I must admit you do have Richard’s number.

cb

With all due respect, you seem unable to distinguish Jesus’ instructions to his disciples and us about how to act toward each other as members of the family of faith from how to boldly be the salt and light which breaks through the tastelessness and darkness of the secular world–yes, to the point of peaceful power and victory in the political arenas.

I know this inability is not due to a lack of “smarts.” I think it’s due the high degree of comfort you feel with liberal politics and policy fitting your re-shaped theology.

If ever one wanted an example of the way the Religious Right has completely misunderstood Christianity, Chuck’s comment is it.

You’re correct that there’s a big difference between power/control and mere influence–that difference is winning rather than losing.

Why would one have the objective to influence rather than control when it comes to politics–or football, for that matter?

Whenever you choose a political party, or a football team, to support, you desire it to win and the opposition to lose.

Dunn and the organizations I mentioned are very protective of the political and policy. But the result has been that the progressive church has been influenced by a political party to liberalize doctrine and values to meet the party’s liberal platform.

But the early Baptists, like the Anabaptists before them, insisted that church and state be separate precisely so that the church would be FREE to offer a prophetic word to the state. As the Hebrew prophets found, it’s hard to be prophetic on the payroll of the government (or the corporation, for that matter). The court prophets were all false prophets–God had to speak through shepherds like Amos and discredited priests like Jeremiah–not to mention a certain carpenter from Nazareth who didn’t have the proper rabbinic credentials.

It is the INSTITUTIONS of church and state which must be separate. As Roger Williams knew, God has established a “hedge or wall between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world.”

You’re just plain ole wrong.

James Dunn authored a “Politics: A Guidebook for Christians” in 1970. Dunn’s book taught Christians how to mix religion and politics. Surely you’ve heard of God’s Politics by Jim Wallis?? Wallis has been preaching mixing politics and religion for decades as well.

Your statement that the religious left’s mantra that separating faith from politics is a virtue just has no basis for support. Progressive Christian leaders have been mixing politics and religion since the days of the Civil Rights Movement.

Forget that tidbit of history?

The mission of the BJC is to uphold the Religion clauses of the First Amendment (etc.). Consequently, the BJC has never argued that faith should be separated from politics. Duh.

While faith should influence politics, Dunn and others have argued that religious groups and organizations should not sell their souls to one political party. The Moral Majority sought to control the Republican Party. There is a big difference between power/control and mere influence…

That’s bull or donkey, one.

Jimmy Carter, of all people, was villified for describing himself as born again. (I wish he’d stick to that now, instead of endorsing other paths to God as well).

Just look at the further criticism of Jerry Falwell for organizing the Moral Majority instead of sticking to pastoring.

Just look at Americans United, BJC, and any number of “Christian” organizations whose mantra is to protect politics and policy from unwanted church influence.

Sorry for misspelling “virtue.” Maybe that’s what confused you.