The Top Six Pro-Homosexual Arguments:
[1] JESUS SAID NOTHING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY. In many homosexual rallies there will be at least one sign that reads- WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY _____________. The blank is supposed to represent Jesus' silence on the subject. The problem is that Jesus is not silent on the subject of homosexuals, homosexuality or 'gay marriage'. Jesus said of marriage and unions, "'Haven't you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh'" (Matthew 19:4-5) Jesus isn't exactly silent on the matter of unions (male/female) and He isn't silent on who can be married (male/female) and Jesus isn't silent about who can have sex and with whom (only in marriage male/female and only as husband and wife). An argument from silence when there is a preponderance of evidence in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin is not a legitimate argument. We all know Jesus, God the Son, is anti sin and since homosexuality is a sin then Jesus is not a proponent of a homosexual lifestyle. Jesus also never said any thing about pedophilia or racial prejudice. Do we accept, tolerate or condone those activities in ourselves or in others because of His perceived silence about them? NO. We understand the nature of God and know that God in the flesh would not violate that nature by condoning any sin.
[2] I'M A CHRISTIAN AND I'M GAY SO HOW CAN IT BE WRONG? Christianity doesn't make you immune to sin or sinning. Just because someone is 'born-again' that does not mean he/she can not sin or be involved in sin. Jesus, in the book of Revelation, writes to the Seven Churches of Asia and five of those congregations have a severe sin problem to the extent that they will (if they do not repent of those sins) loose their salvation. Simply calling oneself a Christian doesn't make one a Christian or automatically justify one's actions. The Ku Klux Klan claims to be a Christian organization. David Koresh claimed to be a born-again believer and prophet of God. There aren't too many atheist politicians. Note that the vast majority of those who oppose homosexuality also claim to be 'born-again'. Rush Limbaugh lays claim to having "talent on loan from God" and the Religious Right claim to be godly all of whose Christianity the 'gay' Christian community would question. Calling ourselves Christian doesn't stop us from sinning.
[3] THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS MANIFESTED BY THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AT MY GAY CHURCH. By gifts of the Spirit does that mean those gifts found in Galatians 5:22-23? That list is certainly something all Christians are called to follow. But does the mere fact that one 'feels' love, joy, peace, patience, et al determine one's salvation in Christ or one's righteousness as a Christian? Remember the old TV show CHEERS? The allure for those characters to go to that bar was that "Everybody Knows Your Name". Every religious cult in the world appeals to those disenfranchised by giving them a safe place to practice their sectarian activities. Individuals trapped in an elevator may develop a camaraderie but that doesn't justify their lives before God. If by gifts of the Spirit the miraculous in 1Corinthians 12 is meant, then I remind those who appeal to the miraculous as evidence of their righteousness that every TV evangelist begging for money or caught with prostitutes or who is presently building up personal wealth has laid claim to those same kinds of gifts. Christians can and do sin. Assumed, supposed or claimed manifestations of the Holy Spirit do not prove righteousness. Just because you're a Christian that doesn't mean you cannot be living a sinful life style. Paul writes 1 Corinthians to actual Christians who are condoning as he says, "sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans" (1Corinthians 5:1). Notice that they have the actual gifts of the spirit (miraculous & otherwise) and they are embroiled in a sinful life and in supporting sin in another's life! Paul says stop the sin and the acceptance of the sinner.
[4] HOMOSEXUALITY IS GENETIC. This is really the 'God made me this way' argument. God made you a homosexual and then condemned homosexuality? Not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not the God of the Bible. Not a loving, merciful God. God is not going to 'make' you gay and then condemn homosexuality. The 'gay gene' is a myth. The Bible doesn't teach a gay gene {www.trueorigin.org/gaygene01.asp}. Evolution as we have seen rejects a gay gene. Science has refuted the gay gene theory. Most homosexual activists don't believe, care about or even promote the gay gene theory {http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4215427.stm}.
[5] HOMOSEXUALITY CANNOT BE CHANGED. Since, as far as science is concerned, homosexuality isn't genetic then it is behavioral and all behaviors can be changed. Remember we read in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." "What some of you were", this tells us that we can change our behaviors. Some of them were "male prostitutes" and "homosexual offenders". That means they weren't behaving that way any more! Paul writes in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is His good, pleasing and perfect will." Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, caught up in a sinful lifestyle, "'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'" Jesus spares her from stoning ("neither do I condemn you") but He still tells her to change her sinful lifestyle ("leave your life of sin"). When it comes to sinful behavior there is always a choice to change that can be made.
[6] I AM A HOMOSEXUAL I'M JUST NOT A PRACTICING HOMOSEXUAL. This is a common argument with many conservative Christians both heterosexual and homosexual who have bought into the civil rights aspect of homosexuality. It is also the argument used by the major religious denominations to avoid the topic of homosexuality as a sin. The problem is that as a Christian there is no way to promote sin or a sinful life style and not be held accountable to God for promoting that sin. I am an adulterer I just don't practice adultery. I support those who cheat on their spouses. I give money to organizations that promote adultery. I campaign for candidates who are pro-adultery. I just don't practice adultery. When we plug in any other sinful activity in the 'not a practicing' equation we can see how quickly the argument evaporates. The same can be said of being a 'non-practicing' pedophile, murderer, thief, liar, or any other sin. A Christian cannot cheer sin on even from the sidelines or condone sin from the alley way.

