Okay–here’s a public figure who publicly supports abortion, publicly says the Bible is dead wrong in calling homosexuality a sin, continually sides with atheists in their efforts to drive Christianity out of public life, insists “it’s against the law” to exercise one’s Christian beliefs except in strictest privacy, sympathizes passionately with Islam, and wants the government to “investigate Climate Change Denial.” Of course this person is a Democrat. But he or she also claims, loudly and often, to be a Christian.
“Watchman” asked a good question the other day. Why do so many leftists claim to be Christian, when their actions say otherwise? Why do Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, and all the rest of ’em all claim to be Christians–when their religion is obviously secular humanism? Why do they do it? What do they get out of it?
I think the answer consists of several parts.
First, these are politicians, and the vast majority of voters in America are at least nominally Christian. I dare anybody to run for office as an atheist. He might get elected in some of the bluest of the Blue States, but nowhere else. What could be easier than to say “I’m a Christian?” It doesn’t have to be true.
Second, the church in our time has been extensively corrupted by the secular world. There are whole denominations matching the description of the fake Christian politician in our opening paragraph. You can practically perform human sacrifices to the Devil, and there will be a flatline Protestant or crazed liberal Catholic church that’ll be glad to have you.
Third, never underestimate the power of ignorance. There are a lot of “Christians” who have never read the Bible, never heard sound preaching, never received sound teaching, whose entire so-called understanding of the faith comes from movies, TV, celebrities, and plastic-banana big shots with their megachurches. The “seeker-friendly church” is the blind leading the blind.
[W]hen the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? —Luke 18:8
Depends on where you look, O Lord. It depends on where you look.
I guess it hinges on the definition of Christian. Matthew chapter 7 begins with a warning not to judge and a reminder that our standard of judgement is what will be used when we are judged. After a reminder regarding prayer and the Golden Rule, we are told that the pathway to salvation is narrow and few find it.
The matter of false prophets is addressed and we are told that we will know them by their fruits. Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” The chapter ends by reminding us that we must act upon Jesus’ words; it involves more than simply hearing. So the problem of claiming to be Christ’s disciples while not acting as such is at least as old as the Sermon on the Mount.
Some probably act in ignorance, having been taught that Jesus was a kindly and mellow hippie that would never criticize anyone. I’ve heard of Sunday school programs which make Jesus into a fantasy character with no more real world credibility than a cloying kid’s TV show host. When a child taught thusly grows into an adult, it would be quite easy for them to think of Jesus as some kind of imaginary friend, always affirming and never judging anyone or anything negatively.
Others probably claim Christianity only as a means of establishing a Christian friendly brand name in order to attract voters. But their fruits are a reliable indicator of their sincerity. If they claim to be Christians but advocate positions which are against God’s word, they are gutting their own claim.
Your final point is well taken. Many churchgoers have little, if any firsthand experience with the Bible or its contents. A skilled public speaker can “verse check” and manipulate the scriptures by ignoring context. I’ve seen this with my own eyes and head it with my own ears. The word of God is powerful, but must be used cautiously and in accordance with knowledge and respect. I don’t claim to be a whiz with the Bible, but Scriptures I’ve studied over the decades come to mind when various topics arise and the Internet is a great research tool which helps me to locate these verses, learn their context and apply them.
Thanks for the mention Lee. You make some valid points, and I suppose there is so much biblical illiteracy that when someone like Obama claims to be a Christian, it is automatically accepted as fact without any critical analysis. Although our cultural has become so secularized that I’m not certain it would matter anymore. Christianity no longer has sway over the culture that it once had.
I can understand why politicians would do it, if only out of convenience. What I don’t understand is Christians who support them and the democrat party. I’m not just talking about the biblically illiterate Christians or those that go to apostate churches either. For instance I go to a church that isn’t political, but is biblically based. There has been a few that supported Obama, although they were probably in the minority. One couple even left because the pastor supposedly said something negative about Obama. This has always confounded me. The Republican party is no saint, but the democrat party has gone far left. They support everything that is anti-Christian, and even tried to remove God from their party platform. It is bewildering to me that any legitimate Christian cannot see this.
As I read Lee’s article, the same scriptures came to my mind, Unknowable. I agree with pretty much everything you’ve all mentioned, so I have nothing to add but this: While it’s much more prevalent with leftids, they don’t have the market cornered. Remember during an interview prior to his election, Donald Trump was asked if he’d eve repented? He thought about it for a moment and declared that he really didn’t think he needed to.
There is a difference between just not caring that much, not devoting much thought to the matter–as may be the case with Donald Trump–and going far out of one’s way to satanize the whole cotton-pickin’ country, as is the case with Democrats.
I’m with you there, Lee! The left wing loons do any and every thing they can dream up to satanize the country. They’ve tried their hardest to kick God out, but HE has the last word.
That’s a good distinction to make, Lee. I wish Mr. Trump the best and I hope that he continues to learn more about his Creator. But I believe his intentions to be good and I appreciate his efforts to stand up for his country. I certain do not think him to be anti God.
There are a lot of people in politics that seem to be pushing the same agenda, remove God from the picture and solidify human authority with no thought to a Higher Power. In the final analysis, if you aren’t worshipping the Creator you are serving the interests of Satan, and that’s probably the reason the message of many politicians falls along the familiar globalist, atheistic lines.