America’s Parties Need a Reality Check

On September 19th, Congress finally did something right when they passed a resolution condemning political violence after the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. That moment was a reminder that things have gone way too far in this country. But let’s be honest: both Republicans and Democrats have some hard truths they need to face about the way they’ve been acting.

Republicans first. This used to be the party of small government and fiscal responsibility. Now? It feels more like the party of Trump loyalty tests. Conservatism used to mean sticking to principles like personal responsibility and respecting the Constitution. These days it often just means “whatever Trump says.”¹ And the selective outrage is obvious — Republicans scream about government overreach when it comes to healthcare or taxes, but they’re fine using government power when it pushes their culture-war battles. And for the so-called “law and order” party, the way many excuse January 6 and the violence against police that day is a pretty glaring double standard.²

Democrats aren’t much better. They lean so hard into identity politics that they end up alienating working-class people who don’t feel like they fit one of the “approved” categories.³ And while they love to lecture Republicans about banning books, they’ve got their own cancel culture problem — shutting down anyone who doesn’t toe the line.⁴ Add in the elitism — living in their own bubble while claiming to care about the average person — and it’s no wonder so many people see them as out of touch. And when Democrats talk about saving democracy while pushing court-packing or gerrymandering, it’s hard to take them at face value.⁵

But here’s the big thing: both parties are obsessed with demonizing anyone who doesn’t fall in line. Republicans who dared to break with Trump — like Liz Cheney or Adam Kinzinger — were branded traitors and driven out of the party.⁶ On the other side, Democrats turned on Tulsi Gabbard for refusing to follow the party line, painting her as an enemy rather than a dissenter.⁷ Instead of building bridges, both sides punish dissenters, shame outsiders, and insist the only choice is total loyalty or total rejection. That mindset shrinks the political conversation and leaves millions of Americans feeling politically homeless.

And here’s what hurts the most: it’s even tearing Christians apart. Brothers and sisters in Christ who should be united in Jesus are splitting along party lines. Churches are dividing, friendships are ending, and Christians are treating each other like political enemies instead of family in Christ. Jesus warned about this — “a house divided against itself cannot stand” (Mark 3:25) — and that’s exactly what we’re seeing happen in America.

At the end of the day, neither party is putting the country first. Both sides care more about winning than governing. Both sides stoke division and demonize their opponents. Both chase soundbites and outrage instead of tackling real long-term issues like debt, immigration, or healthcare. Outrage has basically become the business model. And honestly, this is why I don’t call myself a Democrat or a Republican. The closest thing I could align with is the Constitution Party, because at least their principles are about running government the way it was meant to be run — by the Constitution, not by special interests or whoever happens to control the purse strings.

From a Christian perspective, this is completely upside down. Leadership is supposed to be about humility, honesty, and service — not pride, power, and spin. Jesus said the greatest leaders are servants, and right now, very few of our leaders are acting like that. If America’s going to heal, it won’t be because one party “beats” the other. It’s going to take leaders and citizens choosing truth over lies, service over self-interest, and God’s way over party loyalty.

Footnotes

1. Pew Research Center – “Republicans’ Views of Trump’s Influence on the GOP” (2023) – 

2. Cato Institute – “The Right’s Embrace of Big Government on Social Issues” – 

3. The Atlantic – “Democrats’ Identity Politics Problem” (2018) – 

4. New York Times – “Free Speech Tensions Among Progressives” (2022) – 

5. Brookings – “Court Packing and Democratic Hardball” (2021) – 

6. CNN – “Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger Censured by RNC” (2022) – 

7. NPR – “Tulsi Gabbard Leaves Democratic Party” (2022) –