     Homosexuality is not a civil rights issue. It is however a moral and ethical issue for a society, which makes it a social rights issue. Our legal system has a Judeo-Christian foundation and because of this civil rights are separate and distinct from social rights. Civil rights have as their foundation the contractual agreement between the government and the governed based on a set of absolutes, which are termed many times as inalienable rights. Inalienable rights are those rights that are given by God (a power higher than mankind).  They are rights which supersede those granted by governments- despot or democratic.  Social rights on the other hand are founded in the ill-defined world of societal norms. Simply put civil rights are absolute and social rights are provisional and at best determined by what some in a society would term- fair. Notice I said homosexuality is a matter of social rights and I did not say the one claiming to be homosexual had no civil rights. As a Christian, I must unconditionally support the basic dignity and humanity of all those created in the image of God.
     As a Christian, I cannot support or defend attitudes, acts, or actions of those created in the image of God if they violate the nature of God their Creator. "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in you minds because of your evil behavior."- (Colossians 1:21) As a Christian, I cannot condone behavior or legislate for behavior that causes someone else to be alienated from God by that behavior because in doing so my behavior would then make me an enemy of God.

Greenpeace Copyright

Is abortion a sin? The straightforward answer is: 'It depends on what you mean by abortion'. By definition, abortion is the termination of the development of an embryo or fetus in the womb that results in the death of that embryo or fetus or the premature discharge of any fetus either by induction or by miscarriage. Any termination of the life of a developing baby during pregnancy either by natural or contrived means for any reason is an abortion. Two problems exist and will always exist in the discussion of the topic of abortion: [1] The unqualified acceptance or rejection of all methods of and rationales for abortion and [2] The argument over when life begins.
Is abortion for every cause a sin? That depends on the cause for the abortion. Under the present law in this country (Abortion on Demand for Any Cause-ADAC) most abortions are sinful. I say most because the there are two medical, ethical and moral facts concerning abortion- (1) miscarriages happen naturally and (2) there are on rare occasions the need to terminate an early pregnancy for the life of the mother. These are two facts that anti-abortion proponents must come to terms with. Not every abortion that is induced is a sin. Every induced abortion is a moral and ethical decision but not necessarily a sin. I know many Christians will disagree with this but there are times in the early stages of a pregnancy when the mother's life and thus the life of the baby are both in danger and it is only through the termination of the pregnancy that the mother will live. When these circumstances arise it is a terrible burden to have to make these decisions. But there are times, though rare, when this decision must be made. Certainly we can all agree that the reality of a spontaneous miscarriage exists and that there is no sin involved. [Remember miscarriage by definition is not induced but is a natural biological consequence to some pregnancies.]
Abortion is a sin when it is simply a case of personal convenience or the result of a malicious act. In the Bible we have God's will and the final Word on all of life's questions.  So it shouldn't surprise us to know that we have the final Word on abortion as a malicious act.
Exodus 21:22-25> This section of scripture deals with a malicious act that results in the premature birth of a child. The scripture states that if harm comes to the children or mother as a result of the malicious act then you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth etc. If the children and the mother are not harmed by the premature delivery then only a fine is to be levied by the courts {Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Toward Old Testament Ethics, pp. 102-06, 168-72.}. It is important to note that some versions translate this scripture as, she has a miscarriage. That is not a good translation. The Hebrew literally says, "her children come out". The Bible is so specific here that God even accounts for the possibility of multiple premature births by using the word "children" and not child. There is a specific Hebrew word for miscarriage and it is found in Genesis 31:38 and Hosea 9:14. That word is not used here in Exodus 21: 22 because what God means is if a pregnant woman is made to give birth prematurely and the mother and children live then a fine is the only action. But if either mother or children are harmed then the punishment is to fit the extent of the injuries to mother or children. Those who take innocent life are sinning.
