Ordinarily, I would just shrug and let this go. However, It might appear as if I am uncaring or actually in some way sanctioning your longer comment. You make a lot of off-the-cuff pronouncements and suggestions about Christianity, armchair quarterback style.

I am not going to offer any point-by-point rebuttal. Simply haven’t the desire or need to get that involved in blog babble. I do want to say, however, that many volumes have been or are still being written about God and faith and Christ and his church that demonstrate a vast array of viewpoints, historical and archaeological “evidence.” I believe God himself is the only one who can possibly know how the dots are connected or which points are even dots and which are illusions. The mere fact that mankind argues incessantly over all this proves how small and ignorant we are in God’s vast universe.

It isn’t just people of faith, as you say (presumably, you mean Christians), who are placing their faith in legislatures to effect meaningful, “moral” change in the world. Secularists or those who bow at the altars of other quasi-religions are doing the same thing. And one must remember that they have to borrow certain tenets from Judeo-Christendom in order to wax “moral” on anything. The secular vacuum — or any religion that creates false gods — has no other way of recognizing or defining morality.

The true Christian faith and Christ’s Church are solid enough, so much so that “the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Many people who call themselves Christians, on the other hand, are suffering the effects of deception or worldly cares to the point of panicking and feeling the need to reinvent the faith. Not necessary, but always a great temptation in fallen man.

We, the Church, do not need to concern ourselves with impressing or gaining respect from the world. That’s a grave danger, in fact. Have we forgotten the words of Christ that you say we need to remember: “… you will be hated by all on account of my name” (Luke 21:17)? That’s a given. Of course, we have to be sensitive to human frailty and need. We can, as Paul did, approach each person or group where they are, so that we might “by all means win some.” But we are to stand apart and not be assimilated by the world. That means being misunderstood as Christ was misunderstood.

Lastly, I am sure we have among us people who fit your description of those who want to force others to follow the(ir) faith. How one ever does that is beyond my comprehension. It is, in fact, quite impossible, though men can gain the illusion of doing so for a while. Certainly, Jerry Falwell was not such a person.

Look around you at what government is seeking to do today. This country had to forcefully break away from the oppressive rule of an English tyrant (my own ancestry is English). Have we forgotten that we were once “subjects” and not citizens? Speaking of discoveries, are you aware of the recent one that found Thomas Jefferson blotted out the word “subjects” and replaced it with “citizens” in his draft of The Declaration of Independence? It was a monumental departure of thought.

We are citizens of heaven first, if we are followers of Christ. Since he is the “King of kings,” that means we are subject to his authority, yet he allows us the freedom to choose whom to follow. No coercion. But we remain in the world for now, citizens of one nation or another. All earthly citizens are meant to be free and have a voice in their governance. No one voice should drown out another. But that collective voice is and always has been most influenced by godly virtue and the commonsense morality it engenders. When rulers and governments get out of balance, those forces will push back. All of history testifies to that. We can’t prevent this process form happening.

(but if James Dobson ever had fear and trembling, he soon decided that was the role of those he was going to use government to oppress)

Yes, he carried a big stick. Didn’t walk quietly either. 🙂

Have enjoyed the chat. Now going off the net for a few days. Heading out for my step-daughter’s wedding this weekend.

We have virtually made a religion out of American exceptionalism, so I am sure some figured God was behind it all.

Well said.

(but if James Dobson ever had fear and trembling, he soon decided that was the role of those he was going to use government to oppress)