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GregBoyd
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 1818
| Posted 3/16/2002 8:04 PM (GMT -6) |   | This is me thinking out loud, following a course of logic out to its conclusion. I am in process on this, but the following reflects a basic trend in my thinking. I'm floating a balloon here, not offering finalized conclusions.
We in the United States are living in a renewed (and temporary) surge of patriotism. I have had not a few people urge me to get an American flag in our Church to show our support for the US -- and one person leave the church because I wouldn't do it. On top of that, many conservative Christians seem to believe that we should try to influence government by any and all means possible to "bring America back to God."
All of this strikes me as unbiblical, idolatrous, and very damaging to the Church. I want to submit my opinion to the scrutiny and discussion of the board.
Here is a brief outline of my thinking.
1. It seems to me that God's original plan did not include people governing other people. God wanted to govern people who would, in turn, govern the animals. Government was created by the fall (starts with Nimrod in Gen. 4). Through God's plan of redemption, starting with Israel, HE has sought to restore HIMSELF as our governer. The community that is the body of Christ is to operate with Christ alone as head, thereby restoring the proper relation between God and humanity. In doing this, we testify to "the rule [king's dome] of God," as opposed to "the kingdom of humans."
2. Seems to me that part of the reason why God intensely wanted Israel to remain distinct from other nations, and when necessary, to extinguish other nations, was to keep them pure from the human way of government.
3. God only granted Israel a king because of their rebellion, and in judgement of their rebellion. He always looked forward to a time when, through the Messiah (himself), he would reinstate his original theocracy. People often point to the OT prophets who confronted Israel kings to maintain justice in order to justify Christians playing this role today. But this confrontation was always upon the agreed upon ultimate authority of God. What they had going was a governement that was always supposed to approximate a theocracy. Seems to me we misapply these principles if we use them to justify political activism in the Church today.
4. OT prophecies (esp. Daniel) and Revelations depict all nations (human forms of government) as resisting God, and when God's will is finally done, all nations (human forms of government) will be destroyed. This is repeated in the NT. ALL powers and authorities and rulers shall be subjected to Christ. How involved should Christians get in human forms of governement that are inherently resist to God?
5. The Devil claims that ALL the nations of the world belong to him (luke 4) and Jesus didn't dispute him. We humans gave Satan the kingdoms of the world when we made him lord, rather than God. This is the start of all anti-god governements. Hence Satan is called "the god of this age" who "controls the entire world." (2 Cor 4:4; I Jn 5:19). All the kingdoms of the world belong to Satan and shall, in the end, be given back to God and become "the kingdom of the son" (Rev. 11:15). How involved should Christians be in a regime that is inherently satanic?
6. It seems to me that in Revelation Babylon represents all forms of human government, and the church that "sleeps" with it is described as a harlot. When we "sleep" with any government of this world, are we not polluted by that government?
7. The Jews of Jesus' day desperately wanted a political messiah. Yet Jesus NEVER even commented on the politics of his day. He skirts the issue every time. "My kingdom is not of this world." He teaches that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword. He notes how "all the gentiles lord it over one another" but "it shall NOT be so with you."
8. Jesus' teachings about how we are to live are antithetical to human government. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies. Bless those who persecute you. etc. How can we participate in government when it is ALL ABOUT squishing enemies and retaliating for wrongs done. It is true that God yet "ordains" governements for the purpose of punishing wrong doers. But we see what this ordaining looks like in the OT when God ordains one evil governement (say, the Assyrians) to punish another evil government (the Israelites, or the Egyptians). This ordination is God's RESPONSE to human sin. It is not his ideal.
9. The NT teaches us to live peaceful in whatever government we find ourselves, to pray for the leaders SO THAT we can have peace and spread the gospel... but NEVER does it encourage us, or even allow us, to actively support it. The NT says that the natural mind is enmity with God (Rom. 8). Isn't human government all about the governing of people with "the natural mind"? Do we really think we can take something that is inherently at odds with God and dress it up to look goddly? And even if we could, would that be any advance of the true kingdom?
10. The NT consistently tells us that we are NOT to be "at home" in this world. We are citizens of heaven, not of any government. We are solidiers stationed behind enemy lines that ought not to get too caught up in civilian affairs (1 Tim. 2:4). What is the politics of this world under Satan except "civilian affairs"?