Any malicious act that resulted in the death of unborn children would be a sin. These malicious actions would also include the willful actions of the mother. Women who take drugs, alcohol or any substance that injures or kills their unborn children would be committing a sin in God's eyes.
Mothers, fathers, women and men who willfully terminate pregnancy because the child/children are a personal inconvenience are also sinning. Under our present abortion laws (ADAC) the vast majority of abortions allowed is willfully and maliciously harmful to the unborn and thus are sinful. Let's make sure we understand this. Terminating the unborn child/children's life to further: your career, your education, your social status, your physique, your finances, or your personal freedom are all sin. In the case of rape and incest, both evil and heinous crimes, the termination of a pregnancy that might result from this evil act is also a sin. Blaming the innocent child or thinking that destroying that innocent life that results from either case (rape or incest) makes as much sense as the criminal blaming the innocent victim for being assaulted.
Psalm 139:13-16> David saw the life of the unborn as a reality and as containing the potential for service to God. In very simple terms, the unborn are also God's children. The Hebrews knew that ADAC was sinful and the early church knew it also. In the Didache: The Teaching of the Apostles, (2nd century) the church taught "thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born" {J.B Lightfoot, Didache, 2.b.}.
When does life begin? I hope that these few scriptures have shown us that according to the Word of God and to His people, both Israel & the church, life begins at conception. It is an amazing thing to reference such things as sound, pain, taste, hearing, and toxicology in the unborn and see how early in the development of a child these systems become operational. The graphic at the beginning of this article is from the Greenpeace site [click on pic]. It represents their fight against polluting our environment because even the unborn are affected and effected while still in the womb. Even Greenpeace knows the answer to the question, 'When does life begin'. I know for sure (100% sure) and so do you where life begins!
It is now a reality in the world that we live that 43% of the women in North America will have at least one abortion by age 45. Every day 4,000 children are aborted in this country alone. Abortion, as we presently have it legislated under ROE v. WADE, is a sin but the Good News is that all sin can be forgiven by God through faith in Jesus Christ. Those of us who live must live for Christ with the life we have left and we will see those who have died before birth and be with them for all eternity in heaven.

God&Women destiny in the world-mystery in the church

     One of the supposed reasons Dan Brown wrote the book The Da Vinci Code was to help empower women and reclaim their right to be goddesses. Brown believes that Christianity was invented to (among other things) destroy feminine spiritual power.  He says on his web site of his book TDVC,  "Two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of Gods and Goddesses. Today, we live in a world solely of Gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power. The novel touches on questions of how and why this shift occurred and on what lessons we might learn from it regarding our future."
      Is that true? Is the Bible and Christianity in particular a 2,000 year old conspiracy concocted to strip women of their spiritual power and to remove their rights to goddess?  Before you answer let me tell you that organized religion has used women, the feminine mystique, and women's rights to promote their agenda for quite some time.  I must admit that within the Catholic, Protestant, Charismatic and Non-Denominational movements the: 'mother' of God, suffragette movement, temperance movement, redefining the role of women factions, and women's rights interest groups have all been used by Denominational and Non-Denominational religions to obscure the truth found in God's word concerning salvation and as a way to control their specific sects.  Notice I said "organized religion" and I did not say that the Bible or biblical Christianity or God has a feminine agenda or bias.

