I just passed 200 hits on my blog. That makes me happy. Thanks to all of you who have spent some time here. The crazy thing is that the only way people have heard of this is through Tom Flammer's blog. I haven't emailed my email list about it yet. I was waiting until I show complete commitment to blogging. I think I might be there now.
I will take time out now to discuss the anonymous post to one of previous posts. Ms. Anonymous had this to say with interruptions by myself and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, that inconsiderate dead man.
"From what I gather from my liberal humanist lawyer pen pal, The "Conservative Christian" movement that started when Reagan was president would suggest that Christians have tried to implement their morals into politics without any effort whatsoever to try and explain those morals to people who don't agree with them, in doing so many many people have come to completely detest Christianity or at least it's political agenda. They see Christianity as a bunch of rules being forced on them to stamp out any and all diversity because of narrowmindedness. They don't see the loving society taking care of both insiders and outsiders that we should be."
If it offends someone by my saying that homosexuality isn't a lifestyle that is pleasing to God, adultery is not ok, abortion is murder, or any of the other things that are out of God's will for humanity then let the offending begin. Christianity is about living under the law of Christ (Rom 8). It isn't about cheap grace. It's about living a life that is no longer mine (Mark 8:34-38). It's about be a complete and living sacrifice to the will of God (Rom 12:1).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in the Cost of Discipleship: "Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him."
I have rearrived at my conclusion concerning politics that I shouldn't turn someone off to Christ because of my political beliefs. There isn't a political party that is completely in line with the will of God. But if my moral beliefs that are based upon the teachings of Scripture turns someone off to the gospel, then they are turned off to the gospel by the gospel itself. Part of the gospel message that we sometimes fail to teach is holiness. We are called to live a holy life. That is what Christ is calling everyone to. However, we need to be careful that we are not obnoxious in our holiness but allow our example along with loving conversation to do the convicting.
"Concerning abortion, my heart bleeds when I think about it, and I will never agree with it. I would like every unborn child to have a chance in this world. I think in a truly Christian society it would be easy to outlaw it not only because every one would agree with it but because people would not see it as necessary, people would be taking care of each other and each child WOULD have a chance to have a good life. However this doesn't happen in America's government as it is right now, giving people the idea that we NEED abortion because it's best for some children never to experience life than to experience a bad life. In the end, however, outlawing abortion would seem to assume that women have no choice about what happens inside their bodies (even more so if we outlaw birthcontrol). The fact is each woman makes a concious or unconcious decision about what happens to their baby whether or not it is legal. Should I become pregnant I make a choice, concious or not, legal or not as to what happens to that child from that moment on. If I smoke I'm making a decision that my pleasure comes before the childs health. If I chose not to go to the doctor, not to take vitamins, to drink, these are all choices that I have to make, simply because God gave me freewill, that can lead to injury, underdevelopment and even death for unborn children. So my point is, at long last, in a christian government what do we outlaw and what do we keep as personal decision? How many laws would we really need if we assume that everyone is trying their best to follow God's will? Wouldn't adding laws assume that no one can follow God's will unless they are forced by threat of punishment? And, are people Christian if the law says they are or if they make that decision for themselves? If law can't make us Christian, can law make us moral? How does a Christian nation enforce the laws it creates?"
A nation's responsibility is to equally uphold the rights of all. Abortion should be illegal in America because we care about the rights of everybody. But that is a different subject than the point that was really the main subject. Abortion was just the illustration.
What laws should there be in a Christian nation and where do we draw the line? I will take a shot at the idea that there would be no need for laws. It is like the church. If a brother or sister in society notices another in sin, they should approach them. If that doesn't work, they should bring another with them. If that fails again, they should bring it to the church. At that point, the option is still open that what the "sinner" is doing might not be wrong. The church could say so. We would have more laws than could be written and all that would matter would be the spirit of the law. There would be no loopholes.
We would all be trying to live out our Christian lives to the fullest, so the only law should be the law of the Spirit of Christ. Maybe that is a little too radical, but that is what we do in churches. Although I will say that some churches don't do anything at all.
A lot of the comments about Christian Exodus would also condemn Christian communes. I hope to discuss that soon.
That topic brings us to my interview with Ryan Dobson. I hope I get it completely transcribed today and post it tomorrow.
Watch out for the potholes.
