(I know it's unfashionable to find politics interesting... I apologize in advance to my friends who would rather hear anecdotes and cuddly life stories.)

When does a "rebel government" become the government to support, as a Christian?  Two case studies to ponder - the American War of Independence, and the various "militias" and "gangs" "ruling" certain parts of the world.?  Where is the line between "protection money" and "patriotism"?

Secondly, if you consider yourself politically liberal, don't watch this video... you might experience cognitive "ouch" that is severe enough to be hazardous to your health.

But I watched it and survived.     There were some thought-provoking elements, such as his pinpointing postmodern "don't judge (anything/anyone/ever)" as the key theme of contemporary liberalism, and his connecting it to various cultural elements.   I also appreciated his attempt to "look at the world through liberal eyes" and showing that the main value in the liberal worldview is "peace".   Peace, at any cost.   This does seem to fit with what I've seen in my liberal friends.

I guess I sheepishly would like to hear some liberals' perspectives on his speech... though not for the sake of the cognitive pain the liberals would have to endure in the watching, but to hear "their side of the story" - is he right?  or if not, where does he go wrong in describing the liberal mindset?

Chew on this quote for a minute -

"There is an important struggle going on for the soul of Christianity, which should be of concern to everyone, Christian or not. The debate is not just at the level of arguments over whether, for example, certain Old Testament passages should be interpreted to condemn homosexuality. The deeper struggle is over whether Christianity is to be understood as a closed set of answers that leads to the intensification of these boundaries, or as an invitation to explore questions that help people transcend boundaries. Such a struggle is going on not only within Christianity, but in all the major world religions."

The quote is from Robert Jensen, a self-professed "Christian Atheist" in Texas.   Fascinating to read his whole article, if you get a chance.

I think his quoted words are correct, in a sense, although he comes to the wrong conclusions and uses bad wording to describe the phenomenon.   Here's how I would put it instead:

"There is an important struggle going on for the soul of Christianity, which should be of concern to true Christians even more than anyone else. The debate is not just at the level of arguments over whether, for example, certain Old Testament passages should be interpreted to condemn homosexuality. The deeper struggle is over whether Jesus Christ is to be understood as The Way, The Truth, and The Life, to whom all people across the globe desperately need to turn in repentance and belief, or whether he is to be regarded as merely a good moral teacher and his religion One Path Among Many, whose only taboo is 'intolerance.' Such a struggle is going on not only within Christianity, but also within Islam, Judaism, and to a lesser extent, Hinduism."

Indeed, the major religions are undergoing liberalizing influences.  Christianity has been experiencing it for centuries.  Postmodernism has only exacerbated this trend.  But it was Jesus Himself who divided the entire world into "he who is for Me" versus "he who is against Me," who spoke of "My sheep" versus those who were "not of My sheep", and who said, "Unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins."

"Exploration of questions that help people transcend boundaries" is all well and good, unless it causes people to leave the pure Truth given to them by the Creator God, in search of sophistry and philosophy that lets them live their lives whatever way they want - trying to get rid of 'that pesky God' with His 'strict and antiquated rules'.

Exploration of questions is a great thing, but the answers to the questions are most important.  Holding to the wrong answers in this case... will lead to Hell.

An American?  Yes.  I am an American.

But first and dearest, I am a Christian - an adopted son of the Creator God.

As a Christian, I believe that Jesus was right when He said -

"See to it that no one misleads you.
For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.
You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.

But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."
Is this morbid of me?  Am I improperly focusing on the "dark" that is in society without properly seeing the "light" in every person?  Ought I to follow the Buddhist path and ignore the evil, unrest, wars, and riots that are happening with increasing frequency around the world?   Shall I believe the liberal/Eastern "peace and safety" myth, as in the following poem, that peace is actually attainable without God's Messiah?

(keep in mind that this poem was written the day after September 11, 2001)

Wage peace with your breath.

Breathe in firemen and rubble, breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.

Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.

Play music, memorize the words for thank you in three languages.

Learn to knit, and make a hat.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries, imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.

Swim for the other side.

Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious:

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

- judyth hill

No.   No!   and with much weeping I say... No.
Flowers, tea, and knitting, wonderful as they are, will never bring us peace!
I say this not because I am a pessimistic person, but because I am a realistic person.  I say this because God has pronounced, very clearly, that there will be no peace until Jesus Christ returns to reign on earth forever.

Evil is not an illusion (and should not be treated as if it is such), chaos is not "dancing raspberries".

Rather, evil is real.  Sin is the darkest of abhorrent twistedness, a screaming-in-the-face-of the Beautiful One.

But God...   But God is there, and He is not silent... He has not left us alone...  He has acted...

Evil is temporary.  Our bottled tears will soon be wiped away, and death will be no more.

You who are grieved at the evil in the world, turn to the Loving Creator!

Please don't ignore Him, don't pretend that He doesn't exist - don't pretend you don't need Him.   Accept the forgiveness He offers you in Christ's substitutionary death-for-us!  Please accept it before it is too late.

Turn to Him in wholehearted repentance... in a 180 degree reversal of your past self-worshipping life...  turn to Him in devotion and allegiance - worship Him alone.

Then, and only then, go make some soup.

 

    For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9