Really!!! They are?

OK...I did not write this as quick as I thought I would...actually I did but I wanted to sit on it for a while before I sent it out.   

I was trying to think how I could begin to put into words my concerns for the Church and our political involvement and I ran across this quote in another blog so I thought I would borrow it to kick my blog off.  Sometimes it is nice to run across someone else who can follow your train of thought and help you realize you are not crazy or back slid:) I want to make a statement right out front here...I love the fact we have political choices here in our country...and I dislike...strongly...what has happened to the Church by others who bring politics inside the church.  The church has been brokered as a special interest group for one political party...and we have been compromised and weakened by this union.  Phew...glad I got that out...now you can either read on...or bail now!             

In an article written by Brian Sahnd, End of the Line, he writes about God shifting the church from one seasonal platform to another. In the article he addresses many of these issues.

“Have we embraced, due to our frightened response to uncertainty and shifting culture, an angry “Ann Coulter Christianity” and made apostles of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity without recognizing they are simply entertainers and profiteers in America’s culture war? If so, we had better disembark the protest train before we are marginalized into complete irrelevance.

Now that we are a full decade into the third Christian millennium, it’s time to take stock of a movement that in Western culture isn’t moving forward much anymore. How then have American evangelicals come to be identified?

Largely by our protests and our politics. We are mostly known for what we are against and what political positions we hold. We have unwittingly allowed our movement to be defined in the negative and to be co-opted as a useful tool in the cynical world of partisan politics.”

I would say in answer to his comment about being “ marginalized into complete irrelevance.” that is may be too late for that...in most situations where the church should be involved...the lives of people who do not yet know Jesus...we are irrelevant to many.  I hear all the time people quoting Limbaugh or Beck and assuming they speak for the Church in some way.  NO THEY DO NOT!  They are entertainers who would not be on the radio or TV if they did not have an audience to sell products to.  Earlier in the year Beck had a big rally in Washington with Christian artists performing and such and I heard people claiming it was one of the most spiritual events ever...and he is such a godly person...a Christian leader we could really get behind...speaking for us.  He is a Mormon...he says so...He is not a Christian...in my life Mormonism has never been accepted as being Orthodox Christian and yet today we are now ready to close our eyes to scriptures and creeds and wave them in.  

Mitt Romney is a candidate for President and he also is a Mormon...and now there is debate on is he a Christian. Romney said at one time in an interview,”I am not a creedal Christian, I am Biblical Christian.” Really? Then why the Book of Mormon?? So God had to put an addendum onto the Bible...other people get angry looks when they say they have written more scripture... Joel Osteen and Pat Robertson say “sure he is”...others say “no he is not”.  Now I have to tell you I am on the “not” side here.  Does not mean I would not vote for him...but making him a Christian does not mean I will vote for either.  Rob Bell gets into all kinds of trouble for writing a book espousing the virtues of universalism...where everyone gets in because of the work of Jesus...no one misses out.  Well, here we go again...we are willing to ignore scripture to embrace a whole group of people...and this part makes me the most angry...so we can have a political candidate to vote for.  Or we can have successful talk show hosts on our side...PLEASE JESUS....COME QUICKLY!  

My personal feelings...these talk show host are mean...they call people names...they mock others who disagree...they become fear mongers trying to stir up fear and worry.  And they are ENTERTAINERS....nothing else but actors and talking heads.  I have tried, as a good evangelical follower of Jesus, to listen...to Limbaugh...Hannity...Beck...and I just cannot do it...sorry...just can’t.  Don’t find mocking others, asking questions then interrupting, scaring people, yelling, entertaining.  And they do not speak for me...they at times feel like bullies and I do not like bullies of any type.

So please Church wake up before it is too late.  Don’t sell out to the politicians around us. Don’t compromise a biblical standard to find a candidate you can endorse...if they support your values go for it...just don’t do what only Jesus can do...save them.  

Now I have this dream or hope that Mormons could become followers of Jesus...they have a prophet that speaks to the whole group...if one of their prophets got revelation of who Jesus really is...and who Joseph Smith really was not...multitudes would come to knowledge of Christ...the religious group itself would split...but many would come to know Jesus as He truly is...the Son of God.  So I pray for them...for the Truth to be known... 

So there...hopefully not an angry rant...but a concern over the condition of the church in the US...us...not them...us...God’s people.  So as a regular guy who has turned 60  just this year and happens to be a leader...I have to speak out.

Bill