They say there are two things people should never discuss: religion and politics. The two are divisive enough, but to combine the two into one can get sticky. However, the blend of these two subjects has become a major focal point for both Christians and non-Christians. This is because such a liberal shift in our culture is affecting both entities at once. In the CNN article, “The Gospel According to Obama,” it is becoming evident that the non-evangelical community wants to impose a new brand of Christianity.
The article briefly discusses missions’ societies of the 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, and talks about how the fundamentalist movement squashed what has been dubbed, The Social Gospel. Evangelical author Tim Morey talks about this in the final chapter of Embodying Our Faith. He also briefly delves into the history of the early church, stating that at that time, evangelism and social action went hand in hand. Morey proposes that this combination should become our focus once again, not only from a Biblical perspective, but also as an apologetic.
It seems a defense for a fundamental Christianity is in need. The CNN article paints fundamentalists as a subculture of Christianity that, according to author David Felton, “denies science, rational thought – and any beliefs that violate their definition of being a Christian.” He goes on to say, “They have millions of adherents who believe in a literal six day creation and a literal Adam and Eve – so it’s not a stretch to believe that President Obama is a Kenyan-born secret Muslim bent on destroying the country.” After research has shown there are currently a low percentage of mainline Protestants and an increasing population of the non-affiliated, the article seems hopeful that a new generation may bring about a progressive Christianity.
What are the tenets of progressives? The article does not outright say, but does state:
“When Obama invoked Jesus to support same-sex marriage, framed health care as a moral imperative to care for “the least of these,’’ and once urged people to read their Bible but just not literally, he was invoking another Christian tradition that once dominated American public life so much that it gave the nation its first megachurches, historians say.”
If we are to show the world true Christianity, actions will speak louder than words.
“Verbal witness is essential, but in a postmodern society dominated by skepticism and distrust, something more is needed, often before a verbal proclamation is given. Actions precede words. The pragmatic does-this-work spirit of our culture requires that our faith demonstrates its ability to make a difference in the world if it is to be considered at all” (Morey, 171).
In other words, we need to get back to the basics of the early church—evangelism combined with good works. Skeptics know that faith without works is dead, they just may not say it in such terms, and may not know for us, it’s scriptural.
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Related articles
- “Embodying Our Faith” part 1: An apologetic approach for the 21st Century generation (acloserlookjm.wordpress.com)
- Introduction to Apologetics (apologistshandbook.wordpress.com)
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