EVANGELICALS? --WHAT'S WRONG?
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WRONG ASSUMPTIONS IN THIS PBS ARTICLE.
What WRONG ASSUMPTIONS?
This article that I read recently in a PBS story contains some interesting points. (The full article is contained verbatim in one of the pages of this blog) Among the many statements in the article, the writer down some points that he was shocked at and from the data in the article, "we should not be shocked." He wrote:
"Under the circumstances, we should not be shocked (though I confess I am) that fully 68% of white evangelicals take the position that if the Bible and the will of people conflict, it's the Bible that should have more influence on U.S laws." (Middle paragraph)
I would like to spend a little time on this.
This is because of the importance that the Bible has on an evangelical's life.
What is an evangelical?
According to Wikipedia:
"Evangelical Christians believe in the Bible as God’s word and that it is the final authority for Christians. The National Association of Evangelicals, an organization of some 45,000 churches, says in its statement of faith: “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.”
Personally, I believe it's unfortunate, but for some reason some churces have stopped posting on their church bulletin this, "Statement of Faith." For whatever reason that this is true, all the churches I know, which are evangelical, most certainly believe the Bible is inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
"In 2016, there were an estimated 619 million evangelicals in the world, meaning that one in four Christians would be classified as evangelical.[6] The United States has the largest concentration of evangelicals in the world.[7] American evangelicals are a quarter of the nation's population and its single largest religious group",
As the wikipedia reference says "that means one in four Christians would be classified as evangelical.[6] The United States has the largest concentration of evangelicals in the world or an estimated 619 million evangelicals in the world."
Actually, the writer of this article and the statement is writing an interesting commentary on 32% of the evangelicals interviewed.
Evangelicals believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and the final authority for Christians and yet 32% of them say, "they don't want that to influence the laws of the United States."
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Does this mean they don't believe the statement? Or is it something else? It could also relate to the question that the one taking the poll or the census asked the evangelical and how it was phrased or slanted.
It does raise an interesting question beyond that.
Does my Christianity or does my belief as an evangelical have anything to do with my politics? Does the Bible have anything to say about politics?
The PBS article raise this point. (my emphasis)
"In the moral, ethnocultural world that constitutes their belief system, white evangelicals see themselves losing ground to an American mainstream they once bestrode like a colossus. Sooner or later they're going to have to take the advice of (ex-)Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and get over it.
They'll be better Americans when they do"
The writer is bringing in a racial issue "white evangelical", and that needs to be addressed, but the idea of "losing ground to an American mainstream" is missing the point. The goal of Evangelicals should be carrying out the great commission of Jesus Christ, and obviously, that includes winning people to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit of God brings people to conviction that they need Jesus Christ the Savior and the Holy Spirit of God converts the sinner to a saint. How this fits in with an American mainstream is beside the point. Evangelical Christians have shaped the culture NOT the reverse--NOT the culture shaping Evangelical Christians.
Does my Christianity or does my belief as an evangelical have anything to do with my politics? Does the Bible have anything to say about politics?
CHECK OUT MY BLOG BRING CHANGE AND PAGE ON THE BIBLE AND POLITICS
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