Today is the national day of prayer and all across the country millions will gather to pray for our nation. This year the event has gotten me thinking about the religious status of our country. A couple weeks ago, I was watching CSPAN and a guy named Kevin Phillips was on discussing his new book in which he fears that the Republicans are being taken over by the far Christian right with the goal of turning America into a modern day theocracy. While I don't fully agree with him on this point I do think there is some element of truth in his argument.
Over the past 20 years, millions of Christians have become more active in politics and this is a very good thing. Abortion was the initial driving force and lately the battle against gay marriage rallies Christians of all denominations to the polls. We need Christians to be involved in Government and especially to engage in holding back the advancing cultural mudslide that is taking place in our country. This rises from the idea that if America's elects leaders who are Christians and right on the social issues then our country would be more Christian. I do not agree with this premise. Electing Christians should not be the goal in itself but it should be the by-product of a truly Christian electorate. Let's look at the facts. We have a Christian president who is the most outspoken president we have had regarding his faith in Jesus. Furthermore, we have a US congress that has more pro-life, pro family members than we have had in the past. Yet, when I look around our society is no more Christian than it was 12 years ago when the Democrats controlled Congress and Clinton was President. Conversely you could make a strong case that we are less Christian than before we elected Bush.
It appears our political victories were just that. Political victories. They didn't advance the spread of the gospel but instead advanced political agendas and there is a big distinction to be made between the two. I wonder if our efforts have been somewhat misguided. Have we become so wrapped up in politics that we have put our hope in a worldly institution rather than in the supernatural Christ? I fear many Christians would prefer winning elections as a way of advancing the Christian faith more than traditional evangelism and service.
So if politics is not the answer than what really does make us a Christian nation? In a recent poll over 80 percent of Americans call themselves Christians. This high number astounds me because I didn't think that many Americans could agree on any one thing in particular let alone religion. The answer for this large number lies in the details as we see that although we have so many self proclaimed Christians, that term means different things to different people. Leave out the fact that Christians don't agree on a lot of issues, what's even more startling is that a majority of Christian Americans don't attend church regularly and can't even name more than 4 of the 10 commandments. I always assumed even non-Christians could name more than 4 of the commandments just by recalling which ones they had broken. This general lack of knowledge and commitment leads me to question if we can be called a Christian nation just because most people choose to label themselves Christian.
At that heart of my question is what truly defines Christianity. What are the barometers that measure one's true faith in Jesus. I am going to begin compiling a list of characteristics and traits that one would assume Christians possess if they are truly committed to following Jesus. I am then going to see how we as a nation measure up compared to other religious and secular nations in regard to these characteristics. I am interested to see where we stand and if we deserve the title of a Christian nation. If you have suggestions for what characteristics I should use, I am open to ideas.
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3 comments:
WOW!! This is the best post you've ever written. You should try to get this published, other than just on Blogspot
thanks Craig
It is not that I as a Christian who votes am trying to evangelize through politics. Those who follow Jesus Christ do have a mandate to love others to Him. But we also have a mandate to help redeem the culture we live in; to be" salt & light" if you will.
It is sad that so many Americans call themselves Christians when they bear little or no resemblance to Christ. Chuck Colson has just completed an EXCELLENT 4-part Breakpoint (pfm.org) series of commentaries about the stuggle with Islam. Colson points out how many Muslims consider these United States a Christian nation. Then they equate the decadance, hedonism, and materialism that flows from out of our country and equate those with Christianity. This is the main ingredient that has fed Islamic hatred of America. In their view, America is violence, drunkeness and drugs, and sexual immorality. And as the most influential culture in the world, our garbage is spilling into Islamic homes and businesses.
We need political and governmental leaders of integrity and wisdom who will halt our decline into lawlessness; leaders who will effectively deal with our problems. We need more leaders like William Wilberforce, who stood time and again in the British Parliament against his countrymen's role in the African slave trade. Although we are the most law-intensive nation in the world, our culture has found every weakness and loophole in our laws to promote depravity. I agree, Fetz, that legislation and government aren't the answer, but only an important part.
We need leaders, who like Christ, will seek to restrain sin and promote peace through justice.
We are not a Christian nation. It may be more accurate to say we are a post-Christian nation as we have strayed far from our Bibilical roots and are rejecting our moral heritage. Personally, I would rather not be known as a "Christian nation" until we again are a Christ-like nation. Our government's size, direction, priorities, laws, etc. play a large role in that. And to that extent, true Christ-like leaders are the best for the job. Maybe we have too many politicians who call themselves Christians instead of following the principles God has given us in the Holy Scriptures.
What defines a Christian? Holiness? The fruit of the Spirit? Faith, Hope, and Love? O that I, and our nation, may do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
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