|  fireforchrist | Aug 13, 2007 1:38pm | Should Christians get involved in politics? I believe they should, Chuck Baldwin expresses this thought very well
An Appeal To My Fellow Christians
August 11, 2007 01:00 PM EST
I have served the Lord as an evangelical Christian all of my adult life. As a Christian, I believe the Bible is the Word of God. I believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, and that He physically rose from the grave. I believe He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, where He "ever liveth" to make intercession for the saints.
I have had the privilege of winning numerous souls to Christ. As a veteran pastor of more than 30 years, I have had the joy of baptizing many hundreds of converts. I believe in the local church. I believe in missions. I am also an American.
As an American, I revere the history and heritage of this great country. I hold America's Founding Fathers in deepest regard. I believe the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights set forth the greatest political principles and form of government ever devised my man. I believe in individual freedom, national sovereignty, and states' rights. Furthermore, I believe that my devotion to God does not, in any way, contradict or conflict with my devotion to my country. In fact, my devotion to God augments my devotion to my country.
I say all of that to say this: it greatly disturbs me to see many of my Christian brethren using their Christianity as an excuse for apathy in regard to the demise of our constitutional republic--as if the maintenance of liberty and independence is not their concern.
The preservation of liberty and independence should concern every American, whether Christian or not. In fact, it appears that many unbelievers show more discernment and resolve in fighting for liberty and independence than do many professing believers. How can this be?
Christians, of all people, should be the first to fight for America's historic principles, as it was our Christian forebears that carved this land of liberty out of a wilderness of persecution and oppression. Have we become so lazy and indifferent as to be oblivious to what our children and grandchildren will be forced to endure, if we are not willing to preserve this land of freedom? It seems that many of us have become just that.
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....theconservativevoice.com/articles/article.html [theconservativevoice.com/articles/article.html] |
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|  |  2648306 | Aug 13, 2007 2:03pm | We are to be salt and light - salt preserves and light shows the way. The majority of Christians are scared, too afraid to get into the fight. They hide behind a veil of "we should not get involved" but the truth is far more sad. The liberals of this country are accomplishing their goal. To keep the church so scared about losing their tax-exempt status or that someone might tar and feather them in the streets if they stand up for what is right and good. Some could even lose their jobs as many a lefty groups have worked to make happen. This is my take - if you are worried about losing your tax exempt status - Jesus said pay to ceasar what is ceasars, who cares if you pay taxes????!!! If I have to pay taxes in order to have freedom of speech on the most important issues of our day, then I am going to pay taxes. Its that simple.
As long as the threat of losing your tax exempt status, or the fear of being ridiculed, or the fear of losing your job is more important than what is true and right, then those things will always be your god and you better believe that those who are pushing the moral depravity we live in today will have their way. They will shove you into a closet and keep you there so you aren't a threat, and the devil is laughing all the way to the soul bank and he views the destruction he has caused and revels that no one will stand in his way.
My first instinct is to be afraid but I can't, I have to tell the truth whether its politically correct, socially acceptable, considered Hate Speech or not. Who will fight if we do not?
The left is hoping we will stay home election night and put liberal lunacy in control. Will you honor their hopes?
Choose this day whom you will serve... |
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Sponsor |  lesoldham | Aug 13, 2007 3:53pm | | This does not seem to be a good subject for the Apologetics Group. |
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| | | 2648306 | Aug 13, 2007 9:35pm | | No probably not apologetics but an excellent topic of discussion none the less. |
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| | | 438731 | Aug 14, 2007 2:46am | | Do you guys honestly believe that Christians are on the back-foot politically in the US? You must be joking! I think it's high time that you actually paid heed to your constitution and took your majority religion out of politics. |
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|  njmarks2002 | Aug 14, 2007 8:24am | | politics is a common problem for the American Christian. We get so wrapped up in it because we think we have to save America. It isn't that way, our goal should be the same anywhere, not to legislate morality, look at the Christians in China. They don't care about their governement, they just long for the return of Christ and are witnessing through their persecution. That should be our goal, to witness, not to change the moral majority of America. I'm not saying to stay out of politics, anyone who does it thought must ralize it is a platform to shout the name of Jesus not the name of pro-life pro-marriage. If all we do, as we have in the past, is try to convince that it is "Christian" to belive in those things then we have a nation of pharisees who think they are beleivers but are just acting in the right manner. If liberals were in power, the darker the night, the brighter the light. |
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| | | 2648306 | Aug 14, 2007 1:04pm | To # 6 - I do pay heed to my constitution and incidently - seperation of Church and state is not in the constitution. It says congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. They cannot establish -meaning cannot command you or I to be of a certain kind of faith- much like Islamo Facists do right now- become a muslim or die. Then it says congress cannot prohibit the free expression - yet via the ACLU there has been a whole lot of prohibiting going on.
What is establishment? If you understand the founding fathers and their history you would know what they were trying to prevent. They came from a country where the government mandated all citizens had to be of a certain faith. So when they came to America they wanted to make sure there wasn't going to be any government mandated religion.
#7 said:
"our goal should be the same anywhere, not to legislate morality"
There isnt a single law in the books that did not start out as a moral issue first. Whether you like it or not all laws are addressing moral issues - the question is who's morals are we going to use? Humanism? Christian? Islamic? Buddhist? Hindu?
And regarding marriage- the homosexual activists groups are seeking to silence Christians on the issue and long term goal to ban the passages in the Bible that speak against homosexuality.
The foundation of society is the family and it has been under attack for a very long time. If the family fails western society will fail. |
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| | njmarks2002 | Aug 14, 2007 1:25pm | | And if western society fails so what? Westerners aren't the saviors of the World. Christ came to establish His kingdom, not one of this world, yet it seem many Christians want to make America His kingdom and that is an unbiblical idea. His kingdom is everlasting and it begins in the hearts of people. If we force our morals on people then they will call themselves Christians but won't be. They will be decieved. The foundation for the Church is what we should be concerned about not the foundation of a nation. The foundation of the Church is evangelism, soul-winning and discipleship. I am free in Christ and I havn'et based my Christianity on the success of western society. Neither did Paul or any of the Jewish, Roman, Ethopian, believers in the New Testament because there was no "west." |
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| | | 2648306 | Aug 14, 2007 8:53pm | If the family fails in any society then that society fails. There won't be a society where ever family fails.
"we force our morals on people then they will call themselves Christians but won't be." sigh...Let me try this again- name me a law that did not start out as a moral issue first? Now once it is law all persons are required to abide by it. So if you had a choice between Islamic morality making laws or Christian Morality making laws, or Hindu morality making laws (if you want to find out what any of those are like just go to the countries where that is occuring and tell them it doesn't matter), which would you choose? Plenty of people abide by our laws but don't think they are Christian. That is an unfounded notion that they would assume the Christian identity simply by abiding by laws. I've never met one who thinks they are a Christian because they are law abiding citizens. Where did you hear that?
God said we are to be salt, a preservative but you don't sound like you want to preserve anything. I have not based my Christianity on the success of western society either - why are you putting words in my mouth? First you claim I think westerners are the savior of the world and now my Christianity is based on the success of the western society - wow I am reading my post and I don't see that anywhere...I think I have said all that can be said. I don't think it is prudent to continue in this vein.
If my husband got on here - this would quickly become a great apologetics topic. I am sorry I am not the best theologian - my respects to the sponsors of this forum... |
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Apologetics → Discussion