Religious Right Takes a Deep Philosophical Breath

I found this great post on Politics without God and felt it worth sharing. Please support the separation of church and state as it is not ethical or fair to allow personal religious ideologies dictate the rights and laws administered to tax-paying citizens.

For two decades, the Religious Right has reveled in the successes of their crusade to erode the wall separating church and state. Since America’s sharp Left turn in 2008, they have not been so quick to gloat. Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said, “I’m not grieving over Barack Obama’s victory, but over the loss of things that I’ve fought for, for 35 years,” particularly concerning abortion rights and advancement of the so-called homosexual agenda. The Religious Right itself seems to be taking a soul-searching sabbatical, to get back in touch with its deeper mission: to live by the rule of God.

In October over 500 evangelical Christian leaders attended a conference at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary on “renewing the evangelical mission.” Many felt that evangelicals had veered from the mission of Jesus. As one pastor put it: “The missing ingredient is not the primacy of the mind and doctrine. It’s the willingness to suffer.”

To this point, attendees sang a hymn with the words, “We spurned God’s way and sought our own, and so have become worthless.” I’m not sure if in this context “worthlessness” pertains to human beings or to evangelism’s usefulness to society. Indeed, one pastor lamented, “We’ve become useless in a society that desperately needs us.”

Another theologian urged pastors to talk less about fulfilling individual potential and teach more from Old Testament prophets like Prophet Joel, who urged repentance before God. Others argued for embracing Christian Reconstructionism, a movement emphasizing the total reformation of society according to God’s Law. Yet another pastor, spoke of his frustration in getting evangelicals of differing perspectives to collaborate on goals such as fighting abortion rights.

But in the end, all conferees agreed that Scripture should be the foundation for whatever direction Christianity is to take.

Looking for a way to help, visit Americans United for Separation of Church and State.