In a recent article entitled, "Rest in Peace, Religious Right", Syndicated Columnist Cal Thomas argues several points I believe he is wrong on.
I believe he is wrong in what he argues for the following reasons:
* No Christian I know of argues or holds to the position that government is our hope or ultimate power. Christians who are engaged in the process see government as an instrument that God uses to administer justice, and to accomplish his purposes. It is temporary at best, but a framework in which we are to speak for truth and engage the culture with the Gospel.
* Thomas states: "Thirty years of trying to stop abortion, preserve opposite-sex marriage, improve television and movie content and transform culture into the conservative evangelical image has failed." Really, Mr. Thomas? Considering the shape our culture is in, where would we be had there not been people with enough moral fortitude to take a stand for right and wrong? How many more babies would have been aborted? How many more states would already be sanctioning same sex unions? We have failed? I think the assessment is inaccurate. God uses believers as instruments of the Holy Spirit to restrain evil and to advance His Kingdom. What would be Mr. Thomas' solution? Do nothing to engage the culture and be involved in the process? That's not an option.
*Thomas places cultural engagement and the Christian faith in opposition to each other. He says we should follow the admonition of Jesus to "love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison and care for widows and orphans." What he infers here is that one cannot engage the culture and do these things.
Interestingly he invokes the name of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell whom he states birthed the Religious Right movement. Is Mr. Thomas completely ignorant and void of understanding of the life and ministry of Jerry Falwell or just willfully ignoring the facts? The Scriptural mandates to do what Thomas encourages here, were passions of Jerry Falwell and his ministry is well documented. Yet at the same time, he saw the decline of culture and took seriously the responsibility to be salt and light in culture and to contend for the faith. Engaging the culture while at the same time being the hands and the feet of Jesus are not mutually exclusive. They go hand in hand.
There is currently a softening occurring in evangelical life. We desperately want people to like us and we want to appear to be hip to culture so that we can attract the culture. All too often however, the church is being attracted to the culture, and being changed rather than the church changing the culture. It is easy to preach a general, feel good message rather than to preach the whole counsel of God. Too many preachers are afraid of plunging into the darkness with the light of truth and are content to circle the darkness with a pocket flashlight. Consider the prophets of old brothers. Develop a backbone and some courage for the difficult issues of life and ministry.
I offer several guiding principles for your consideration:
-Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is eternal.
-Submit to those in authority over you and pray for your government leaders.
- Get involved in the process. Speak the truth in love in the culture and engage those around you in order to advance truth.
- Leave the results up to God. Trust that He is Sovereign and holds time and eternity in His hands.
I do not want to stand before the throne of God someday and regret the fact that I sat back and did nothing to reach people with the life changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this "as we are going."
For a more in depth discussion of this, read Tom Minnery's book, Why You Can't Stay Silent: A Biblical Mandate to Shape Our Culture. Read Chapter 9 in particular as it gives more context and history of Cal Thomas' involvement.
