Why I No Longer Consider Myself a Democrat
Thank you Tim Keller for blowing up my worldview yet again. From Ministries of Mercy: The call of the Jericho Road
“While accomplishing this task [loving in word and deed], Francis Schaeffer said, Christians may at times be ‘cobelligerents’ with the Left or the Right, but never allies. ‘If there is social injustice, say there is social injustice. If we need order, say we need order … But do not align yourself as though you are in either of these camps: You are an ally of neither. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is different from either — totally different.‘”
“The ideology of the Left believes big government and social reform will solve social ills, while the Right believes big business and economic growth will do it. The Left expects a citizen to be held legally accountable for the use of his wealth, but totally autonomous in other areas, such as sexual morality. The Right expects a citizen to be held legally accountable in areas of personal morality, but totally autonomous in the use of wealth. The North American ‘idol’ — radical individualism — lies beneath both ideologies. A Christian sees either ‘solution‘ as fundamentally humanistic and simplistic.”
“The causes of our worsening social problems are far more complex than either the secularists of the Right or Left understand. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities! We have seen there is great social injustice — racial prejudice, greed, avarice — by those with the greatest wealth in the country (and sadly, within the evangelical church itself). At the same time, there is a general breakdown of order — of the family and the morals of the nation. There is more premarital sex (and thus there are more unwed mothers), more divorce, child neglect and abuse, more crime. Neither a simple redistribution of wealth nor simple economic growth and prosperity can mend broken families; nor can they turn low-skilled mothers into engineers or technicians.”
“Only the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ, and the millions of ‘mini-churches; (Christian homes) throughout the country can attack the roots of social problems. Only the church can minister to the whole person. Only the gospel understands that sin has ruined us both individually and socially. We cannot be viewed individualistically (as the capitalists do) or collectivistically (as the communists do) but as related to God. Only Christians, armed with the Word and Spirit, planning and working to spread the kingdom and righteousness of Christ, can transform a nation as well as a neighborhood as well as a broken heart.”
“Cobelligerent With the Left” sounds so much cooler than “Democrat” anyway…
Thoughts?
Discussion of “Why I No Longer Consider Myself a Democrat”
This entry was posted on 08 16th, 2010 and is filed under Government, Justice, Ministry, Politics, The Gospel, Transformation.
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Do over for horrid spelling from my phone:
Totally agree with Tim, though disappointed with the side that you choose to cobelligerate with.
The tough thing in my mind is getting the universal church to try to do something, anything. I am guilty of turning a blind eye to the poor. Multiply that times 200 and you have the typical local church. It is easy to be overwhelmed with social justice issues and costs. It is also easy to relegate it back to the government, who doesn't have any fiscal restraint.
This is so, so good! Years ago I declared myself independent. Not as part of the "Independent Camp" but willing to put myself in NO camp. And what you wrote was the basis of my choice… although I was never able to state it so eloquently. Great post.