Evangelical Republicanism:Exalting politics over Christ

[ASLANSPAL]

Some real nuggets in here from a 16 year old
boy who seems to be growing up faster than he
should.

Evangelical Republicanism:
Exalting politics over Christ

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45299

snippet:
I still consider myself very much conservative in the way I view government, morality and even theology. Yet, I firmly believe the way the American evangelical leadership has responded to the power struggle of politics is reprehensible. When I really began to believe – not just intellectually, but with my life – the message of Solomon's Ecclesiastes, I began to think critically about the way Christians relate to the world and specifically culture and politics, and it seems as if the message of evangelical Republicanism is teetering on the edge of idolatry when it comes to whom or what we give our allegiance.

-------------------------------------------------
follow up article referenced in article from
Christianity Today

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/007/16.22.html

snippet:
The not-so-subtle equation of America's founding with biblical Christianity has been shown time and again to be historically inaccurate. The founding was a unique combination of biblical teaching and Enlightenment rationalism, and most of the founding fathers, as historian Edwin Gaustad, among many others, has noted, were not orthodox Christians, but instead were primarily products of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, we should recall, has never been much of a friend of biblical Christianity.

 

[OCC]

The problem I think is they equate Christianity with BEING American. That is hogwash though.

 

[StefanM]

"I look at the moral ills of our society and the problems of our government and feel within myself a desire to fix all these problems. Yet, the solution is not found in any government reform or campaign or in anything man can do."

---From the first article

---------------------------------
I see this as dead on. Government legislation cannot change hearts. Nothing the government can do will change the root problem--sin. Nevertheless, I can see how some of the negative effects could be mitigated.

1. We could provide basic health care for those who need it.

2. We could stop (or at least significantly reduce) abortion.

3. We could strengthen our educational system.


These are just a few ideas, both "liberal" and "conservative."

 

[StefanM]

Originally posted by ASLANSPAL:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/007/16.22.html

snippet:
The not-so-subtle equation of America's founding with biblical Christianity has been shown time and again to be historically inaccurate. The founding was a unique combination of biblical teaching and Enlightenment rationalism, and most of the founding fathers, as historian Edwin Gaustad, among many others, has noted, were not orthodox Christians, but instead were primarily products of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, we should recall, has never been much of a friend of biblical Christianity.

Dead on. I always wince whenever I see the US being called a "Christian nation." Judeo-Christian ideals did play a role in the founding of the nation's laws, but I think it is definitely outside the bounds of history to say that the US was ever truly a Christian nation.

 

[church mouse guy]

He may only be a 16 year old boy but he has the mind of a 10 year old (and the 10 year old was glad to get rid of it!).

 

[OCC]

Originally posted by church mouse guy:
He may only be a 16 year old boy but he has the mind of a 10 year old (and the 10 year old was glad to get rid of it!).

We hope you were too...

Now...instead of coming in saying nothing to do with the topic, like a troll...why don't you contribute to it. Say what you disagree with. We're "big people"...we can debate rationally.

 

[Joseph_Botwinick]

I pretty much agree with the 16 year old. That does not mean, however, that Christians should not make their case politically for moral values that are Biblical. We must stand against the injustice of the American Holocaust.

Joseph Botwinick

 

[OCC]

Originally posted by Joseph_Botwinick:
I pretty much agree with the 16 year old. That does not mean, however, that Christians should not make their case politically for moral values that are Biblical. We must stand against the injustice of the American Holocaust.

Joseph Botwinick

Yeah you are right...until you get to the "American Holocaust" comment. Sure what happened was a tragedy but it was hardly on the level of the systematic torture and execution of millions of Jews over the span of a few years during THE Holocaust.

 

[Joseph_Botwinick]

What happened? It is still happening.

Joseph Botwinick

 

[JGrubbs]

Originally posted by church mouse guy:
He may only be a 16 year old boy but he has the mind of a 10 year old...

I have talked with Kyle Williams and have a copy of his book, Seen and Heard, that he wrote two years ago. He does NOT have the mind of a 10 year old, but is a very intelligent young man. He is a great example of what can come from a good Bible believing homeschooling family! I can highly recomend his book as a great book that shows how the leftist agenda is at work in our nation.

 

[church mouse guy]

The church is not the Republican Party and I hold the Republican Party even less tightly than I hold the SBC. In fact, we have a jerk in the statehouse in the governor's chair here in Indiana thanks to Bush and the GOP that turned down mainstream Christian Eric Miller and elected Mitch the Knife Daniels, a political nut. Furthermore, if you are talking about the church, you are talking about my mother.

The teenager is bright but insolent. He has book knowledge but no experience. I think that the Christian moorings of this nation are sound and fundamental. I disagree that the my church is involved in partisan politics but I imagine that the teenager's church was corrupt.

 

[church mouse guy]

Originally posted by King James:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by church mouse guy:
He may only be a 16 year old boy but he has the mind of a 10 year old (and the 10 year old was glad to get rid of it!).

We hope you were too...

Now...instead of coming in saying nothing to do with the topic, like a troll...why don't you contribute to it. Say what you disagree with. We're "big people"...we can debate rationally.

</font>[/QUOTE]You really have a lot of nerve comparing someone to a troll. I have been here for years and you have been here for weeks. Yet you set yourself up as a judge of posts when you really are just posting unfriendly posts all the time and then always exalting yourself with statements such as you can debate rationally and that you are big and that you think that I should say what I disagree with etc. I hope that I am not handcuffed to you when you die because I am not sure which way you are going.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I think our northern friend is best ignored. I'm glad you responded to his troll comment, I wanted to, but thought you should do it. Good job, CMG.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

Originally posted by Joseph_Botwinick:
What happened? It is still happening.

Joseph Botwinick

Agreed, the tragic American Holocaust, 32 years on, has killed more people than Hitler could ahve dreamt of. Forty-five million plus dead Americans and still going strong.

 

[LadyEagle]

Yes, indeed.

 

[Debby in Philly]

I just saw someone on the street today wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Jesus with hands outstretched, a patriotic background, and words that said, "Vote Jesus."

I don't know whether to be pleased with that or offended by it.

Our Christian values should have an influence on the kinds of things and people that we support, but I don't think a party has patent on things or people a Christian should support.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Originally posted by C4K:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Joseph_Botwinick:
What happened? It is still happening.

Joseph Botwinick

Agreed, the tragic American Holocaust, 32 years on, has killed more people than Hitler could ahve dreamt of. Forty-five million plus dead Americans and still going strong. </font>[/QUOTE]If we could only vote on it.....Americans never got a chance to show what kind of people populate this country. This was an activist decision. Not the will of the people. I could be wrong, but since gay marriage was struck down in every state that got a chance to vote on it, I have to assume that this would be, also.

 

[Joseph_Botwinick]

If we were given the choice, I predict the Northeast and West Coast would keep abortion, and the Midwest and South would outlaw it. That is just my guess.

Joseph Botwinick

 

[church mouse guy]

Originally posted by Bro. Curtis:
I think our northern friend is best ignored. I'm glad you responded to his troll comment, I wanted to, but thought you should do it. Good job, CMG.

Thanks for the kind words!

I think the basic difficulty is Southern Baptist polity. It looks like a denomination with a President on top and 40,000 churches taking orders from the top. That is not true. The local church can accept or reject things from Nashville and really it is the local churches that dictate to Nashville. I wish that I could explain it better but SBC polity is very unique.

 

[RockRambler]

I think there might be more states with abortion than without if it was put to a vote. Many states had legal abortion, including NC, before Roe v. Wade.