hmmm. Friend/mentor/pastor John Hay Jr. sent me the image displayed above several months ago, and it's one of my faves.
I've been thinking about the current political climate much lately- it's gotten very churchy/statey let's be buddies. Judicial nominees, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, Jimmy Dobson, Spongebob Squarepants and "God Bless America" all kind of swirl around together in my head like some sort of grody, yet powerful, soup of politics. I'm more and more convinced that the church shouldn't have anything to do with our government. Remember! the Spanish Inquisition. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, but it always starts happening when the government and church start street dancing, jiving to the hip hop on a culture spiraling out of control.
Like it or not, buddies, the grand 'ole US of A was not founded as a Christian. The founding fathers saw the importance early on of keeping these two ladies (deedlie dee dee dee) from getting together. Our first president, besides chopping trees and wearing wooden teeth (imagine the splinters!) was an avid freemason. Others, such as Thomas Jefferson, who wrote much of our early documentation, were deists. Look at our money! It may have that God lingo on it, but how about those pyramids with the creepy eyes? No, no. No Christianity there.
What we have here, buddies, is a sort of hybrid pseudo-Christianity, imputing our American values and views into the soul of a pure religion, defiled by our decidedly anti-Christian cultural stances. These include, but are not limited to, a materialistic, capitalistic mindset, where you see just as many Bentleys and face lifts at the church as you do at the country club. Wait, which is which anyway? The fact that we are the most prominent, powerful nation in the world further compounds this problem- we advertise that we are a "God-fearing nation", via our mouthpiece who has chosen to be very public about his particular breed of Christianity, George W. Bush. We declare Democrats to be against "persons of faith" when they block said Bush's judicial nominees. What if they're just bad nominees? What makes this a faith issue? The fact that our President wants his way, so will resort to religious muckraking, if necessary, to get it? There becomes no line any more, no "wall of separation" as Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island and model for religious freedom, desired. We become a false church, buddies. We become the great beast on which the whore of Babylon will make her triumphal entry.
So, now that I've probably alienated a great many folks out there, let me say that it matters to me little if I've offended. We need to examine what we're doing. We need to be right in Biblical truth, and leave our "American values" in the gutter, if need be. There is nothing more important than the church toeing the line with the doctrines of the Bible, and nothing else- any time we bend our mouth to accept the bit of the government, we become false. We are warned- there is no way around it.
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. -Philippians 2
When was the last time we trembled? This is serious. There is nothing more serious. We don't treat our Christianity like it matters- it's just one more thing we "do," that we've got all sorted away, like our files for next year's taxes. The only problem is, the Father judges the heart, not files, and he himself warns us. Don't you think it's time for a closer look? Let's keep the flags out of the Churches, and the doctrine off the Senate floor. It's our only prayer, so to speak, at this point.
3 comments:
Well spoken, friend. Disconnecting church from state is a precarious but necessary thing if Biblical faith is what we're after. Sadly, Biblical faith is more than a bit more (and more than a bit less!) than culture Christianity's advocates have bargained for. More: more demanding of a state-abandoning allegiance (who second-guesses saying the pledge to the American flag?). Less: less power for direct political influence, clout, ability to control outcomes, define issues, win elections, etc. than ever imagined. The invitation from Jesus stil stands: "Come, follow me."
"There is nothing more important than the church toeing the line with the doctrines of the Bible"
What about loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds? And loving our neighbors as ourselves?
As for the non-constitutional speration of church and state, I agree with you somewhat. But I'm increasingly convinced that there is no "right side" of that battle. And that, if Jesus were an American (wrap your head around that one!) and you asked him about church and state, he would pause with his soup kitchen ladel in his hand just long enough to give you one of those "render to Ceasar" or "let him without sin" lines that puts everything in perspective. I don't k now what that line would be but I imagine that at the end of a day with Jesus, the "lines" and "stances" and "sides" wouldn't be the things that stood out.
Well said, Ryan- but I think we are arguing the same point. The chief doctrines of the bible ARE loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Not choosing a political agenda.
Those were the only two points Jesus hammered home, in every parable, sermon, and quiet word spoken after dark with scared political leaders. Render, yes. Ladle, yes. But unite? Aid? Abet? Never. The political machine serves its purposes only, and the church is never to be prostituted as the pawn of some politician's aspirations or power base.
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