Why be divisive?
I often stir up trouble with blog posts, comments I make in conversations, and just general discussion of theology and ecclesiology with my friends. Our post-modern cultural mindset contributes to this problem by making us think we are being personally attacked when someone expresses a disagreement with our thinking on a particular topic. This cultural phenomenon comes dangerously close to the censorship of totalitarian regimes, except that this is cultural and social censorship rather than political and governmental censorship.
I try to comment on things that are happening around me—observations I have made regarding Evangelicalism, Christianity, and my own social networks. I comment on these things because commenting on things that are not currently on the cultural radar doesn’t make a lot of sense and wouldn’t promote a lot of interest in the coversation.
I think this social censorship quite likely happens to all of us who comment on current events from a political or theological or philosophical bent. During the Enlightenment, these types of comments were conversation starters—they began the dialog. Opposing opinions were voiced and folks considered the pros and cons of each argument and everyone’s thought process was challenged and improved.
The new censorship is evidence that we would rather not discuss the pros and cons of an argument but would rather simply believe what we believe and not be challenged to do any actual thinking about it. It is a shame, but it is nothing new—it did not begin with Postmodern thought. In fact, the Great Reformer Martin Luther dealt with these same attempt at censorship and he responded with:
“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ.
“Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.”
– Martin Luther
Which way will you vote?
Which way will you vote?
Today is primary voting day in Virginia. I will be casting my vote today and will pray that God leads our nation in a way that brings glory to Him.
With this on my mind today, I share with you a wonderful photograph that sums things up nicely. (Notice that “Clinton” points to the Left.)
Super Tuesday – Voting Day
How should we as Christians view the political process? This is, and has been, a very difficult concept for Evangelical Christians for quite some time. I think that our difficulty with these issues is grounded in the fact that we so often follow the philosophies of the world around us rather than looking to scripture.
On one extreme side we see many Evangelicals putting their faith in the Republican Party, citing areas of agreement with general Christian thought in certain areas. These folks quite often view anyone who votes Democrat as a non-believer (infidel).
On the other extreme side we have folks like one member of my family who wrote in an email to me yesterday:
We keep reading up on presidential election stuff. One good article (from Singapore) pointed out that the US president so thoroughly affects the whole world that the world should get to vote. It’s not fair that only Americans vote (since that’s thoroughly UN-democratic!) Interesting thought- and hey, it’s accurate. The world is naturally concerned.
Both of those extreme views are not even close to what we find in scripture about governments and authorities and our responsibilities regarding those institutions. For those who see conservatism as their savior, we must not look to civil governments in that way. We should be involved in the political process. We should vote. We should use our vote to encourage biblical thought in moral and civil arenas. But when we begin to look at a particular political party as the equivalent of “the Church,” we have made a grave error. We should not pledge our allegiance to a political party.
—Supreme Court Justice John Jay(1745–1829)
On the other hand, we live in a nation that God has blessed with a form of government that is somewhat unique in history. We have the right as citizens of this nation to vote and to volunteer for involvement in our local, state, and federal politics. These rights are granted to us by a democratic republic—the United States of America. Our government, our constitution, and our civil rights are not extended beyond our sovereign borders. This describes the concept of democracy. The antithesis of democracy would be letting people who are outside the sovereign control of our nation to vote in our elections. It is completely fair and it is right. The mere suggestion that those outside the pervue of the United States should be allowed the right to vote in our presidential elections should be repulsive to the core—not only to United States citizens, but to anyone who loves democracy, republicanism, and who sees national patriotism (for whatever country) as a virtue.
The answer to both of these wrong-headed concepts is scripture. As the following verses show, we are to submit to our authorities because they are placed there by God. So conservative Christians should get involved in our election process and should pray that the resultant leader will honor God and protect the nation. And he should obey and respect those authorities once God has established them. And those Christians outside our nation’s borders should pray for the United States elections. God determines the governments of men. God guides the hearts of those governments. Prayer allows non-US citizens to be involved in our political process. Non-Christians do not have a say and should not have a say in United States politics. Imperialistic ideas are not attractive whether your nation is large and strong or small in insignificant. The best way for these folks to have an impact on the US elections is to turn to Christ, repent of their sins, join the family of God, and then pray that God will place the right leader in the White House.
I’ll be voting in the primaries one week from today because as a US citizen I have the right to be involved in our elections. I am going to exercise that right. I will be voting for someone who wants to maintain the purity of our election process. May God place the best leader for this moment in our nation’s history in the White House.
Romans 13:1-7
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Titus 3:1-2
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Super Tuesday – Voting Day
How should we as Christians view the political process? This is, and has been, a very difficult concept for Evangelical Christians for quite some time. I think that our difficulty with these issues is grounded in the fact that we so often follow the philosophies of the world around us rather than looking to scripture.