What picture does the Bible paint for us concerning Women and God?
Genesis 1:27> Both female and male are created in the image of God.
Genesis 3> Both the woman and the man have freewill in physical and spiritual matters.
Exodus 2> In the life of Moses his mother, sister and Pharaoh's daughter are paramount in his life and success.
Joshua 2> Rahab a prostitute is instrumental in Israel entering into and taking the Promised Land.
Judges 4> Deborah is a leader of all Israel as also is Jael a strong woman whose actions defeat the enemy of Israel in a very forceful and definite way.
Ruth & Esther> Two entire books of the Bible dedicated to the exploits of strong godly women.
Matthew 1> Women are listed prominently in the genealogy of Jesus.
Luke 1> Mary was considered and told by God about His plans for Jesus before her fiancée Joseph.  Joseph was told after the fact after it was a done deal!
Luke 2> At the birth of Jesus one man and one woman [Anna a prophetess] are given a special audience with the baby Jesus in Israel.
Matthew/Mark/Luke/John> Mary, Jesus' mother, continues to have a major role in Jesus' life while Joseph just fades away.
Galatians 4:4> The Apostle Paul describes Jesus as one "born of a woman".
Galatians 4: 21-31> The Apostle Paul once again, prominently presents the two nations of Israel and the Ishmaelite nation.  Notice in verse 30 that Paul describes all Christians in terms of being children "of the free woman".
      The Bible does not place women in positions of spiritual or social inferiority to men.  Women have as much prominence in the Bible as men.  Christianity, true Christianity, is replete with the actions and service of godly women.  The human life of Christ Jesus is portrayed in great detail through the lives of godly women.  Jesus', God the Son, very existence in human form is described by Paul as one "born of a woman".
      What about Paul?  The Apostle Paul is the easily the most misunderstood man in all of history.  The non Christian world discounts him.  The liberal Christian world avoids him.  The feminist, gay and ecumenical factions hate him.  Let's understand one thing - either the Bible including Paul's writings are the inspired Word of God or they are not- there is no middle ground.  What does Paul actually teach about women?

Acts 16:11-15; Acts 17:4, 12> Paul brought the Gospel to women and not only considered them equal in Christ to men but he also accepted their support in his ministry.
Romans 7:1-3> Paul taught that women could enter into and were bound by legal agreements.
Romans 16: 1-27> Look at all the women Paul mentions as hard workers in the Lord and as being great help to the church and to Paul.
1 Corinthians 7:1-2> Paul simply states that it is better for a man not to marry [certainly feminists can't argue with this].  But if they do marry then they are bound to their mates [notice Paul mentions man and woman and gives them equal standing & status].
1 Corinthians 7:4> Paul recognizes women as being sexual beings equal to men.
1 Corinthians 7:5-7> Paul again says it would be better for men and women to remain unmarried and so devote themselves to God but he also does not teach that the husband has sexual rights over his wife at any time for any cause.
1 Corinthians 7:15-16> Paul gives the man/husband and the woman/wife equal billing.
1 Corinthians 7:32-35> This section sums up all of Paul's teaching to the church at Corinth.  Again Paul places woman and man on equal ground- spiritually, legally, socially and ethically.
1 Corinthians 11:3> This is the passage that most weak Christians get hung on.  But the verse simply teaches a biblical truth [more to be said later].  Man is the spiritual head of woman - just as Christ is the spiritual head of man - and God is the spiritual head of Christ.  Jesus says the Father and I are one.  Jesus didn't whine about God the Father having spiritual authority over God the Son.
1 Corinthians 12:1-31> Paul talks about the entire body of Christ and not once does he gender it.
Galatians 3:26-29> Paul says that in Christ we are all sons of God.  God does not deal with us in matters of salvation based on gender [Vs 28].  Go back to our earlier discussion of Galatians 4:4; 21-31.
Ephesians 5:22-32> Paul places husband and wife in the context of Christ and His church.  The church is always referred to in the feminine gender in the Greek.
Philippians 4:2-3> Paul makes special mention of Euodia and Syntyche (both women) in this letter.
1 Timothy 2:11> Paul speaks for God.  This book part of the inspired word of God.  Paul simply reiterates for Timothy the concept of male spiritual headship.

