Disclosure: I am a believer in Christ, a Christian of the more progressive beliefs which include not mixing the church with secular power. Therefore I cringe whenever I hear the nationalists from the pulpit and the halls of government wanting a "Christian nation". They do not want a Christian nation, only the power of imposing all peop…
Disclosure: I am a believer in Christ, a Christian of the more progressive beliefs which include not mixing the church with secular power. Therefore I cringe whenever I hear the nationalists from the pulpit and the halls of government wanting a "Christian nation". They do not want a Christian nation, only the power of imposing all people their brand of Christianity on all, including other Christians who do not believe exactly as they do. I have family members of the evangelical bent who believe that Democrats (of which I am one) are the scum of the earth, that women should stay in their place (another strike against me), and so forth and so forth. They will accept gays to some extent as one of my nephews is gay and in a monogamous relationship. And some people of color are okay as two of my grandnieces have a father of darker pigmentation. When they say they want a "Christian nation" I like to refer them to Jesus's teaching of feed the hungry, cloth the poor, be humble, and the rest. When they rail against the "Socialists", I refer them to the prophets railing against the king (the government) and the wealthy of not taking care of the poor and the foreigner within the country. I am no theologian but I do know that mixing the church with secular government usually comes to a bad end, especially for the church.
Thank you, Rebecca. I could have written what you have written here. I am a Lutheran pastor, PhD in worship and preaching. Your letter well describes the gulf between the "Christian" right-wingers (anti-women, anti-gay, anti-government, anti-taxes) and Christian progressives (pro-choice, pro-government, favoring equity and care for the poor). The early Christians were said to have shared their means for the welfare of the community. (Book of Acts of the Apostles)
The views of progressives are voiced in the media by people like Rev. William Barber, Jim Wallis, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Tim Kaine, and many others. Both Stacey Abrams and Hilllary Clinton are strongly tied to the United Methodist Church. But these people argue for policies rather than showing us their religious beliefs. Some ideas just can't be sloganized. Real faith is deep and complex.
It seems to me that "Christian" right wingers do not subscribe at all to the New Testament. They certainly do not seem to have read any of it. I don't know how they get away with their misuse of "Christian" since their rhetoric appears to come straight out of the Old Testament, or if anything the obscure Book of Revelation, which they creatively interpret however they choose.
As a Christian, I do not understand the position of “Evangelical Radicals” which ignores the Content of Jesus’ Gospel and its context; eschewing the parts one might claim as “liberal, progressive, humanitarian empathy” and replacing it with strict Authoritarian Rule of White Men
What was that warning? “Beware of False Prophets?” These Radicals could not have wandered further from the Context of the Gospel if they tried
"In today’s America, those who call themselves “conservative” are the very opposite of conservative:" The same, unfortunately, can be said for all-too-many who call themselves "Christians." I'd like to see it put in quotes more often, or the phrase "so-called" placed before it (as at least one other commentator has, I see.)
Disclosure: I am a believer in Christ, a Christian of the more progressive beliefs which include not mixing the church with secular power. Therefore I cringe whenever I hear the nationalists from the pulpit and the halls of government wanting a "Christian nation". They do not want a Christian nation, only the power of imposing all people their brand of Christianity on all, including other Christians who do not believe exactly as they do. I have family members of the evangelical bent who believe that Democrats (of which I am one) are the scum of the earth, that women should stay in their place (another strike against me), and so forth and so forth. They will accept gays to some extent as one of my nephews is gay and in a monogamous relationship. And some people of color are okay as two of my grandnieces have a father of darker pigmentation. When they say they want a "Christian nation" I like to refer them to Jesus's teaching of feed the hungry, cloth the poor, be humble, and the rest. When they rail against the "Socialists", I refer them to the prophets railing against the king (the government) and the wealthy of not taking care of the poor and the foreigner within the country. I am no theologian but I do know that mixing the church with secular government usually comes to a bad end, especially for the church.
Thank you, Rebecca. I could have written what you have written here. I am a Lutheran pastor, PhD in worship and preaching. Your letter well describes the gulf between the "Christian" right-wingers (anti-women, anti-gay, anti-government, anti-taxes) and Christian progressives (pro-choice, pro-government, favoring equity and care for the poor). The early Christians were said to have shared their means for the welfare of the community. (Book of Acts of the Apostles)
The views of progressives are voiced in the media by people like Rev. William Barber, Jim Wallis, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Tim Kaine, and many others. Both Stacey Abrams and Hilllary Clinton are strongly tied to the United Methodist Church. But these people argue for policies rather than showing us their religious beliefs. Some ideas just can't be sloganized. Real faith is deep and complex.
It seems to me that "Christian" right wingers do not subscribe at all to the New Testament. They certainly do not seem to have read any of it. I don't know how they get away with their misuse of "Christian" since their rhetoric appears to come straight out of the Old Testament, or if anything the obscure Book of Revelation, which they creatively interpret however they choose.
As a Christian, I do not understand the position of “Evangelical Radicals” which ignores the Content of Jesus’ Gospel and its context; eschewing the parts one might claim as “liberal, progressive, humanitarian empathy” and replacing it with strict Authoritarian Rule of White Men
What was that warning? “Beware of False Prophets?” These Radicals could not have wandered further from the Context of the Gospel if they tried
"In today’s America, those who call themselves “conservative” are the very opposite of conservative:" The same, unfortunately, can be said for all-too-many who call themselves "Christians." I'd like to see it put in quotes more often, or the phrase "so-called" placed before it (as at least one other commentator has, I see.)
So-called Christian military leaders will one day wear the cross on their uniforms right next to their stripes.
Rebecca, we must be kin! *whatwouldJesusdohereandnow*