As is becoming increasingly common, many people calling themselves Christians manage to mangle the gospel, show how poorly we tend to think nowadays, and fall prey to all the usual leftist nostrums. A good example is found in an article someone tipped me off to. Some religious lefty was complaining about the Chick-fil-A buycotts.
It was all typical lefty PC nonsense:
-“Is This How We Reach the World for Christ?”
-“And people on the other side mostly saw judgementalism and condemnation.”
-“Let’s not risk alienating people we want to reach for Christ merely so we can make a political statement.”
Oh puh-leeese. The truth is, misguided Christians were saying the exact same thing about Wilberforce and his work at eradicating slavery. “Wilby old boy, this is not how we reach people for Christ. People will see you as judgmental and condemning. We are alienating the slave owners and slave traders, preventing them from coming to Christ.”
This guy is really quite clueless. He needs to be reminded that there is the Great commission of Matt 28 and there is also the Cultural Commission of Gen 1. Christians are called to be involved in both. Standing for righteousness, defending God’s purposes for human sexuality, and refusing to allow the enemies of freedom to shut down lawful business, churches and anything else that stands for what is right is in fact part of our calling to be salt and light.
Indeed, the short answer to his silly objections is this: this Chick-fil-A appreciation day was never meant to be about “reaching the world for Christ” but about being salt and light and standing up for righteousness and freedom. Indeed, plenty of non-Christians were involved in the August 1 day. All were concerned about the intimidation, harassment and bullying of the militants, and the way one business was being wrongly targeted just because of the personal beliefs of the boss.
And even though the intention here was not about “evangelising” or “winning people to Jesus,” there would have been much of this taking place indirectly anyway. When Chick-fil-A workers or patrons took bags of food and cold drinks out to the protestors on these hot August days, they were showing Christ’s love – just the thing these lefty Christians always say we should be doing.
Indeed, I bet this lefty is all in favour of Christians getting political and into “social justice” and taking a stand against the “evils” of capitalism, America, conservatism, etc. If he were consistently attacking all political involvement, be it left or right, that would be one thing. But one suspects this is not where he is coming from. (But given that I know nothing about him except for what he writes here, I could be mistaken.)
While the protestors were hurling abuse and hatred, vandalising and graffiting properties, and causing public disturbances with their kiss-ins, etc, the loving and patient responses of the Christians were also a witness for Christ. The contrast could not be greater.
Watch this short video of a poor Chick-fil-A worker politely stand her ground showing Christian love and patience as she took abuse from a pro-homosexual customer: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/08/03/a-lesson-in-love-from-the-drive-thru/
In marked contrast watch the hate and demonic rage pouring out of the homosexual protestors on their “kiss-in” on August 3: http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/08/03/chick-fil-a-kiss-in-hollywood-the-pictures/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Tatler
While this lefty Christian wants to shoot the victims here, the truth is believers have shown incredible grace and forbearance as the militants have sought to do everything to push their ungodly agenda, including seeking to shut down a business all because its owner believes that marriage is between a man and a woman – just like what 99.9 per cent of all other married people engage in.
The simple truth is, a war has been declared against faith, freedom and family. The militants started this battle, not us. The trendy religious lefties would have us sit by and watch all the good which the Judeo-Christian-based Western civilisation has given us be destroyed by the radicals.
We are supposed to just sit by as family and marriage are gutted, faith is made illegal, and our very liberties are stolen away from us – all so that we do not offend someone. Sorry bub, but I just am not buying it. When the disciples found idolatry in their midst, they challenged it head on – even if it caused riots.
See for example Acts 16:16-40 (the diviner at Philippi) and Acts 19: 23-41 (the silversmiths in Ephesus). They caused trouble wherever they went. But this trendy lefty would say the early apostles were wrong to do this – they were just alienating people and making things political. Don’t you just love it when believers take the high moral ground, claiming to be more moral and righteous than even the twelve disciples?
The spineless jellyfish would have us all roll over and play dead – just what the militant activists want. As Gary DeMar writes, “Rush Limbaugh said that the attack on a business like Chick-fil-A is tactical. It’s ‘a direct assault on Christianity — a direct assault on Christians — with economic punishment thrown in, including threats from government officials that are in direct violation of the Constitution.’
