Thursday, May 24, 2012

Are Christians Too Political?

From "An Open Letter to Young, 'Post-Partisan' Evangelicals":
As we fight the culture war, we’re going to make mistakes, we’re not going to agree with each other, and sometimes I still get deeply frustrated at my own side. But I no longer believe the lie that there is a path for Christians through this culture that everyone will love — or even most people will love. I no longer believe the lie that American Christians are “too political” and if we only spoke less about abortion we’d be more respected (the mainline denominations have taken that path for two generations, and they continue to lose members and cultural influence).

So, “post-partisan” Christians, please ponder this: First, as the price for your new path, are you willing to forego any effective voice at all for unborn children? Are you willing to keep silent when the secular world demands your silence? After all, that is the true price of non-partisanship — silence. Second, if you believe that a more perfect imitation of Christ (more perfect than the elders you scorn) will lead to more love and regard for the Church, consider this: No one was more like Christ than Christ, and he wound up on a cross with only the tiniest handful of followers by his side.

Follow Jesus, yes, but don’t think for a moment that will improve your image, and don’t be surprised if He takes you down much the same path He took the generation before you.
Read the entire post HERE. It will be worth your time.

HT: Justin Taylor

1 comment:

Sean said...

Great post, Todd. Thanks.

I've never understood, or agreed with, this idea that partisanship is a bad thing. If I believe something, and someone believes something different, don't I fundamentally need to disagree with them? Or else, do I even really believe what I believe?

The challenge, for me, is debating and standing up for the things I believe in with a spirt of love. I thought Eric Metaxas' points about abortion, and loving those we disagree with, during his National Prayer Breakfast speech this year were especially challenging and humbling.