“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25

Because the Republican Party holds conservative views on social issues like homosexuality and abortion, many Christian conservatives in the U.S. tend to be Republican. However, I believe that if Jesus Christ lived in the midst of the modern day U.S., He would not be a Republican. In fact, Jesus would not be a Democrat either. Perhaps Jesus would say that we all have it wrong.

I believe that Christians are called to be Christ-like, so Christian citizens of the U.S., like myself, should ask themselves: "How would Jesus respond to modern day social issues?"

People say that religion and politics should not influence each other, but my faith is more than just a religion to me. My Christian faith is part of who I am, so it affects my political views.

I am entering my senior year of college and like many other college students, I have had to form my own opinions about social issues and politics. I grew up in a Mexican American family with conservative Christian values, but am attending a liberal arts college. Even after my time at a liberal arts college with very liberal views, I still hold a lot of conservative values. However, I also now have some liberal views.

For example, I have conservative views on issues like abortion and homosexuality. While I agree with liberals that women are of equal value to men, I believe that God values life before birth. In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Because God values life before birth, I am pro-life.

I believe the Bible states that homosexuality and other forms of sexual immorality, like sex outside of marriage, are a sin. I hold that conservative view, yet I disagree with how some extreme conservatives voice their opposition to homosexuality. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church are known for their aggressive actions and messages towards homosexuals and such aggression is not Christ-like. 1 Peter 4:8 says “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” Regardless of one’s view on this matter, hatred and that kind of aggression should never be embraced by any Christian.

When it comes to issues of racial minorities in the U.S., I have very liberal views. Growing up as a Mexican American, I have seen the struggle of Latino immigrants in this country and the positive impacts they have made. I support amnesty for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. at a young age. I believe that young Latinos who have grown up in the U.S. deserve the chance to receive a secondary education and contribute to the American society. I also believe that people of all backgrounds and races deserve to be regarded as equal. All deserve a chance to work towards the American Dream.

The problem is that because I now hold a mix of liberal and conservative views, I receive a lot of criticism and also struggle to decide who to vote for in elections. The U.S. political system is so severely divided between conservative and liberal views that hatred is spreading throughout our society. Politicians are setting their moral values aside to stay loyal to their parties because choosing a side outweighs everything else. In the current presidential election, Republicans who were fiercely opposed to Republican candidate Donald Trump are now supporting him because he is most likely going to be the nominee.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan initially said he was not ready to support Trump because of Trump’s tendency to insult people and change his ideology frequently - among other concerning behaviors. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ryan has said that the Republican Party should not be an “angry white male party” that runs on “bitter” emotions like the “fear of people who aren’t like us.” The New York Times states that after Trump’s controversial statement proposing a ban on Muslims entering the U.S., Ryan said, “This is not conservatism. What was proposed [by Trump] is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it’s not what this country stands for.”

And yet because Ryan wants to unify the Republican Party and Trump will most likely be the GOP nominee, Ryan is making an effort to come to an agreement with Trump. The two have agreed to meet to discuss Republican matters and Ryan has even praised Trump, crediting Trump with bringing in new voters to the Republican Party. Because of the way that the American political system is today, Ryan and other Republicans will be practically left with no choice but to support Trump if Trump is the GOP nominee.

Perhaps it is time for Americans to look past political parties and realize that it’s okay to have a mix of liberal and conservative views. Perhaps it is time that the American public show support for politicians who have a mix of liberal and conservative views.

When the first president of the United States, George Washington, took office, no political parties existed. Political parties first emerged while Washington was in office and the country was, over time, greatly divided. According to The Washington Times, the division impacted George Washington to the point that he wrote about the capacity of political parties to destroy the unity of the nation.

While Washington understood the importance of political parties, he knew that parties who sought to increase their own power could affect the entire country.

Perhaps we would be wise to stop and think about our first president’s concerns. Perhaps it’s what Jesus would suggest. Because a house divided against itself cannot stand.