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A new Pew Research survey reveals that Christians, particularly white evangelicals, view the Supreme Court more favorably than any other demographic. This isnt exactly surprising, given that the high court now boasts five conservative, originalist judges and that 6 in 10 white evangelicals want to overturn Roe v. Wade. Yet it does raise interesting questions about the role of religion in our government and what expectations religious people should have of the judiciary.

First, the survey is clear to point out that evangelicals views on the judiciary have shifted since President Barack Obama was in office. Pew reports:

In 2015, just after the court legalized same-sex marriage nationally and upheld a key element of the Affordable Care Act, just a third of Republicans and three-in-ten white evangelicals had favorable views of the Supreme Court. But since then, President Donald Trump has appointed two new justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh and the court has issued a few religion-friendly rulings.

Unsurprisingly, favorable or unfavorable views of the court "also diverge along party lines."

The Pew survey highlights a decades-old problem plaguing Christians and their politics: Are they relying on the government to win the culture wars, or, at least, to upend what they believe to be immoral laws? Based on this survey, it appears that may be the case. Is there anything wrong with that?

This was the thesis of former RedState writer Ben Howes book, The Immoral Majority: Why Evangelicals Chose Political Power over Christian Values, released fall 2019. (I reviewed it for the Washington Examiner magazine here.)

Despite being an evangelical myself, I dont fully agree with Howes thesis. He argues that evangelical Christians have sold their souls for a Trump presidency, something he deems far less valuable than I, but Howe's observations about how Christians view the culture wars and how they want to win them remain persuasive, especially in light of this new Pew survey.

In his conclusion, Howe says Christians often twist Romans 8:31, If God is for us, who can be against us? which is often a battle cry for evangelicals who are steeped in the culture wars, as undoubtedly, he and I both have chosen to be.

He writes: But this has shifted into something else. Something more like, If Im doing something to gain Gods favor, how could He be against me? ... Christians, in an attempt to 'assist' god in achieving His ends, will work feverishly toward a goal, ignoring how often they separate themselves from God while in pursuit.

Later, Howe concludes, The important choice was never between God, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton the important choice was between self-interest and the idolization of winning versus loving God and one another.

As an ardent supporter of both the pro-life cause and religious liberty, I can certainly understand the temptation Christians have to view the Supreme Court favorably when there are religious liberty cases on their docket and it looks as if a majority of justices interpret the Constitution in an originalist way. But God has not called Christians to love the Constitution above others and himself. Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God, is what he says he requires.

I fear evangelicals misunderstand the Supreme Courts role and the role of faith in the public square at times, conflating their desire to be a bastion for truth, faith, and liberty, with love of God and people. Engaging in the culture wars with the double-edged sword of Christianity and government not only can sometimes misuse a branch of government at will but perhaps also conflicts with Gods ultimate directive for Christians.

The Supreme Court is not there to legislate what Christians, or anyone else, have failed to work through the proper channels. The Supreme Court does not exist to make anyone, either evangelicals or atheists, happy with political outcomes. The judicial branch exists to ensure the laws Congress makes are in alignment with the Constitution and nothing more.

It is one thing to hope the Supreme Court will make a ruling to preserve religious liberty or to protect the unborn. It is another, a dangerous, slippery slope, in fact, to depend earnestly on the Supreme Court to rule in a way that coincides with evangelical Christians beliefs and only support them if they do.

Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.

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Christians shouldn't rely on the Supreme Court to fix what they can't - Washington Examiner