I agree with Rick Santorum that the idea that Christians shouldn’t participate in politics is a throw-upable sentiment. Here’s someone else who agrees, and who has thought it through a little more than that:
People who say the followers of Christ shouldn’t be involved in politics aren’t paying attention. And they aren’t paying attention to Jesus himself.
During the Last Supper, Jesus said to his chosen 12 (11 if you subtract Judas from the mix), “I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29).”
Now I don’t have a trained eye, but sitting on a throne is a political thing no matter how you slice it.
In other words, Jesus’ entire discipleship program with his apostles was an academy designed to prepare them for service in the political arena.
I don’t think that last line is exactly true; Jesus pretty clearly preferred personal relations over political ones. But it’s an interesting take.