These are the top three questions that are occupying my mind these days and some of the conclusions that I've come to.
1. How many more times can I read the words 'God is in control' in relation to Obama's victory from Christian articles on faith and politics without losing it completely? I have nothing against reminding people that God is really in control of everything (becuase He is), but it's like the Christian world is just now realizing it. Or they're scared out of their minds because they think an Obama administration is the signal that the end of days is here and they need something to cling to. I never once read an article where it said "George W. Bush is president, but that's okay because God is in control." If McCain had been elected, would we be reading the same kinds of articles? If the answer is no, what does that say about how deeply Christians have gotten into bed with Republican politics?
2. What does it mean to truly be pro-life? I think that a lot of Christians, and people in general, are pro-birth but not really pro-life. It's starting to really bother me. Being pro-life is not just about saving the life of an unborn child. It's about saving the life of everyone. It's about lowering the number of deaths per 1,000 for children under 5 by making sure they have adequate nutrition. It's about lifting people out of poverty and providing training to those that need it so they can do more than just get by until they die. It's about extending grace and second chances at life, even to those that do heinous acts because Jesus would not give up on them and they are not beyond redemption. Being pro-life is fighting against so-called 'death with dignity acts' that really say that we no longer value the lives of the sick and elderly. Ultimately, it's about adopting a 'womb to tomb' philosophy of life.
3. Does Jesus really have a PR problem and do we really need to do anything about it? That may not be the best way to ask this question and get at the answers I want, but that's the stage it's in right now.
Thank you for paying attention to today's soapbox version of Top Three Thursday. Feel free to comment away.
Toodles!
5 comments:
this is fantastic! great points are all accounts.
p.s. I think it's really funny that after reading your amazing post, your blog wants me to type "popergag" in order to comment.
I totally agree. We even talked about that in my Personal Spiritual Disciplines class with regard to the election and the soverignity of God. It seems like a lot of people say it simply as a cop out to dealing with things and that shouldn't be the case.
And I was sad to hear that assisted suicide bill passed up there. It's so important the value of life that it needs to be defended all the way through, from conception to old age.
I'm glad you're thinking through these questions too
I definitely agree with you, although I have been guilty on #1, only because I worry about Obama's stance on abortion. But I heard those comments on the radio, and I was blown away. Why on the radio?
I really love point #2! You are right on. And Eric has some very interesting thoughts on point #3--is the Christian Church completely missing the point on what we are supposed to be about?
I like the passion! :)
I don't know how to respond, really. Yeah, I've heard that "God is control" several times in the last week :) I'm just not freaking out! You wanna see some people freak out, check out RaptureReady.com! Especially go to the Rapture Index! I shouldn't make fun, I suppose, but it's a bit over the top.
As far as babies, I gotta say that Christians are so focused on abortion because people are ok with it. You won't find anyone who will say "Oh, I think we should starve babies under 5 and let them die." No one thinks that's an ok thing so there are already people fighting for that. But there are plenty of people who think it's a perfectly acceptable act to murder a baby before he is born. Does that make sense? I believe there are plenty of Christians who help the poor and needy and fight for them (although we can always do more). But when you have a government saying it's perfectly fine for a woman to have her baby killed, than you have to fight that whole ideology, not just the action.
The "death with dignity" act was tough for me to vote on because, while I believe suicide is not God's will for anyone, I have never been nor have I been close to anyone who has been terminally ill. So I don't know what it's like at all. It's almost not fair for me to vote on this issue since I have no way to relate to it. On the other hand, I think it is a slippery slope and will lead to other "acceptable" forms of suicide. Further, I don't think the government really should have any involvement in that type of issue.
Hope no one was too offended :D
It is interesting to consider how Jesus handled the politics of his day. His own nation (Israel) had lost its sovereignty to a foreign occupying power (Rome) prior to His birth. Yet throughout His ministry, we do not find a single case where He spent any time at all railing against this earthly power. Why? He had better things to do with His time. He did mention carrying a soldier's backpack 2 miles if they asked you to carry it 1 mile. To those of Israel who sought Rome's overthrow (and expected their Messiah to do it right away), He went no further than to tell them to love and pray for their enemies. For us, too, as aliens in this world, our task is not to get hung up on earthly government; our task is to carry the Gospel to others, in whatever situations we find ourselves, friendly or hostile. Now, the Apostle Paul gave examples of being a Roman citizen, and using it to his advantage (such as appealing to Ceasar, which gave him a free ticket to Rome to spread the Gospel there). So we can certainly be good and responsible citizens (vote, hold office if the Lord so leads us, etc) in the midst of our Gospel endeavors. And should our own earthly government turn cold and anti-Christian, does that change our mission in life? Absolutely not, and in fact some of the biggest gains of Christianity have happened under persecution (Russian, China, and elsewhere). Pray for our government and it leaders, whether personally considered friend or foe. Live under its laws as far as they do not conflict with the Word of God. But never forget that earthly powers are not our primary focus. Take that hour of watching CNN or FOX and turn it into an hour of prayer or reaching the lost. As Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own dead." Set your sites instead on bringing the Word of Life to those who need it, both here and abroad. /kman
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