Hijacking Christianity

I wish those people who wish to break away from Christianity in pursuit of something different would simply do so instead of labeling themselves Evangelical Christians. I know. My mother has always said, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." Just a few days ago "Faith In Public Life", a religious political action committee (the best way that I can describe them), issued a press release entitled, "Top Christian Leaders Welcome Sebelius." The subtitle read; "Sebelius Good for Common Ground on Abortion."

This press release is a complete hash. It's skillful wording does a very good job of presenting this organization's stance on the very serious issue of abortion in this nation. It sings the praises of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sabelius and the perceived achievements under her leadership as a Democrat in a largely Republican state. It welcomes President Obama's choice concerning her as Secretary of Health and Human Services and says that "by all accounts" she is a person of deep faith. So what? What the heck does that necessarily mean?

The release goes on to backhand anyone who might try to discredit her "commitment" to achieve measurable goals of reduction in abortions. It further stresses their hopes that any such attempt will not distract from what she has achieved in her state.

You know....any type of barter with the devil is always a bad thing. They are all the same sows pigs. "Obama will reduce abortions" they say. "Sabelius will reduce abortions." That is their new theme. Who are "they", and is their new tack a legitimate one?

Well, let's look at just a few of the names from the list of signatures endorsing the President's choice.

Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland, A Church Distributed, Northland, FL, the man who at the closing benediction or the 2008 Democratic convention said: Now, I interrupt this prayer for a closing instruction: Because we are gathered in a country that continues to welcome people of all faiths, let us personalize this prayer by closing according to our own tradition. On the count of three, end your prayer as you would usually do … one, two, three __________ (”in Jesus’ name”) AMEN! Let’s go out and change the world for good!"

Brian McLaren, Author and Founding Pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church, Spencerville, MD, Mr. Emergent.

Tony Jones, Author, Speaker and Theologian, Edina, MN, former National Coordinator of Emergent Village

Paul De Vries, Board Member, National Association of Evangelicals, President, NY Divinity School, New York, NY

The National Association of Evangelicals just got rid of Richard Cizik a few months ago, and I was happy about that. I had hope for the group that says that it generally represents me and a lot of other Christians. Well, they don't. I want out. They didn't ask me for my opinion and they have hijacked a term that means something much different than what it is that they represent. Why is it that guys who want to be radically different from what Christian Evangelicalism has always represented have chosen to stay within its ranks and change it from the inside out? It is somewhat like gays who want to stay within the Boy Scouts and force the Scouts organization legally to accept their lifestyle as legitimate. The big difference is that the gays are at least being up front about what they wish to do. The men and women in the emergent church movement and religious PACs like this one are much more subtle about the kinds of changes which they are intent on making within Christianity.

For the most part, these are highly educated people. They have an agenda and they are accomplishing it. I wish they would at least work on that using someone else's appellation. I wonder what they must think about the people I know in my own church who work diligently at our local pregnancy center, reaching out with compassion to mothers and families in love with education and options other than abortion? And most of these services are volunteer and much of it comes free of charge. There are thousands of such centers around the nation and they are not simply spewing rhetoric on the life issue. They are right in the thick of it, depending on the Lord for guidance and understanding. Hoping that what they do will make a difference as the continue to speak out against this most heinous social injustice, all the while knowing the futility of partnering with those who seek to oppose them.

The rallying cry of those who voted for Barack Obama in the hopes that the man will reduce the number of abortions are just fooling themselves. I don't know if people have noticed, but the new President has a thing that he almost always does when he talks about an issue. He almost always throws out a conciliatory nod to the position of the other side. Then he talks about coming together across party lines or about how Americans want non-partisan solutions to the problems they face. Then he goes right ahead and does uncompromisingly and precisely what he intended to do from the outset. When it comes to working across party lines, he is all about appeasement without any quid pro quo.

The people in these quasi-religious organizations can be a little mysterious. On the one hand, I understand that those I've mentioned are largely universalist. Barack Obama is a universalist. There is an attraction there. They don't have a good grasp of Scripture in that they have a very low view of the word. They twist it to mean what they wish it to mean, because a plain reading of it doesn't agree with their agenda. So does Barack Obama. More affinity there. Barack Obama already has twisted and ignored Scripture to accommodate his belief that homosexuality is acceptable in God's sight.

I'm convinced that Barack Obama doesn't care very much about what these people want as regards abortion. Last March at a campaign whistle-stop, he answered a voter question asked about sex education at the elementary school level. He said, "Look, I got two daughters - nine years old and six years old. I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

What does that statement mean? First, it means that Barack Obama believes in abortion on demand, and that abortions for the sake of "convenience" are acceptable. Second, it implies that he thinks that is just AOK for minors. Secondly, Barack Obama apparently thinks that babies are a form of "punishment" that his daughters should be spared. Does he realize that what his daughters would be aborting are his grandchildren?

Part of the problem with the abortion issue in this last election cycle is that not only was the media silent on the issue, but so mostly, were the politicians on either side. A couple of issues are considered the "third rail" for politicians, and abortion is one of them. It had to be left up to Pastor Rick Warren to put the plain questions to the two major candidates. It is no secret now that Barack Obama tried to be glib and performed poorly. He may have apologized for his mistake, but that is no more than the kid who gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He apologized because he looked bad. He still wanted the cookie, and these religious PACs bent on abortion reduction just don't realize what he's hungry for.

Well, and I hesitate to use the word---more orthodox Evangelical Christians know that partnering with Barack Obama and those he chooses to fulfill his policies regarding abortion is a bad move because they know that he won't really try to reduce abortions. He will expand their availability. We don't just want them reduced. We want them gone. So Paul De Vries, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones et al, get out. Just get out. Stop calling yourselves Evangelical Christians. Stop taking the moves from Obama's playbook meaning, quit telling us that you want to bring people together in Christian love while trying to break Evangelicalism down and rebuild it into something that you want. The life issue is not something we can overlook or compromise on. It isn't up for negotiation, and a proposed reduction in numbers is just not acceptable. How hard is that to understand? So get out, and find another name for your movement, because Evangelical Christianity doesn't describe it.