11. The history of the world has been a blood bath of wasted lives as one group wages war against another group, either on the whim of a power hungry individual, or because of an ideology they think is BETTER FOR PEOPLE than other ideologies. Is it ever right for Christians to throw their hat in the ring on the side of one of these ideologies? Do the people who acknowledge God's rule have any vested interest in supporting one side of a blood-bath?
12. Hasn't history taught us that the Church looses power -- indeed, often ceases to be the church -- when it actually gets what many are try to get for it: namely, political power? Think of the European church of the middle ages, the church of England, the State Churches of Denmark, Sweden, Germany. Did these, in the long run, really HELP Christianity? Has not the Church usually done BETTER when it was persecuted -- as it was the first three centuries of its life? Are we not called to utilize spiritual authority and trust God's providence rather than try to gain political authority?
13. If we follow the example of our master, should we really be fighting for "our rights" as believers? Didn't Chirst testify to a radically different kind of Kingdom precisely by allowing the kingdom of this world to put him to death? Don't we say much more about the distinct kingdom to which we alone are to be aligned when we turn the other cheek than when we lobby to pass a law to get people to act more Christian? And even when we pass the law, have we done anyone any good? Are they closer to the kingdom of God because they are forced to ACT a certain way?
14. Isn't it the case today that much conservative political activism is actually hindering the cause of Christ? Indeed, am I alone in thinking that much of the conservative political think take trying to "take back America for God" is quite anti-Christian, self-righteous, and sometimes mean-spirited? (Read Cal thomas' Corrupted By Might).
15. Isn't it the case that getting involved in the affairs of the governments of this world trades the unambiguous good news for very ambiguous human solutions? Does this not divide the Church unnecessarily, for rational, biblical and goddly people can and do invariably disagree with the "right" political solutions to various problems. "Right wing" Christians and "Left wing" christians both think THEIR spin on politics is THE Christian spin.
16. Can you really believe that America was ever "really" a "Christian" nation when a) we built this nation largely on African slavery; b) cheated, lied to, and massacred the native Americans (and then the Mexicans) who were here first; c) have a Constitution that consistently is rooted in post-Enlightenment deism, not the bible ("we hold these truths to be self-evident) d) consistently oppressed other nations to our own advantage, often in the name of doing christian "missions". ?
17. Doesn't every person on the planet naturally think the government in their country is "the best"? Is it just coincidence that a million north Vietnamese were willing to die for communism? Is it not part of fallen human nature to make an idol of our own country's politics and be willing to kill other humans, made in the image of God, to defend it or expand it? Should a Christian ever kill another human to protect the interests of the human government in the country we are born? Should a Christian ever support or participate in a human government that results in killing other humans?
-- Stated otherwise, should a Christian in India have any stronger relationship to THEIR country's politics than a Christian in America, or Taiwan, or the Soveit Union, or Vietnam? Does the kingdom of God transcend these man-made boundaries? And do we not compromise the distinctiveness of THIS kingdom when we align ourselves with one country ("our" country) over against another -- because it is "better" ?
18. People always offer up practical considerations to justify "our" government going to war. What if Osama Bin Laden began to rule the world? What if no one stopped Hitler? etc... But where in Scripture are we ever encouraged to worry about running this fallen world? Did any early Christians worry this way about Nero? Does not such a concern reflect a fundamental mistrust in God's providence? Does not such a concern overstep the limited bounds that God has given his kingdom people to worry about? What if there simply is no natural human solution to the problems created by evil people and evil governments? (doesn't the on-going blood bath of human history testify that this is so?) Might it not prove helpful to the advance of the kingdom of God if this bloody inability to solve problems by "the natural mind" ran its course... while Christians all the while quietly testify to the divine alternative?
19. Is not the goal of the Christian life to be so invested in the Kingdom of God that this present life is counted as nothing? (The early church regarded martyrdom -- following Christ's example to death -- as an honor!) Do we not compromise this, to ourselves, and to the world, when we get entangled about "fighting for rights."? Didn't Jesus say that it was our distinctive LOVE -- embodying the triune love of God -- that would testify that Jesus was sent by the Father (Jn 17:20-26)? If ANYTHING hinders the actualization or expression of this love, is it worth it? And is it possible to actively be involved in governement while still being concerned only with expressing the triune love of God -- even to our enemies?
Okay, enough for now. I know this goes against the grain of a lot of people's thinking, so I won't be surprised if I get some strong opposing opinions. But I thought it would make for some good discussion.
God bless America
And Afganistan
And Russia
And North Vietnam
And China
And....
Justing thinking out loud
Doc
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