gospel of the 'Christian Right'
“Rhode Island is neither a road nor is it an island. Discuss.” A line made famous by Mike Myers on “Coffee Talk with Linda Richman.”
I grew up in a town that values Fox News and went to a Southern Baptist University whose former chancellor basically began the “Christian Right.” And whose current chancellor esteems and endorses Donald Trump. And considering I am not the rebellious type, I should certainly be falling in line with the ‘Christian Right’ and rallying my support for Mr. Trump, right?...
Hell no.
You see, I’m in to Loving people. Serving. Hope. Truth. Love. Love. Love.
And that doesn’t happen strictly through politics or policies. They can be helpful but they are not an end all.
There is a narrative saying that “If you vote against Trump, you’re voting for Hillary.” As if not voting for Trump will lead our country astray from its Christian values…
The narrative goes along that we once were a “Christian nation” and need to return to our nation’s conservative, Christian morals.
We need to stop the rhetoric of “when we used to be a Christian nation” … you mean, when ‘we’ killed the Native Americans, isolated them, and then enslaved others on ‘our’ land?
I can’t say that really lines up with my idea of a Christian nation at all.
In an article on Yahoo! https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-checks-boxes-christian-audience-000000349.html,
Political Activist and original Executive Director of the Christian Coalition Ralph Reed states, “Many anti-Trump evangelicals intend to vote this fall but skip the presidential race.” Reed portrayed those evangelicals as people “who counsel timidity and retreat, and … recommend that people of faith retreat to the cold comfort of the stained-glass ghetto.” …“That is not an option to followers of Christ,” he said.
Echoing Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., who during the primary said Christians are not voting for a “pastor in chief,” Reed said, “We’re not looking for a political messiah because we already have a messiah.”
Alright, alright, I get it. We aren’t voting for a pastor-in-chief. I think what is missing though… is the contradictory fact that if we want to remove Christianity and faith from our politics, then don’t look down on someone for voting for whoever they see fit best.
Reed accused anti-Trump evangelicals of the sin of pride, as well as being inflexible.
You’re right Mr. Reed.
Likely true. I am prideful. But likely true as well that not voting for a man who is filled with bigotry and racism is not a reflection of my pride.
You imply that THE option for me as a follow of Christ is to not retreat and not be timid, and to vote Donald.
Because, then all will be right again for our “Christian Nation?”
A definition of gospel is something regarded as true and implicitly believed. A gospel is something of prime importance, something promising hope, a way. And sadly, the Christian Right’s rhetoric sounds eerily similar. And that’s not good news.
We don’t need politicians to make us a “Christian Nation.” In fact, they shouldn’t be the ones we are dependent on for doing that. The people make a nation. So if we want a Christian nation… it could start with something as simple as...
Walking across the street to Love Your Neighbor...
The answer to turning our nation into something more beautiful, may be closer than you think… and it may have nothing to do with politics at all.
The “Christian Right” is neither Christian nor Right. Discuss.
