This is the second post of a four part series on God and politics. Ok, ok so it took me longer to get this out than I thought. But I have almost edited this thing to death trying to get it right. (And probably still is not enough)
Last time it seemed like I had a problem. So you ask, "What's the big deal Alan" Here is my problem with the political idea of God put forth by the average Republican. It’s incomplete. Why is this? Their version of God has to cover Catholics, Mormons, Jews, and Protestants. All have differing ways on how they try to get to God. You try fitting one version of the cross in that mix. I sure can’t. Sure, Jesus exists in the GOP version of God, but the Cross is a very vague and muddied, if not a distorted picture. And when their politics determines your view of God you wind up with…. Ta..da! A very vague and muddied, if not a distorted picture of the Cross. (As if you didn't see that one coming.) How do I know this? I have listened to enough talk radio to last me a life time.
This idea put forth of God and left unchecked and taken at face value, leads to moralism. You see, there is little to no idea of Grace there is only the Law. The Law says: You should do this and this, and your life and society will be fine. But what it fails to account for is when we fail. 
It may pay lip service to Grace, sure, but this ideal of God and the Law put forth knows nothing of the true concept. Why? Because the highest ideal of Republican God is the Ten Commandments, not the cross of Christ. The Law was designed to point to Christ not to be the end means that so many have made it. Sure you follow them perfectly and you will have a wonderful life. Break them, your messed up pal. So who can keep them all? But this part is skipped over. The Law of God is left there all by its self. So left to that it leads to two things: legalism and self-righteousness. And that my friends, is a dangerous place to be. I think Jesus had a lot to say about that.
Next time we will look at how Jesus himself treated politics.
4 comments:
now tell me why did the chicken cross the road (I have hoping Rush Limbaugh is the chicken)
Good points. Sadly it seems that moralism is ruling the day at this time. It seems that many think that the way to remedy our country's ills is to lobby Congress and put into power those that agree with our viewpoint. Then we can make laws that will make people holy... hmm... that sounds somewhat familiar. We have forgotten that it is a heart issue, that we need our hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh, a work that only the Spirit can do. I dont believe we find this method to be practiced in church history or in the Scriptures.
I wish you were right about the Republican God being defined by the Ten Commandments. At least then, as we preached the grace of Christ to them, we'd maybe be on the same page.
Sadly, though, I think it's obvious that the god of the GOP is completely unconcerned with morality at all. The proof is this: when was the last time the GOP used an appeal to any sort of spirituality as the basis for making any one of its moral arguments? Answer: a very long, long time. When there is an argument to be made over a moral issue, no Republican appeals to God, and specifically not to any of His righteous laws.
Now, that is not the same as arguing with your point about the GOP's moralistic mentality. I don't quibble with that.
But I'm saying I think God is nothing more than a figurehead and convenient political foil (for both major parties, really) and that an appeal to His commands would actually represent progress.
Sorry to rant in your comments section, brother. Keep up the fine work.
November 15? Are you still going to Lawson's "Men's Seminary" classes? If so, have you thought about posting on what you learned? Warm regards,
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