“From its earliest days, Christianity has been attacked because Christians viewed the State as a ‘minister of God’ (Rom 13:4) and not a god. In some circumstances they ‘must obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29), including Caesar. Dictatorial governments that believe they are god don’t like competition. That’s why in the French and Russian revolutions, God was persona non grata. The same was true in North Korea, Cuba, and Communist China. It’s been said that ‘we owe the moral force which won our Independence’ on the puritan pulpit.”
He reminds us of America’s founding, and how different things were back then: “The annual Election Sermon bears witness that our founders ‘began their civil year and its responsibilities with an appeal to Heaven, and recognized Christian morality as the only basis of good laws.’ In addition, the clergy were often consulted by the civil authorities in the colonies, ‘and not infrequently the suggestions from the pulpit, on election days and other special occasions, were enacted into laws. The statute-book, the reflex of the age, shows this influence. The State was developed out of the Church.’
“Enemies of freedom understood the impact that Christians and Christianity had on America. Alexis de Tocqueville observed long ago: ‘On the eve of the revolution, in his last-ditch attempt to stave off impending catastrophe, Edmund Burke reminded the House of Commons of the inseparable alliance between liberty and religion among Englishmen in America.’
“Many Christian pastors today are unaware of this history with the result that they avoid the topic of politics. Politics is said to be dirty. Isn’t the pulpit the place where dirt (sin) is to be exposed and washed away through a redemptive process? Paul told the Ephesian elders that he did not shrink from declaring to them the ‘whole purpose of God’ (Acts 20:27). When confronted by the Roman government, he declared his Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25–30) and later appealed to Caesar for justice (25:7–12). In time the Roman Empire fell and Christianity marched on.
“Paul repeats the commandments prohibiting adultery, murder, and theft (Rom. 13:9), and sums up his specific exhortation on the law with the general command to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ (13:9). These instructions came after he informed his fellow-Christians that the civil magistrate is a ‘minister of God’ (13:4) who is to make a determination between good and evil behavior (13:3). It’s these truths that secularists despise. That’s why they are on the attack and have silent pulpits as their unwitting allies.”
Quite so. It seems this lefty Christian is little more than a stooge for the militants, giving them everything they want: a silent church, an ineffective gospel, and a bunch of wimpy believers who will never speak out on anything for fear of offending somebody.
8 Replies to “Mangling the Gospel and Appeasing the Militants”
Remember MLK stood on biblical principles to oppose racial segregation. You could imagine the segregationists saying;
“You can’t reach the world for Christ by inspiring so much social unrest and violence”
“The segregationists will feel judged!”
“You’ll alienate those that just want to preserve their own race!”
These arguments are so vacuous…
Damien Spillane
Thanks Damien
Yes you are 100% right.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Gotta respect Chick-fil-A
But I must admit I’m having trouble making a distinction between the, go out and preach the gospel and make friends with as many people as possible hoping they notice the Jesus in you. The 12 disciples continually travelled and preached but the first churches did what exactly?
Maybe my frustrations with my church is the absence of a clear purpose?
Daniel Kempton
In the 18th century, Voltaire said, “God will forgive; that’s his ‘business.’” 20th century poet W. H. Auden says it another way. “I like committing crimes. God likes forgiving them. Really the world is admirably arranged.”
So this is the kind of treatment many of us having to tolerate in the name of diversity and inclusion.
But as you say Bill, these nice Christians whilst showing remarkable tolerance and demanding that we forgive, forget and turn the other cheek do reveal their hatred against those who uphold justice and righteousness.
I was assaulted by a homosexual in a public meeting and nice Christians have said to me, “Why not just forgive him rather than seek justice?”
The fact of the matter is that when Luftwafer were bombing the hell out of London, British pilots were not asked to go up and deliver Bible tracts to the German pilots. Neither did the troops landing in Normandy on D-day go out street evangelising.
We are in a real war to the death for those who want to destroy our nation, families and children – not through bombs but through gay propaganda, intimidation, physical violence and political tyranny.
David Skinner, UK
Yes quite right David S.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The lovely Barry Duke who wrote such a flattering article about me above in the Pink Humanist mocked my efforts to rouse public support against Tesco. Well Mr Duke just a month or so after our expose of Tesco’s support of London and World Pride, the suffered a huge financial loss from which they still continue to suffer.
It is reported that in the USA the liberal Episcopalian Church is losing support with a similar pattern in the United Church of Canada, that country’s largest liberal protestant denomination. In the UK the Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the 77 million strong Anglican Communion, is stepping down to take up a university position. (What? Now?)
