There are two topics that are cultural faux pas: politics and religion. Here is a post about both:With the 4th of July coming up in 5 days I've started to notice how tightly knit some people have associated God with government confusing patriotic pledges with prayers. Some citizens have gotten the line so blurred that characteristics from one are spilling into the other. People start mixing religion and politics more and more until eventually they can't tell them apart.
If I asked you to rank the importance of your faith, and your country how would they stack up?
Allow me to make some statements:
Jesus isn't Caucasian
Jesus didn't speak English during His first visit
The Bible wasn't originally written in English
The national anthem isn't a prayer
God isn't obligated to bless America/ America isn't guaranteed God's blessing
I know to some of you this is pretty obvious but believe it or not there are Americans out there who have either never considered this or don't believe it. Let me clear some stuff up right now before people start to get angry at me. I am thankful for the freedom of this country. I am grateful that I don't have to fear a lot of the same things the rest of the world has to fear on a daily basis. But having said that I am a follower of Jesus first and foremost. I have a hard time with pledging my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America when I have already been bought by the blood of Christ.
Christianity isn't American and America isn't Christian. It is troubling to see missionaries go to other countries and try to turn them into Americans rather than followers of Christ. Jesus has been rejected by people because they were being sold American culture in a Christian wrapping. Don't think it's just over seas... it happens here everyday.
A sincere Christian + false beliefs = a derailed (or disillusioned) Christian
Let me ask you this simple question: How do you feel about illegal aliens? Let me rephrase that: How do you feel about God's Children (your brothers and sisters) sharing some of God's Earth with you? Depending on how mixed religion and politics are for you will determine how difficult the question is. We start to confuse our passion and loyalty to God for our passion and loyalty to a political party or a country. Jesus isn't republican, Jesus isn't Democrat, and Jesus isn't American. If America was founded on Christianity I think we would be communist or socialist. At least closer on the spectrum than capitalism.
This 4th of July celebrate the blessing of America's freedom. Remember it is possible to be both Christian and live in America but recognize the difference.
Agreed up to "If America was founded on Christianity I think we would be communist or socialist." I see your point since in Acts it says " No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had."
ReplyDeleteAs communism and socialism might seem noble in principle, and applicable to this scripture, its really not. In both institutions, giving and sharing is not voluntary, its forced by an authoritarian body. Even if this higher authority has the most Christ centered intentions, true generosity is never forced. For that reason, I disagree that the best form of christian government would be socialist in nature. Rather a free market, where people don't have to give, but CHOOSE to, is where real love can be shown.
Adam didn't say that it would be forced upon us to be communist or socialist, though. If we were founded on Christianity and every citizen behaved the way Jesus taught us to, I also believe that we would willingly be socialist.
ReplyDeleteToday a man on the radio said that because Obama got rid of the National Day of Prayer and because he's considering taking "God" and "Jesus" out of military funerals (never mind the part where we aren't in a dictatorship) that "there are no Democrats that can claim to be religious". To him religion = Christianity. All I could think was that I wish people could look at them separately and understand that you can be religious and patriotic without mixing the two together.
"Gods Children sharing earth" isn't the problem. As you paraphrased your first question, you left out the "illegal" part. Immigration isn't the issue. Essentially, immigration is why we are all here. The illegality of it is the problem. Undocumented workers can cause serious problems for the economy and the government. A government which you say shouldn't be associating with Christianity anyways.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact: The Star Spangled Banner is played to the tune of an old English drinking song...I'd definitely say it isn't a prayer.
True, and I did know what Adam meant (we've had this conversation before). But there is a new movement within Christianity that is very pro socialism on a government scale, and alot of Chirstians think that it sounds applicable to that verse in Acts (Google "Soujourners"). However, they're advocating socialism on a government scale by promoting forced redistribution of wealth. No way is that the type of generosity that Christ compels to offer.
ReplyDeleteSo basically I just took Adam intentionally out of context to further my own gripe against others :)
yeah good post, I also was with you until the socialist communist comment. I think it would be a mistake to try and say that any form of government reflects certain religious values or that religious values are reflected in a form of government (save for various Islamic Nations) because when government is backed by religion it cannot be spectacularly destructive(i.e. the Crusades).
ReplyDeleteThe two serve distinctly different roles and purposes in our lives. Socialist governments aren't any more 'godly' than capitalist governments are, its just a different way to provide order and structure to a society. Like you said, Jesus wasn't a Democrat or a Republican, well he's also not a communist or a libertarian. He's interested in setting up his heavenly Kingdom, not in mediating a political debate b/t some rich old white guy and some jobless hippy.
To sum up, obey God's law first, obey government second. Recognize, however, that we cannot allow religious affiliation to distort what you believe is best for the country we are all so blessed to be a part of. Similarly, do not allow your political affiliation to become religion. Focus on the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of men, keep them separate and recognize that they are distinctly different and NOT equal.
