“Well, that’s all fine and dandy, as
long as your politics line up with
the word of God.”
Have you ever heard anyone use this phrase or something similar? A few questions:
~~~
1. What does this phrase mean to you, and what do you think it means to those who use it?
2. Is it possible for one’s politics to “line up with the Bible?”
3. What prescriptive political commands, if any, are applicable for Christians today?
Missionary in the Andes Mountains Cloud Forest Region of Ecuador. My last name, "Labrador," is the word that's used for "Vine Worker" in the Spanish Bible, and it's OK with me. 
William Floyd on 'We Don't Need No Education' ~ The Apostle Paul
1) I think it is impossible for humans to have absolutely NO political leanings. Since for now we live in the physical realm, we use imperfect systems, be they political or economic, because ALL humans are flawed, even Christians. Therefore, when one uses the aforementioned phrase, they probably mean that they are trying to base their ideas of how man should run society in the physical world as closely as possible to the principles put forth in the Bible.
2) Not perfectly, because we are all humans living in a broken world. We get as close as we can.
3) Prescriptive political commands? Pretty much the entire Bible…because any politics that one engages in should be driven by our relationship with Christ through the reading, studying, and hearing of his word, prayer, meditation, Specifically? How about,”Thou shalt not murder?” Now we can split hairs all day long, but abortion is murder. Any arguments to the contrary are just intentional muddying of the water.
1 Not a clue what ‘one’s politics’ means, but it reminds me of Christians who feel they should control everything and make pulpit-based pronouncements about elections, etc.
2 What is ‘one’s politics’?
3 Obeying the government (I don’t think the Roman government was into popular elections or voting!). It seems that efforts by Calvin and company to bring in the kingdom by taking over secular government was not particularly successful, and I don’t think taking over government is ever indicated in the New Testament. John 18:36(NET) Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”