The blogger who asked: “Is this how we reach the world for Christ?” said she felt uncomfortable with the Chick-fil-A Christian solidarity demonstration; but the Chick-fil-A drive-thru employee showed an example of how it’s done as she met the gay rights supporter’s ranting rudeness with patience, kindness and dignity which shamed him into an apology. He said it made him realise that we can’t make personal attacks on people simply because we disagree with them. Incidentally he was fired from his job the next day as so many people had become incensed by the unedifying behaviour of this former lecturer and company executive, contrasted by the exemplary behaviour of the Chick fil A employee.
I was reading the pew sheet for St Peters Anglican church eastern hill, and the Vicar was making a comment about the lady who i assumed was his wife. But he called her his “marriage partner”. oh dear such balderdash. Yes Rachael the Anglican Church is also losing ground. It is now second to the (Henry VIII shudder) the Catholics.
Wayne Pelling
Remember MLK stood on biblical principles to oppose racial segregation. You could imagine the segregationists saying;
“You can’t reach the world for Christ by inspiring so much social unrest and violence”
“The segregationists will feel judged!”
“You’ll alienate those that just want to preserve their own race!”
These arguments are so vacuous…
Damien Spillane
Thanks Damien
Yes you are 100% right.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Gotta respect Chick-fil-A
But I must admit I’m having trouble making a distinction between the, go out and preach the gospel and make friends with as many people as possible hoping they notice the Jesus in you. The 12 disciples continually travelled and preached but the first churches did what exactly?
Maybe my frustrations with my church is the absence of a clear purpose?
Daniel Kempton
In the 18th century, Voltaire said, “God will forgive; that’s his ‘business.’” 20th century poet W. H. Auden says it another way. “I like committing crimes. God likes forgiving them. Really the world is admirably arranged.”
So this is the kind of treatment many of us having to tolerate in the name of diversity and inclusion.
http://www.wetheundereducated.com/2010/05/01/david-skinner-is-a-cunt/
http://thepinkhumanist.com/index.php/5-no-mincing-words
But as you say Bill, these nice Christians whilst showing remarkable tolerance and demanding that we forgive, forget and turn the other cheek do reveal their hatred against those who uphold justice and righteousness.
I was assaulted by a homosexual in a public meeting and nice Christians have said to me, “Why not just forgive him rather than seek justice?”
The fact of the matter is that when Luftwafer were bombing the hell out of London, British pilots were not asked to go up and deliver Bible tracts to the German pilots. Neither did the troops landing in Normandy on D-day go out street evangelising.
We are in a real war to the death for those who want to destroy our nation, families and children – not through bombs but through gay propaganda, intimidation, physical violence and political tyranny.
David Skinner, UK
Yes quite right David S.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The lovely Barry Duke who wrote such a flattering article about me above in the Pink Humanist mocked my efforts to rouse public support against Tesco. Well Mr Duke just a month or so after our expose of Tesco’s support of London and World Pride, the suffered a huge financial loss from which they still continue to suffer.
God is not mocked.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9009147/Tesco-loses-4bn-of-its-value-after-warning-on-profits.html.
We need to wage this war wherever we can.
David Skinner, UK
It is reported that in the USA the liberal Episcopalian Church is losing support with a similar pattern in the United Church of Canada, that country’s largest liberal protestant denomination. In the UK the Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the 77 million strong Anglican Communion, is stepping down to take up a university position. (What? Now?)
The blogger who asked: “Is this how we reach the world for Christ?” said she felt uncomfortable with the Chick-fil-A Christian solidarity demonstration; but the Chick-fil-A drive-thru employee showed an example of how it’s done as she met the gay rights supporter’s ranting rudeness with patience, kindness and dignity which shamed him into an apology. He said it made him realise that we can’t make personal attacks on people simply because we disagree with them. Incidentally he was fired from his job the next day as so many people had become incensed by the unedifying behaviour of this former lecturer and company executive, contrasted by the exemplary behaviour of the Chick fil A employee.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/the-collapse-of-the-liberal-church/article4443228/
Rachel Smith, UK
I was reading the pew sheet for St Peters Anglican church eastern hill, and the Vicar was making a comment about the lady who i assumed was his wife. But he called her his “marriage partner”. oh dear such balderdash. Yes Rachael the Anglican Church is also losing ground. It is now second to the (Henry VIII shudder) the Catholics.
Wayne Pelling