On one extreme side we see many Evangelicals putting their faith in the Republican Party, citing areas of agreement with general Christian thought in certain areas. These folks quite often view anyone who votes Democrat as a non-believer (infidel).
On the other extreme side we have folks like one member of my family who wrote in an email to me yesterday:
We keep reading up on presidential election stuff. One good article (from Singapore) pointed out that the US president so thoroughly affects the whole world that the world should get to vote. It’s not fair that only Americans vote (since that’s thoroughly UN-democratic!) Interesting thought- and hey, it’s accurate. The world is naturally concerned.
Both of those extreme views are not even close to what we find in scripture about governments and authorities and our responsibilities regarding those institutions. For those who see conservatism as their savior, we must not look to civil governments in that way. We should be involved in the political process. We should vote. We should use our vote to encourage biblical thought in moral and civil arenas. But when we begin to look at a particular political party as the equivalent of “the Church,” we have made a grave error. We should not pledge our allegiance to a political party.
—Supreme Court Justice John Jay
(1745–1829)
On the other hand, we live in a nation that God has blessed with a form of government that is somewhat unique in history. We have the right as citizens of this nation to vote and to volunteer for involvement in our local, state, and federal politics. These rights are granted to us by a democratic republic—the United States of America. Our government, our constitution, and our civil rights are not extended beyond our sovereign borders. This describes the concept of democracy. The antithesis of democracy would be letting people who are outside the sovereign control of our nation to vote in our elections. It is completely fair and it is right. The mere suggestion that those outside the pervue of the United States should be allowed the right to vote in our presidential elections should be repulsive to the core—not only to United States citizens, but to anyone who loves democracy, republicanism, and who sees national patriotism (for whatever country) as a virtue.
The answer to both of these wrong-headed concepts is scripture. As the following verses show, we are to submit to our authorities because they are placed there by God. So conservative Christians should get involved in our election process and should pray that the resultant leader will honor God and protect the nation. And he should obey and respect those authorities once God has established them. And those Christians outside our nation’s borders should pray for the United States elections. God determines the governments of men. God guides the hearts of those governments. Prayer allows non-US citizens to be involved in our political process. Non-Christians do not have a say and should not have a say in United States politics. Imperialistic ideas are not attractive whether your nation is large and strong or small in insignificant. The best way for these folks to have an impact on the US elections is to turn to Christ, repent of their sins, join the family of God, and then pray that God will place the right leader in the White House.
I’ll be voting in the primaries one week from today because as a US citizen I have the right to be involved in our elections. I am going to exercise that right. I will be voting for someone who wants to maintain the purity of our election process. May God place the best leader for this moment in our nation’s history in the White House.
Romans 13:1-7 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Loving God and Neighbor Together” – Piper responds
Professor Peter Schikele of PDQ Bach fame once said, “Truth is truth. You can’t have opinions about truth.” That’s the concept that comes roaring out of this video in torrents. May the evangelical world wake up to the truth of what John Piper presents here:
Why do the Conservatives hate Mike Huckabee?
The Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America has posted a very interesting analysis of the trend among conservative pundits such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Fred Barnes to show a visceral hatred of Mike Huckabee and his candidacy for the Republican nomination for presdent. Rev. Benham says:
Conservatism is being exposed for the enemy of Christ that it really is – it is pretend salt! The light of Christ that dwells within Huckabee is exposing Conservatism to be a greater danger to Christianity than all of the minions of hell in the Democratic Party.
Why do the Conservatives hate Mike Huckabee?
The Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Save America has posted a very interesting analysis of the trend among conservative pundits such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Fred Barnes to show a visceral hatred of Mike Huckabee and his candidacy for the Republican nomination for presdent. Rev. Benham says:
Conservatism is being exposed for the enemy of Christ that it really is – it is pretend salt! The light of Christ that dwells within Huckabee is exposing Conservatism to be a greater danger to Christianity than all of the minions of hell in the Democratic Party.
Bill Clinton Has a Dream – MLK Day
I’m so glad I don’t have video cameras aimed at me all day long. But, although I empathize with him, I still think this is funny:
Bill Clinton Has a Dream – MLK Day
I’m so glad I don’t have video cameras aimed at me all day long. But, although I empathize with him, I still think this is funny:
Martin Luther King Day
Today is the day that our nation celebrates the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is good for us to celebrate the positive impact of individuals who fight for what’s right. It is particularly good to see the vision of such people come to fruition in the society we live in.
William Wilberforce dedicated his life to improving the morals of English society and to the total and complete abolition of the slave trade. We can read his writings and look at the world around us and realize that his dreams have been fulfilled. We can celebrate the life of William Wilbeforce, rejoicing in the knowledge that what he worked so hard to accomplish has become a reality today.