Paul not only does not have a low opinion of women he taught and lived that they had equal spiritual rights in Christ.  He may not think that marriage is the highest calling for man or woman but he doesn't prohibit it either.

      What is this male spiritual headship?  It is the spiritual principle that God established for His special creation before the foundations of the world were set.  In the beginning God made male and female in His image but He created male first and then female, Genesis 1:27.  But when sin came into the world (because of the male Romans 5:12-19) God placed the wife in submission to the husband as part of her penalty for her sin.  Paul elaborates on this fact in1 Timothy 2:11-15.  The point that Paul makes is that part of the penalty for woman is that the male will have spiritual authority over her ["I do not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man"] but because through her the Messiah would come ["saved through childbearing"] she still has spiritual identity in Christ ["if they continue in faith, and love and holiness, with self-control"].
      The idea of male spiritual headship is not just a result of the sin of Adam and Eve there is a bigger role that the female plays in the great scheme of things.  Paul also lays out this cosmic and eternal role that women play in the mind of God.  In 1 Corinthians 11:3-10, Paul tells us that there is an order to headship based on two things: [1] male was created first [2] because of the angels.

      [1] male was created first> Male spiritual headship was reiterated throughout the Old Testament in the concept of the first born male.  God established this headship because one day the only begotten Son of God was to come into this world with all power and authority.  The theology behind male spiritual headship is one of authority.  Not the authority of male over female but the ultimate authority of God over all.
      [2] because of the angels>  We know very little about the angels and the fall of Satan {trust me most of what we think we know we got out of Dante's Inferno and not the Bible}.  But one thing we do know from Jude 6 "And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their home - these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day" is that the angels who did not obey God did so because they resented having someone in authority over them.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:10 that the second reason for male spiritual headship is so that the female (not the male) can be a spiritual witness to all creation and particularly the angels that even while in spiritual submission to an equal they can remain faithful to God.  Look once again at 1 Corinthians 11:11, Paul says I am not saying in any of this teaching that women are lower than men or men greater than women in the eyes of God.

Ignorance
the new postmodern intelligence

History has ended. Don't panic it has happened before and it will happen again in a millennia or so once things straighten out (give or take a couple of hundred years and if Jesus delays His return). We live in what some call the "Postmodern Age". What is postmodernism? Just like the age itself the definition is not very definite. It is whatever the user wants it to be and everything she/he doesn't want it to be. Postmodern thought is associated with: myth, skepticism, bias, pluralistic ideologies.

CHRISTIANITY
   & POLITICS

First of all we need to understand that government and politics are two very separate issues.  If I were to write about CHRISTIANITY & GOVERNMENT I would go to Romans 13:1-7 which tells us that "the authorities that exist have been established by God" or to Titus 3:1-2 that reminds us "to be subject to rulers and authorities" and "to be ready to do whatever is good".
In both of these passages God tells us that He is the one who established and establishes governing authorities and that Christians are called to obey their governments as long as they (Christians) do "whatever is good".  It is this 'good' that qualifies our relationship with governments.  I must obey the laws of the land unless those laws violate the law or will of God as set down in His Word.
CHRISTIANITY & POLITICS is an entirely different issue.  It is an issue that is not covered in the Bible as something in which Christian should be involved.  If or when we think we find politics in the Word of God it is never portrayed in a favorable light.  Let me show you the difference between government and politics.
God used governments to spread His teaching and His will throughout the entire Bible [pre-Mosaic, Mosaic, and Christian eras].  For example: Pharaoh, Babylon, Assyria, and Rome were all used by God to fulfill His will.   Jesus, God incarnate, never responded to the government or government policies except to say obey them- "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21.  But about politics Jesus had a lot to say- "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees"- Matthew 16:6b and to the politically charged Pilate Jesus said, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" John 19:11.
The Bible always shows politics in a bad or ungodly light.  Passages such as Matthew 21:23-27; Matthew 22:15-22; Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 27:11-26; Matthew 28:11-15; and especially > John 11:45-53 < all show that politics and internal wrangling always bypasses the will of God and forces & enforces the will of mankind over the will of God.
Should a Christian involve him or herself in politics?  No, never because when you do you find yourself in the company of such politicians as: Pharaoh, Korah, Laban, Haman, Judas, Pilate, Pharisees and Sadducees.  I also add to that list: Jacob, Saul, David, Ananias, Sapphira, Peter, Simon the Sorcerer and Saul of Tarsus who all resorted to politics at one time or another in their lives and every time they did so in direct disobedience to the will of God.

