When Politics Becomes a God

One of the great challenges of our time is not simply political division—it is political devotion.

Across our nation and our state, politics has shifted from being a tool we use to solve problems into a god many believe will save them. People place ultimate hope in parties, personalities, and platforms. Elections become battles for identity. Policy debates turn into moral crusades. And neighbors become enemies—not because their character changed, but because of their vote.

We were never meant to live like this. As a follower of Christ, I am reminded that ultimate hope and guidance come from God, not from any government or political party. Politics can shape laws, but it cannot heal the human heart. It cannot give meaning, nor can it replace the call to love our neighbors and serve our communities.

The Rise of Political Religion

You can see the signs everywhere. People don’t just support a candidate; they follow them like a prophet. They don’t just disagree with an issue; they treat opposition as heresy. They don’t just want policies to succeed; they expect them to change the human heart.

When politics becomes a religion, it behaves like one. It demands loyalty. It promises security. It gives people a sense of righteousness. And it convinces them that the “other side” is not just wrong, but wicked.

But government cannot provide meaning. Political parties cannot heal the human soul. National and state progress cannot substitute for personal purpose. When we ask politics to do what only faith, character, and community can do, disappointment and division are inevitable.

What We Lose When Politics Becomes Ultimate

We lose perspective. We begin to believe that if our side doesn’t win, the world will fall apart. We fear one another instead of listening. And we treat politics like a battlefield rather than a tool for cooperation.

We also lose connection. Neighbors stop talking. Families grow tense. Friendships fracture. Community life withers. Politics becomes the lens through which we view everything, and it is a poor lens for building relationships grounded in love and respect.

Most importantly, we lose ourselves. Across our nation and our state, Arkansas’s strength—and that of its communities—has never come from Washington, Little Rock, or any political party. It has always come from the character of its people—their courage, virtue, and willingness to see one another as neighbors, not enemies. For those of us who walk by faith, that character is rooted in values God calls us to uphold: honesty, stewardship, service, and compassion.

A Different Way Forward

I am not running for office to feed the modern obsession with political identity. I am not interested in becoming anyone’s savior. And I am certainly not asking anyone to treat government as the answer to every problem. I’m running because we need to restore politics to its proper place: not as a god, but as a tool—a means for a free people to govern themselves with humility, respect, and moral responsibility.

Political disagreements do not make us enemies; they make us Americans. When we stop expecting politics to give our lives meaning, we can start building something real again—communities grounded in trust, families rooted in purpose, and a state that reflects the best of who we are, guided by values greater than politics.

What Arkansas Needs Now

Arkansas does not need more political entertainers, more cultural warriors, or leaders who promise everything while delivering only division. Arkansas needs steady-handed public servants who see people before politics, leaders who remember that every Arkansan from every corner of our state deserves to be treated with dignity.

I am committed to listening to every Arkansan, to representing people rather than tribes, and to putting character above partisanship. I want to help restore sanity in a time when politics has become an idol. Across our nation and our state, we won’t fix our politics until we first fix the place politics holds in our hearts. Let us put it back where it belongs—beneath us, not above us—and live once again as neighbors called to love, serve, and build together.

With respect for all Arkansans,

Joshua Irby

Paid for by Joshua Irby