Yes, the blog has been inactive for some time, and for that we apologize. Like you, we usually have too many irons in the fire or often don't manage our time as wisely as we should (at least this author, Adam, does not manage his time as wisely as he should!). We will attempt to do better this year, especially as we approach election time.
Our last two bulletin inserts have focused on the need for Christians to be involved in public affairs and politics. We argued that everyone has a particular view of reality, including those in government. Therefore, there is no government neutrality on ethical/moral/social issues. Someone's view of reality, and thus someone's morality, will be legislated. As Christians, while we are not called to establish a theocracy (God-run government), we are called to be salt and light and to fight to preserve the good and expose the darkness. We can do that in a number of ways, one of the most obvious of which is to simply vote, and vote your values (assuming you have good and true values!).
We can also argue for the good in the public square, and we can do so in a way which appeals to the reality we all share in common. God has "written on our hearts" as it were the natural moral law we all have access to by virtue of being rational human beings sharing the same reality. While this natural moral law points to God it need start with God, nor even invoke God, to have rational force. Unfortunately, as we've said in the inserts, rather than fight the bad philosophy in our culture which has led to the bad thinking and morally corrupt culture in which we now live, Christians by and large circled the wagons, withdrew, and failed to engage and transform a declining society.
Now we stand on the brink of losing the culture war completely. Not only will such a loss lead to even more moral failings, it will have a direct impact on our religious freedoms and ability to share the Gospel. While we shouldn't be surprised to face some type of persecution from the world, that doesn't mean we should go looking for it or invite it. The original Apostles "turned the world upside down" when they preached the resurrected Christ. It's time we do the same in our modern culture. We know that ultimately the war will not be lost in the long run, and we can have hope that truth is on our side because the God of Truth is on our side.
For more on the possible loss of the culture war and its implications, see this recent article from TownHall.com.
For more about the quotes from January's insert see here, here, and here.
Atheists have discovered that being aggressive - extremely aggressive, does intimidate Christians. Their very boldness convinces untrained people that they have spoken the truth (mostly because they are saying what many want to hear anyway).
ReplyDeleteWe live in an age in which very few people really stop and give thought to the deeper meaning of life, why they are here, and what they REALLY should be doing with their lives.
For so, so many, life is lived at a very shallow level, with satisfying personal desires coming at the top of their list of priorities. Hours may be spent worrying about and debating which brand of scotch is best, which driver sends a golf ball the furthest, or who should be starting at point guard; but if any time is given at all to thinking about God's plan for us, or if God even exists, is a rare occasion indeed.
It is important to ask how things came to this point. Although we were never perfect, it wasn't always like this.
Without belaboring the point here - I think that we got here in large part by out past timidity. When they kicked prayer out of school, there was some noise, but not that much really. As evolution came more and more to be taught to our children as undeniable fact, we shrugged our shoulders. Although there has always been some great voices in defense of those who can't defend themselves, most Christians quietly just accept abortion while they are busy "living their lives".
The commitment of those who want to kick God out of western civilization has not been met with anything close to a proper and proportional response by those who have been commissioned to carry the banner of God's truth.
Shame on us. Today and yesterday.
What about tomorrow?