We run our website the way we wished the whole internet worked: we provide high quality original content with no ads. We are funded solely by your direct support. Please consider supporting this project.
You Have What We Call a Theological Problem
Peter Enns posted a blog entitled: Dear Christian: If the Thought of Either Romney or Obama Getting Elected Makes You Fearful, Angry, or Depressed, You Have What we Call a Theological Problem. He makes some pretty good points. What do your emotions around this election tell you about where your hope lies?
From the blog:
There is a huge difference between saying, “That person would make a horrible president for the following reasons,” and “If he is elected, I just don’t know what I will do, where I will go–how we can carry on.”
The Christian never says the latter, because, regardless of where things play out politically, we know that no political system can actually deliver the goods, try as they might.
This is what the first Christians were taught about the Roman Empire, which promised its citizens peace, grace, justice, protection from enemies–all of which was called “salvation” (that’s the word that was used at the time). The Gospel offered an “alternate eschatology,” where the goods were delivered, not though the power of the state but through suffering and enthronement of King Jesus.
Image by monkey_bob99x. Sourced via Flickr.
Category: General
Tags: Politics, Religious Idolatry
Related Reading
The Kind of Sin Jesus Publicly Exposes
Image by danny.hammontree via Flickr Religious sin is the only sin Jesus publicly confronted. The religious variety of the forbidden fruit is the most addictive and deceptive variety. Instead of acknowledging that judging others is prohibited, religious idolatry embraces the knowledge of good and evil as divinely sanctioned and mandated. It gives the illusion of being on…
Does religious faith make someone a better politician?
Question: A recent poll showed that a majority of Americans agreed with the statement: “Religious faith makes someone a better politician.” In fact, a majority said they would never vote for a candidate who had no religious faith. Do you agree that religious faith helps make someone a better politician? Answer: As a Christian pastor,…
Zombies
What would Halloween be without a post about zombies? Image by rachel a. k. Sourced via Flickr.
How Do I Respond to Family Members Who Pressure Me About Politics?
Greg discusses some fantastic strategies for dealing with family members who pressure others with their politics. http://traffic.libsyn.com/askgregboyd/Episode_0052.mp3
A Response to Tony Campolo on Fighting the Powers: Some Final Thoughts
In my previous post I argued against Tony’s claim that God expects governments to carry out his will and that Christians are therefore to influence government to carry out this task. I rather argued that, given that governments are premised on human rebellion and are under the oppressive, deceptive and corrupting influence of Satan, we…
Why do you have such a pessimistic view of government?
Question: I’m a Christian and serve as a servant in government and I find your book The Myth of a Christian Nation, as well as some of your sermons on Christians and politics, highly offensive. I find that while governments sometimes harm people, they also do a lot of good. The American government in particular…