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Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, JJ Seid and Sam Storms as they reflect on the presidential election.
[display_podcast]
Join Michael Patton, Tim Kimberley, JJ Seid and Sam Storms as they reflect on the presidential election.
6 replies to "Theology Unplugged: Reflecting on the Election"
The issues of God being sovereign and God acting sovereignly are clearly distinct in my mind. If every situation that exists be ascribed to God’s sovereignty, including the appointment of presidents, then the devil is God’s devil. the slaughter in the killing fields God’s slaughter, ad nauseum. I would have no ethical reason to do anything including to vote. My only possible motive for any action would be the belief or delusional belief that I had free freedom.
When God tells Ezekiel that he should bake his bread over human dung, does not the prophet appeal to God and God relents (a little)? Were the christians of this nation so committed to saving the unborn from destruction that they pounded at the door of heaven long and loud, would we still have legal abortion in America? It seems to me that God cedes SOME of His sovereignty to mankind and lets mankind live in the dung of his own devices until God’s patience turns to fury.
Interesting podcast. The conversation about abortion/adoption could have gone for another 30 minutes :). I don’t know if Pres. Obama believes that he is defending the *morality* of abortion, so much as the *legal right* to one. I would note that he and Michele had all of their children, so, if anything, his *personal* response to his wife’s pregnancy has always been to “choose life.” That cannot be said of everyone on the official “pro-life” side.
As for me, I support the work of the pro-life movement, and have been both vocal and involved in that effort. I also recognize that, as things now stand, this is more of a hearts and minds effort than a legislative one, if we truly want to change the presence of abortion in our communities. The GOP has made noise about its “pro-life platform” since 1980, and Roe v. Wade has yet to be overturned. Some would say that this has become more of a political/fund-raising talking point than a true issue of principle, and that Roe V. Wade has *never* truly been in any danger of being overturned by a Constitutional amendment, else it would have been submitted for ratification within the past 30 years, even if it *did* ultimately suffer the fate of the Equal Rights Amendment.
In the O.T., with all the evil kings (Ahab), do we assume that a sovereign God was in control, or not in control. Did God have in His divine plan the rise of evil kings?
We would prefer that God should strike them down right away, but did God do that? No, of course not. Some of them even lived and survived for decades over Israel and Judah. If we as evangelicals believe that Obama is a bad president, shouldn’t we learn to live with him?
I have wondered, on occasion, if a man, having even a passing exposure to the African American experience, would view America in quite the same way that White Americans view it. I am speaking specifically of the “exceptional” or “Christian” quality. Pres. Obama wants, he says, to change the way America expresses itself as “America.” In his mind, the so-called “Protestant work ethic” did not provide equality of opportunity of itself, but, in fact, was designed to benefit whites over others.
While his exposure to “black America” was largely via media and mediated through the experiences of others, he was aware that, in the eyes of most, he was viewed, as a young man, no differently than any other black male in America, even though his parentage had no direct connection to the descendants of slavery. How has this impacted his perception of his purpose, in your opinion, and how does this square with, on a practical level, his maintenance of many Bush era policies regarding national security and, at least to now, tax policy? In the final analysis, which is more critical, his undoing of DADT, support of “gay marriage,” and defense of the current constitutional status of legal abortion, or his continuation of “Patriot Act” policies and procedures, continued pursuit of terrorist suspects in the Afghan/Pakistani region, and continued use of Guantanamo Bay as a detention facility?
Delwyn could be very right about ethnic driven world view. Scripture says “Where there is no vision, the people perish” For whatever reason, do certain cultures have no vision, low expectations?
If evangelicals want to elevate entire people groups, as an alternative to Big Govt., perhaps the best way would be to start with vision casting. Certainly we cannot expect the govt. to do it. If the secularist government with its albeit vast, even if borrowed, resources and the church with the internal presence and mindset of God, compassion and optimism could cooperate instead of lining up on opposite sides of the mythical wall of separation, maybe something good gets birthed.
Simply telling the truth without showing the truth does not seem to be cutting it with the post-moderns. Quite honestly maybe it never should have. Now at least we know we need to demonstrate Christ’s love. God didn’t send an epistle. God lived it out.
It is an interesting dynamic that I see developing in this country. I have come to realize that I do not identify completely with either party. It is the sad truth of a two party system; and the failure to capture, I think, those citizens in this country who are like myself. As a bible believing Christian I am able to see why many Christian Conservatives vote along the pro-life line. However, in many economic views I identify with Democrats.
I cannot understand how many self identified Christians listened to the conservative candidate tout provable untruths as he ran for office and not hold him accoutable. I believe, had Mitt Romney been truthful and common sense he could have easily won this election. Had he given the President points for his accomplishments, yet simply stated that there was more to be done and given credible planning to do so, he would have been President.
It is not difficult to concede the need for governmental involvement when a crisis looms on the horizon. Or assistance for citizens who for a variety of reasons may not be able to reach their boot straps.
Republicans must learn to understand that this does not disqualify God’s hand of movement for this nation; in fact as the bible clearly points out “The earth is God’s and all therein”. If Republicans want to do something about the decay of morals and ethics in this country we need to be more committed to making disciples of Christ. We should be taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the abortion clinics, to the gay clubs and anywhere else the need for His light exists. This stays true to the purpose of Christians anyway, to spread the gospel. We can’t effectively do this by alienating people who continue is a sin state, we ourselves once existed in.