Battling for Truth in the War of Ideas

Let’s get real, Christians. Politics is about power and influence, and we are currently witnessing a colossal shift in power and influence in America away from “traditional” (read, more biblical) values toward “progressive” (read, more humanist) values.

If you believe Christians shouldn’t try to influence or gain earthly power, then this article isn’t for you. Just stick with praying, and singing, and fellowshipping, and softballing, and scrapbooking – all good things, I might add. But please don’t be shocked or complain when you’re told you can’t preach the whole gospel (just the nice parts), when full term babies are slaughtered in the name of “choice”, or when your employer tells you the company can’t afford to pay exorbitant taxes and you anymore, and therefore, you must go. If you believe that Christians should have a voice and take seats in every corner of the public square, then you should realize one thing: Read more

Will it be Obama or McCain? Make Your Prediction Here!

The winner of the “Prophet of the Week” award is……  Benjamin of 11/4/08 3:17 pm!

MAKE YOUR PREDICTION HERE!

Think you know the outcome of the presidential race? Then boldly record your prediction here. Those who make the most accurate predictions will be displayed on this webpage as the *Prophet of the week*! All predictions must be made before 8:00 p.m. ET, and earlier posts will be given greater weight in the event of a tie.

Directions: Record your prediction by answering the following questions in your comment:

1.    Name the winner of the presidential race?

2.    How many electoral votes will he win?

3.    If you wish, provide a 1-3 sentence explanation for your predictions.

A Biblical View of Social Justice

Christian Social Justice: “Life is Just not Fair!” by John Wheaton, J.D.

Life is just not fair.

Is it fair that Tiger Woods makes millions for playing a game of leisure while the average person struggles to pay the bills working 50-60 hours a week? Even worse, is it fair that some people are born into extreme wealth and freedom while others must live and often die in dire poverty or under severe oppression? No, life is not fair; unfairness is inherent in the human condition. But life can and should be just. When human acts or omissions are at the heart of these inequities and suffering, then social injustices have occurred. Unfortunately, these injustices shame and scar our world every day. This begs the question: What should a Christian do about it?

In matters of social concern, the biblical Christian should know God’s heart well. God has a special interest in the welfare of those at the lowest end of the social ladder: widows, orphans, legal aliens, and others who are oppressed or disadvantaged in society (Jeremiah 7:5-7). Recognizing this, modern Christians must lead the world in striving for social justice by clearly 1) defining “social justice”, 2) determining key biblical principles of social justice, and 3) developing a strong position on state-sponsored social action especially as it relates to addressing the major social problems of the early 21st century. Read more

Must Evangelicals Dirty Their Hands In Politics – Part 2

[Continued from last week. If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.]

Suddenly, politics didn’t seem so “this worldly” to me any more. I started to make the heavenly connections and began to see how politics was really an important means to an end – God’s end – in this case, the protection of innocent human life.

I thought, “What were Christians doing leading up to that awful Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973?” Someone had obviously been asleep at the switch. As Edmund Burke rightly observed, “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” Now the damage of Roe v. Wade had to be undone. Sure, prayer would be needed and changed hearts would be nice; that’s where the gospel comes in. But, ultimately, it would take political action to accomplish the task. Read more

Must Evangelicals Dirty Their Hands in Politics? – Part 1

“I’m the Devil, and I approved this message.”

That’s often what evangelical Christians hear at the end of a political ad on TV or radio. For us, voting for “the lesser of two evils” is more than a hyperbolic metaphor. We take it literally. We know that all political candidates are, at their core, inherently evil (just like we are, and just like the Bible says), and our duty as good Christian citizens is fairly straightforward: simply vote for the candidates with the fewest sins in their public record!

Ok, there’s more to it than that… Read more