"How do you feel about God's Children (your brothers and sisters) sharing some of God's Earth with you?" - WHOOOOA, righteous quote man. I got some sick shit called God's Earth growing in my basement maaan. Want to smoke a J in the park? It's all natural and herbal and came from God maaan. Seems as if you are also blurring politics and religion. Politics - this is American soil and you are talking about illegal immigrants. Religion - saying we are all God's children. Get a green card and we can share the land, and taxes. You are combining the two. Also, people have been combining the two for ages. Check the Middle East maaan. Politics mixed with religion foooor suuuure. 9/11 ring a bell, homeslice? What do you say about an American Atheist; no allegiance to God, and only country?
ReplyDelete"I have already been bought by the blood of Christ" - Was it in American dollars, euros, pesos?
ReplyDelete"Jesus has been rejected by people because they were being sold American culture in a Christian wrapping." - Maybe they just didn't want to follow Jesus/God. There are more religions than one. Stating something like "We start to confuse our passion and loyalty to God for our passion and loyalty to a political party or a country" kind of makes me think your combining "religion" with Christianity. Not so.
When this country was founded, Christianity was the top dog in world religion at that time for the founders of this country. Therefore, Christianity was built into our Constitution and our independence. It's not a recent faux pas, it's what our country was founded on. So to mesh them and intermingle them in the USA isn't unheard of, at all. If you don't like USA's foundation, go to Darfur and let me know how long you stay (yes, I saw where you said you like this country blah lah, but it sounds like you need to go to the Middle East, they kill for some quality religion there, literally).
Lastly, I think you chose this topic to get attention. Your last blogs were snoozers (check the # of comments on them compared to this one). You chose two hot/highly debatable topics so people wouldn't fall asleep to a cinnabron debate. So ha, how's that Dirk taste?
Faithfully submitted, CAM
1) Travis/Kacie/Travis - Kacie got what I was going for although I'm glad Travis could let out some of his frustration. So I agree with both of you.
ReplyDelete2)Anonymous - My point is there are no immigrates, no illegals in my opinion. What gives me the right to call this chunk of God's Earth mine and not someone else? None of it belongs to anyone. Enjoyed the fun fact and it further reinforces my belief that America isn't Christian.
3)David - I do NOT want America to switch to socialism. I'm just saying if we call our selves a Christian nation then wouldn't we pool it all together? (I actually had a blurb about the Crusades that I edited out for length sake.) your sum up was a beautiful closing argument have you considered law school?
4)Anonymous - Good point
5)Cody - It was by no currency of man but by the blood of the Lamb. True some people don't want to follow Jesus/God and there are more religions than one but I was mainly referring to the cases where people reject Jesus because of the distorted view of the evangelist. for lack of a better term I was combining religion with Christianity although I am aware there is more than one religion. I disagree with you that Christianity was built into our Constitution. Just because a document as the word God in it doesn't make it Christian based. If our country was founded on a religion it wasn't Christianity. The God referred to in the bible is different from the one referred to in the Constitution and that is the distinction I was trying to make in this post. I do like this country blah lah. Thank you for the feed back on my snoozer posts, I warned that this post would be on the two hot button topics, and that Dirk tastes just fine. If you want to read a post that is interesting you should check out my post about the WNBA its a good read.
I will pay as much attention to your blog about the WNBA as I will their games...none. America (or Christianity to you) is with me, check the ratings (may be worse than your blog rating/views). Also, you trumped your own point at work (and then switched your argument to, "Well, they could make the playoffs") and proved that the NBA's 15th championship team could beat the WNBA's 15th championship team. You showed me the stats, so I know you know; and for that I thank you.
ReplyDeleteSo wait...you watch enough of the WNBA to analyze the games and criticize them without having the balls to put a name on your comments? I mean, that's exactly what you did to his post about it and you sad you'd pay attention to to his post as much as you do the games. Except, you said that would be none and then you went on to prove you wrote it. You did, however, use a semi colon correctly. For that, I thank you.
ReplyDeleteI've watched PARTS of MULTIPLE games, mainly to laugh at them but also to experience the horror. Kind of like reading and commenting on Adam's blog. PARTS because they are too awful to watch all of, and MULTIPLE for a reason unknown, boredom perhaps. They were terrible then, and now I pay NO ATTENTION to them and their atheletes. If I want to watch elite athletes play b-ball I'll stick to the NBA. Name me a player in the WNBA that is 6'8" around 250 lbs, is lightning quick and has around a 45" vertical. LeBron James comes to mind w/ those numbers in the NBA. Name me 5 players in the WNBA that can throw down like LBJ, Wade, Kobe, Vince Carter, and Blake Griffin. Men aren't better at b-ball b/c you now think I'm sexist, men are better because they are bigger, faster, and stronger. Better to watch. After 15 years of existence the NBA produced a guy named Bill Russell. Find me a girl in the WNBA that has produced the stats that Russell did. I don't need to watch the games to know girls can't match the NBA's superior magnitude. "It's science" - Will Ferrell.
ReplyDeleteCody M. (Thanks for the semi colon shoutout though)
Also, I really don't need the WNBA as a comparison for girls basketball to guys. It is that way growing up on all levels. More people turn out for guys' games than girls' games in grade school, high school, and college. The UCONN girls team comes to mind. Shattered a winning streak record; people paid attention to the fact they broke it but few actually cared. The WNBA is just the next and last level of this.
ReplyDeleteCody M