Christian hip hop artist Lecrae hosted Justin Giboney, a Christian who affiliates with the Democratic Party, and Cory Ruth, a Christian who affiliates with the Republican Party, on “The Deep End With Lecrae” to hear their views on various questions related to the 2024 presidential election.
Giboney is an attorney and the co-founder and president of the AND Campaign. Ruth is an Atlanta city council member and executive in residence at Georgia State University. The two are “brilliant men” who “love God,” said Lecrae. He explained he wanted to have Giboney and Ruth on his podcast for a “nuanced, candid, cordial conversation from both sides of the political aisle.”
Lecrae, Justin Giboney, Cory Ruth Discuss Christians and Politics
In a conversation that spanned nearly two hours, Lecrae, Giboney and Ruth covered topics including whether Christians should vote, the guests’ views on presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and globalization and the economy.
At one point, Lecrae asked Ruth, “How can you call yourself a Black man and a Republican?” The artist in turn asked Giboney, “How can you call yourself a Christian and a Democrat?” The three also discussed how Christians should assess candidates and political parties when casting their votes.
Both Giboney and Ruth agreed that Christians ought to vote. According to Giboney, the decision of whether or not to vote is a “matter of stewardship.” However, he clarified he does not believe it is a sin not to vote, noting that sometimes people can make that choice “strategically.”
“A Democratic Republic relies on its citizens engaging and saying what they want,” said Ruth, adding that if Christians surrender that opportunity, they shouldn’t be surprised if the culture is “hostile to our faith…we have to be engaged.”
The three spent some time discussing the culture wars and why evangelicalism and the Republican Party are so closely affiliated, as well as why the Black church is so closely connected to the Democratic Party.
The guests agreed that it is important to have a Christian identity over a political one, with Giboney going so far as to say that a political party should not be part of someone’s identity nor should it say anything about a person’s faith. What is important, he said, is where people stand on the issues.
“These parties don’t care about your values,” said Ruth. What the parties care about is winning elections. “I used to say this all the time,” he added, “that the Republican Party would throw abortion stances under the bus if it meant winning an election. They just did that.”
