The entire story is at http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4230&Itemid=9
By the 1970s, many Christian conservatives had rightly decided that the counterculture revolutions of the previous decade had taken a moral toll on the country. Something, they reasoned, had to be done about it.
What started as an effort to give a voice to the “silent majority” quickly grew into something more -- a political force that in time would impress its will on the American political landscape.
Coming of age politically in the late 1980s and early 1990s and having been one who identified himself both as conservative and Christian, I easily made the ideological connection between the two adjectives. I became a self-identified member of the Religious Right.
Enamored with the take-America-back-for-Jesus crowd, I forsook the timeless words of conservatives like Edmund Burke, who asserted the importance of the rule of law, tradition and social order; and Russell Kirk, who affirmed divine revelation and the links between property and freedom. Instead, I opted for what was then the modern-day political philosophy offered by Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.
The downside wasn’t that I became any less conservative, but that I became less Christian. Perhaps it was a personal weakness or a lack of grounding in my faith, but my Christianity during that time became more of an outward expression of political involvement and less about the inner transformation of a life that comes only through a relationship with Christ and self-reflection, study of the Scriptures and prayer.
I could quote you chapter and verse from books claiming that America was set apart and founded as a distinctly Christian nation ordained by God himself for his chosen (American) people. At the time, I gave little credence to the fact that even though many of the nation’s founders were strong men of faith, most of their exhaustive references to the Sovereign Creator were political language born out of the tactical need to appeal to a higher power -- one that reigned over the sovereign who sat on Great Britain’s throne.
It is also an unarguable fact that faith, specifically Christianity, played a role in our country’s birth.
Nonetheless, the founders understood that government wasn’t a tool to carry out God’s will. Instead, most realized that fallen and imperfect humans were susceptible to overreaching and vulnerable to greed and corruption. So they declared independence, formed a government and divided its power among those who would govern in order to protect the very freedoms and rights that had been trampled by King George.
Opinion: A Christian and a conservative
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by gb93433, Jul 14, 2009.
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Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
You quoted and included what I feel is an important paragraph. I also feel the following paragraph is also very important ... I quote both below.
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Hey GB thanks for the propaganda piece from the left.
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Ok, here is what I "hear" from this piece....
"Once upon a time Christians in America were Liberal.. but then comes the 1970s... and Conservatives took over Christianity so much so that now Christians are confusing being a Christian with being a Conservative."
Let's see... social conservatives are against the perils of society.. the same perils the Bible speaks against...
Social conservatives are for promoting Godliness in society.... So do true Christians.
I don't see the problem with being a conservative Christian...
Maybe the problem is that all good fairy tales start with, "Once upon a time..."
Sorry guys... you can have your abortion loving, homo coddling, throw God out of Government liberal theology and politics...
I'll stick with what the Bible says... -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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Our founders did not agree with us on every theological point, but they all believed in a Creator, in a strong moral code, self responsibility, loving your neighbor and lending him a hand, worshiping as you choose, liberty and freedom.
As a conservative Christian, I would walk arm in arm with any of the founders compared to the trash in Washington today. -
[QUOTE]
Many times their evangelical zeal is not for reaching a world for Christ, but for advancing a political agenda.
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That's always the straw man that get erected. It got erected by the racists when Dr King talked equality and justice. And now it is resurrected by the liberals when we talk about not killing babies and supporting Biblical marriage. If it is a mistake now, it was a mistake then. But it was right then and it's right now. We can do both. We can stand for biblical morality and justice and still reach the world for Jesus.
By the way, what other kind of op ed would you expect from ABP and gets pushed ahead by Wade Burleson's blog this morning. -
Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
That's always the straw man that get erected. It got erected by the racists when Dr King talked equality and justice. And now it is resurrected by the liberals when we talk about not killing babies and supporting Biblical marriage. If it is a mistake now, it was a mistake then. But it was right then and it's right now. We can do both. We can stand for biblical morality and justice and still reach the world for Jesus.[/URL]this morning.[/QUOTE]
Pushing a political agenda instead of Christ ... regardless of who does it ... is always wrong. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
It is not an either or scenario but then you already know that. -
preachinjesus Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I really believe that ABPNews is, at this point, yellow journalism at its worst.
The CBF isn't becoming the mecca for maligned baptists that they thought it would so they are attempting to go after the perceived weaknesses in the SBC. Just sad. You can put BPNews.net and ABPNews on either end of a see-saw and they would just balance each other out. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Much like CBF's people on this board. -
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Nice try... Very slick and slithery the way you changed the SUBJECT of the post you quoted to something that promotes your political agenda.
Read the post again... the subject of the post is THE STRAWMAN that has been erected for over 4 decades now.. first from the right, and then from the left... and that STRAWMAN is always wrong. -
just-want-peace Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Matt. 6:33
It just may be (surely not for a Christian though :rolleyes: ) a career in politics. Lord knows we need them there - well don't we??
Ergo, being a conservative and a Christian AND a politician aren't (except in the minds of some liberals) mutually exclusive!!!! -
Growing up, a part of me wanted to be in politics..
I even majored in communications.. PR to be precise.. I wanted to be a political speech writer... er... Teleprompter programmer...
Or Spokesman for the President
Anyway, instead of writing speeches for Presidents.. I am a spokesman for the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.. -
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Well, President carter openly proclaimed that he is a born-again Christian and still teaches a Sunday school class at his church in Plains, GA. Have any republican ex-Presidents ever done that since WW2? Not to my knowledge. -
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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