The dangers of a politician filled pulpit
by Unknown [+/-] show/hideStones Cry Out has an excellent post on why Christians should be the ones to seperate the local church from politics.
It is not that Christians should not be involved politically, but rather the time for political involvement is not during a worship service.
Jim is speaking about the Family Research Council's Justice Sunday. They will simulcast comments from Sen. Bill Frist and others at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY to other churches who sign-up for the satellite feed.
Along with Jim, I don't see any constitutional issue here, but I do see some problems on the church's end.
Last week I talked about an opportunity I had to experience worshipping God in spirit and in truth during our college's Christian Worldview week. That was during the Monday chapel. I went back Wednesday expecting and anticipating more of the same - I was sadly disappointed.
I sat through a boring, poorly delievered speech (not sermon) on the evils of liberalism, etc. I am as conservative as they come. I agreed with most (if not all) of what the speaker was saying, but I did not want to hear that from the pulpit. All I could see was an evangelical version of the Holy Roman Empire, reading to go out and convert (by any means neccessary) all the infidel liberals. I went to chapel to be challenged and inspired from God's Word, not to hear the latest on the conservative political agenda.
There are many Christian organizations that are set up to engage the political system, but the Church is not of them. We compromise our mission when we attempt to join a conservative agenda to reaching souls for Christ.
I am afraid the evangelical church in America is in danger of becoming just another political demographic for candidates to woo come election time.
Christians neglected their duty to be involved politically until the 1980's, but now we have swung the pendulum too far to the other side. We are no longer neglecting our politically duty in favor of our Christian faith, we are neglecting our Christian faith in favor of our political agenda.
Update: Mark Daniels has more here
posted by Unknown at
10:09 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Aaron: I obviously agree with you here.
The politicized Church is in danger of eliminating Christ from its life.
Furthermore, this politicized Church endangers all Christians striving to share the Good News of Jesus.
Instead of trying to persuade people of Christ's Lordship with the "gentleness and reverence" that Peter commends in the New Testament, these political Christians thump enemies, perceived and real, with condemnation and an air of moral superiority.
The possibility of backlash against Christianity, already somewhat apparent, grows as the politicized Church strays further and further away from Christ.
The cause of Christ-centered living is tarred by the sub-Christian Pharisaism touted in the politicized Church, right and left.
I hope that the upcoming TV program gets few viewers and that Senator Frist gets the message that this is a really bad idea. More importantly, I hope that the Church understands how horrible it is when we allow the Church and our proclamation of Christ to become subordinated agents of partisan politics, instead of ambassadors for Christ!
Thanks for your post!
Blessings in Christ,
Mark Daniels
By
Mark Daniels, at 4/18/2005 1:49 PM
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