Historically, Christians involve themselves in politics for five basic reasons.
[1] They develop a Me Against The World mentality.  Being a Christian becomes their personal battle with the world.  They justify their fight against the world politically because the world killed Christ.
[2] They work out a Me With The World strategy.  Being Christian becomes totally political to prove to the world that they (Christians) are just like them (world).  They embrace the world's politics to show the world how to do the same things it has always done but with a Christian attitude. They want to show the world that Christians can fit in so they politicize sin (homosexuality, abortion, sex, and others) rather than make moral judgments that will separate them from the world.
[3] They formulate a Me And The World role.  They become socially responsible Christians.  They are politically active in social and or service groups.  They foster service to the community as the primary purpose of the Church.  They are 'good' Christians because they are 'good' citizens. Their Christianity is defined by using the church's facilities for soup kitchens, half-way houses, group meeting, voter registration and other social functions and they do this not because they see it as godly but because this is how the world defines Christianity and Church.
[4] They struggle with a Me In The World dual persona.  They are politically active and they are Christians.  They are what is called hyphenated Christians.  They are not just Christians but: black/white/red/yellow/brown-Christians; male/female-Christians; hetero/gay-Christians; liberal/conservative-Christians. They are political so that they can continue to be involved with things that really matter and are of first importance to them and still be Christian.

The final group of  Christians pushing politics as righteousness is by far the largest group within Christianity.  It seems on the surface to be the most noble of reasons to embrace politics but it is no more noble or godly than the other four.  As a matter of fact, it is more insidious because it carries with it an appearance of doing the Lord's work on a grand scale.

[5] They are engaged in a Me Change The World battle.  They are the most politically active of all.  Their strategy is not found in converting everyone to Christ but in making everyone and what they do more Christian.  They are Christians who more than pray and serve God- vote for change.  They try to put a Christian veneer or whitewash on the world through politics.  They 'legislate' morality so their politics does the work of the Church.  They believe that if they can't convert the masses to Christ at least they can get them to be more Christian.  Somehow prayer in school or having the Ten Commandments on the walls of public buildings makes the world a little more Christian for them.  They push for future conservative judges rather than speak out against present immoral laws.  They are more insidious because they grow complacent spiritually the more conservative politically the world around them becomes.  True Christianity, living a genuine life in Christ or as John says "walking in the light" is lost in this new and improved more Christian utopia that they have gained for themselves through politics and legislation.  They assume that somehow legislating a reduction or ban on: cursing, drinking, gambling, smoking and crime will allow them the freedom to live more freely and fully as Christians in this present world.

Should Christians be involved in politics?  If you are talking about a reliance on a system rather than God or the manipulation of a system rather than prayer by any form of the five ways listed above- then NO.  The answer to the question can a Christian be political is as simple as this: Christians should be as politically active as Christ Jesus.

Genesis 3.5 is the first instance of a worldwide movement to foster mutual understanding and cooperation. Satan convinces Eve and then Eve convinces Adam that they must compromise their religious integrity so that bring unity to God and them.

Genesis 6.5-6 has all of mankind in complete cooperation spiritually except for eight unenlightened souls.

Exodus 5.17-21 is an example of Israel desiring an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual understanding between them and Pharaoh. The only time that things begin to go right for Israel is when they break the yoke of ecumenism by following God and Pharaoh drops the desire for cooperation by allowing them to obey God. Exodus 12.31

In the New Testament God continually teaches against ecumenism in any and every form.

2 Corinthians 6. 14> “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.”

Colossians 1.21> “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”

Colossians 2.8> “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

2 Timothy 4.3-4> “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Revelation 18.1-24 The entire eighteenth chapter of Revelation is a proclamation against cooperation and unity that puts mankind’s desires before the will of God.