Last Sunday I interacted with the perception described in UnChristian that present-day is too political. From what I can understand, the real issue is not that Christians are involved in politics, but rather it’s the way in which we’re involved. When outsiders see Christians misrepresenting the views of their political “enemies” or denigrating the character of those they oppose instead of intelligently interacting with their opponent’s positions, it destroys Christian credibility in our culture.
James Dobson’s comments about Obama are an excellent illustration of this.
Outsiders don’t expect us to stay out of politics, but they do expect us to engage in politics in Christlike way.
For more, check out what Scot McKnight has to say.
10 responses so far...
I think it’s clear that Obama’s statement about applying the OT law was inaccurate, but that wasn’t his point. He was talking about living in a pluralistic society as a person of faith. James Dobson has illustrated in real-life what would be a bad approach to being a Christian in the public square.
You are right, of course. If people who wear the name of Christ can’t behave civilly, how are they different from fundamentalist Hindus in India or staunch secularists in France? Mocking and misrepresenting people of other views isn’t the way to go.
It would have been nice for Dobson to show a third way, a higher road, and had a genuine discussion with Obama.
There was a time when evangelical Christianity was not in bed with all things Republican. But most of us don’t read history so we don’t bother to know “why we think as we think.”
White evangelicals get frustrated with African-Americans, for instance, who whole-sale vote for a Democrat–yet we tragically fail to see the plank coming out of our own theological eye.
Until we can get beyond the categories of Right and Left (as defined by Western ideology), we will continue to spin our wheels in the mud.
That we can’t even have this debate in most of our churches without fangs and claws emerging is the sure sign that we’ve gotten in bad with the conversative Republican agenda without even charging a fee. “The worst kind of whore,” Luther is reported to have once said, “. . . the whore who charges nothing.”
Oh I love Obama… I think… Dunno really. I’m gonna vote for that guy because I always vote democrate.. All artists and muscians do don’t they?
What’s going on anyways… Is it our job to “fight” evil? To police the liberals (like me) Makes folks wanna run away from church.
My job as a believer is to introduce folks to that groovy guy from Nazereth. Who said:
Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s
I think James Dobbson and some of the Christian right are afraid of change. For the first time in decades Christians are thinking for themselves and will be voting democrat. The republicans can no longer say, “We are the party of the evangelicals”. Religous leaders guilting Christians to vote a certain way isn’t going to work this election. We are tired of being motivated out of fear but are using our intellect. I think if the church is going to be a non-profit organization then we should keep our mouths shut about politics. We must understand and I am sure it is like this at Garnett Church that many Christians are republican, democrat, independant, green party, and have other political opinions. I have heard it said that when you preach Jesus and politics you get politics. But really, should the church get political? Should the church influence votes? Seperation of church and state must be observe and followed if we are going to be non-profit.
I won’t be so rough with Dobson. I’m not going to put him to a logic or intellectual honesty test. I will put Obama to a test solely because he is running for office. Oops he failed. So did McCain. That sucks.
Could you imagine what would happen if I applied a logic and intellectual honesty test to preachers and their sermons? I would be miserable.
I’m glad I don’t try to figure out who is unchristian. It just doesn’t seem like I’m the right fella to do such a thing.
I have thought about this stuff too, and feel that probably some in the Christian world are. I mostly avoid the political stuff.
Dr. Dobson opens himself up for criticism all the time but he has a right to voice his opinions as a Christian. If he were a leader or senior pastor of his church I would be very opposed to this but his position is one of opinion and expressing his world view and how he sees the world being shaped.
Obama happens to be a candidate for which many are divided. Some believe just about everything he says, despite lacking specifics, as the solution. Others look at his smidgen of a record and say “so far all he’s stood for are things that are appalling to many believers except for the Hope and Change rhetoric. I happen to side with the latter and hope for change so that neither McCain or Obama are elected and a third party candidate comes forth.
Either way my church won’t be hearing about it from me. But give Dobson a break he’s done so much amazing work for the Kingdom of God. So what if you don’t agree with his worldview on Obama look at how much he’s done and compare yourself to that. I’m pretty sure if any of us did that we’d shut up really quick as most of us would pale in comparison to the faithfulness of this brother.
You talk negatively about Dobson for talking negatively about Obama? That, at least to me, seems hypocritical.
Interesting conversation and the post raises some great questions. I’m just now finishing reading Shane Claiborn’s “Jesus for President” and I love the way he asserts that God is political and his followers are political also (whether we want to admit it or not); However, the politics of God and his kingdom breaking into the world are so drastically different than what we know of as politics.
God is not concerned about power-plays, billion dollar budgets, or a specific party, but more concerned about letting the kingdom of God restructure how we do life. Lately, I’ve been much more concerned about helping our church to be more intentionally peculiar within our surrounding culture rather than simply choosing up a side in the growing political debates going on. I happen to believe that Christ-Followers should, in fact, be political, but I think God calls us to ask different questions and work towards a different form of transformation than simply rallying around a certain political party.
Why is it hypocritical to point out obvious falacies in Dobson’s representation of Obama based on the perception of a “record of good works” — particularly when Dobson himself makes no bones about the fact that he is politically biased?
Your message was good this week. I have had to check my own perceptions in which I have tended to assume an agenda oriented approach to most of the religious right. The series of messages is good for both insiders and quasi-inside-outers to hear as we often react to the perceptions more than the reality, which tends to draw up walls inside the body of Christ more than we know.
I will say that comments like the ones that Dobson made seem to ratchet up the discussion a little more than most because of the propensity to use high rhetoric tones and the assumption that they have cornered the market on “good” theology — lord forbid the heavens fall should someone actually make a theological case that can tolerate abortion, gay marriage, or government subsidies.
It seems that what we have not done well as of late (or perhaps ever) is civilly disagree on the universal ramifications of “stuff.”