But what of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream? We all know what his dream was—he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in our nation’s capitol and told us what that dream was. Dr. King said that he had a dream that one day all men “will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Has Dr. King’s dream become a reality?
In a day when the majority of people in our society proclaim that we are making personal attacks against anyone whose character we call into question, I think the answer must be “no.” In a day when a Barack Obama can run for the presidency of our nation and although he never brings up the topic of the color of his skin, we hear non-stop reports (both favorable and negative) about him being “the first black man to run for the presidency,” and we hear about folks complaining to Oprah Winfrey for campaigning for “the black man instead of the woman” candidate.
These are not what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., fought and died for. May we all commit ourselves to viewing and judging those around us not by the color of their skin or the nation of their origin, but by the content of their character. And I would add to that the need to judge them also by their understanding and belief in the death and resurrection of the Son of God who came to save people from every tribe, tongue, and nation—not because of the color of their skin, or because of the content of their character, but because of their great need of a Savior. I don’t recommend judging them to disenfranchise them, but to target them for the proclamation of the gospel because if they do not yet believe in Jesus Christ, this is their greatest need.
Martin Luther King Day
Today is the day that our nation celebrates the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is good for us to celebrate the positive impact of individuals who fight for what’s right. It is particularly good to see the vision of such people come to fruition in the society we live in.
William Wilberforce dedicated his life to improving the morals of English society and to the total and complete abolition of the slave trade. We can read his writings and look at the world around us and realize that his dreams have been fulfilled. We can celebrate the life of William Wilbeforce, rejoicing in the knowledge that what he worked so hard to accomplish has become a reality today.
But what of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream? We all know what his dream was—he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in our nation’s capitol and told us what that dream was. Dr. King said that he had a dream that one day all men “will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Has Dr. King’s dream become a reality?
In a day when the majority of people in our society proclaim that we are making personal attacks against anyone whose character we call into question, I think the answer must be “no.” In a day when a Barack Obama can run for the presidency of our nation and although he never brings up the topic of the color of his skin, we hear non-stop reports (both favorable and negative) about him being “the first black man to run for the presidency,” and we hear about folks complaining to Oprah Winfrey for campaigning for “the black man instead of the woman” candidate.
These are not what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., fought and died for. May we all commit ourselves to viewing and judging those around us not by the color of their skin or the nation of their origin, but by the content of their character. And I would add to that the need to judge them also by their understanding and belief in the death and resurrection of the Son of God who came to save people from every tribe, tongue, and nation—not because of the color of their skin, or because of the content of their character, but because of their great need of a Savior. I don’t recommend judging them to disenfranchise them, but to target them for the proclamation of the gospel because if they do not yet believe in Jesus Christ, this is their greatest need.
Political activism and the supremacy of Christ
A decade ago I was an employee of a pro-life political activism organization. As a strong advocate of the sanctity of life, I felt compelled to push what I thought to be right through political activism, letter- and article-writing, and even intimidation at times.
Then at a pro-life rally sponsored by my organization, I heard an outstanding sermon by the Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America. Pastor Benham encouraged us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our neighbors and those we come in contact with. His presentation gave me a completely new (and, I believe, more biblically accurate) view of pro-life activism.
Part of the problem is that we American Christians tend to cherish our nation more highly than we cherish Jesus Christ. If the U.S. is our highest treasure, we will work primarily to keep our nation safe and secure. If we treasure Christ most highly, we will work primarily to share what he has done to secure our salvation with our neighbors and friends. It is not abandoning our patriotism to proclaim Christ, and we should still be involved in the political process, but we should not consider politics our highest priority.
This post from Pulpit Magazine (John MacArthur’s blog) deals with this issue. Please read this post and consider how you may properly set your political and evangelistic priorities to bring them into line with Scriptural mandates.
Political activism and the supremacy of Christ
A decade ago I was an employee of a pro-life political activism organization. As a strong advocate of the sanctity of life, I felt compelled to push what I thought to be right through political activism, letter- and article-writing, and even intimidation at times.
Then at a pro-life rally sponsored by my organization, I heard an outstanding sermon by the Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America. Pastor Benham encouraged us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our neighbors and those we come in contact with. His presentation gave me a completely new (and, I believe, more biblically accurate) view of pro-life activism.
Part of the problem is that we American Christians tend to cherish our nation more highly than we cherish Jesus Christ. If the U.S. is our highest treasure, we will work primarily to keep our nation safe and secure. If we treasure Christ most highly, we will work primarily to share what he has done to secure our salvation with our neighbors and friends. It is not abandoning our patriotism to proclaim Christ, and we should still be involved in the political process, but we should not consider politics our highest priority.
This post from Pulpit Magazine (John MacArthur’s blog) deals with this issue. Please read this post and consider how you may properly set your political and evangelistic priorities to bring them into line with Scriptural mandates.
By His grace - For His glory 