This is a concern of mine that is very hard to explain and sometimes offensive to others. Hopefully, this blog will not be the first time that you have been made aware of this issue.
Many people across the world view the United States as the modern Israel in a sense. Some believe that Americans are convinced that what our government does is an act of God. That may be accurate for some believers, as long as a republican is in office.
I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "God is not a Republican....OR a Democrat" and the accuracy of that statement made me think a lot.
So many times we try and combine God and country. These two are not meant to be combined. I am not saying that no country has ever been faithful to God, but the US is far from that status.
Just think about some of the differences:
U.S.: Prosperous because of greed
Xianity: Known for giving
U.S.: Centered around pleasing yourself
Xianity: Told to deny self and please the Lord
These are two examples of possibly thousands. I am trying to create a starting point for some dialogue on this issue, but I encourage you to think about these things.
Christianity in the U.S. is struggling', and I think most of that has to do with the cultural and spiritual clash that has taken place. In the words of a friend of mine, "If I serve the god of American Christianity then I'm out. I need a God who is bigger than that. I need the God of the Bible; of Jacob and David, of Moses and of Paul. If I don't find that God, I'm out." Now, I am not saying that this can't be changed, but I am encouraging you to make sure that you are supporting the right kingdom because the U.S. will most likely not last forever, for all kingdoms pass away, but the one Kingdom that won't is the Lord's and we need to identify with that kingdom more than any other.
Choose you this day whom you will serve...because when it comes down to it...in the words (paraphrase) of my dad, if you are forced to choose between being American and being Christian, I hope you choose being a Christian.
Feel free to comment...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
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3 comments:
sorry this is huge...
no this is not the first time that I have been made aware of this issue... but as of late (like since the last presidential election) I have been wondering why I vote the way I do and sadly, it is because my parents do it that way – something I do not want to fall into the habit of doing (concerning voting… don’t apply that statement to everything). It’s true that a good majority of republicans are Christians… but a lot of the Christians I know don’t deserve to be in the white house running things just because they have a title. Just because they have the ‘same faith’ as you should not be an excuse to vote them into a position where they are responsible for what we as a country do. Do I want a Christian in office – most definitely, but the Christian I want in office is one who doesn’t just claim a title – but who has the character of their creator shining through them. Harsh statement – but truth none the less.
If you were to go to Africa with out a penny to your name, only the clothes on your back, and no job prospects – you would be taken in, fed, and given a place to stay until you found a way of supporting yourself. Of this I am sure. When I was in Africa… (I think this is why I like it so much) I felt like I had never been closer to God. That might be a cheesy statement – but I am not kidding. Three of us went behind our hotel in Uganda one day to play with some of the kids and we ended up meeting this teenager named Moses. We hung out with him as much as we could the rest of the week and right before we went home, we took extra clothes, shoes – whatever extra we had and took it to his house. It was a small mud house, one bedroom with less than the floor space of a dorm room to call a living room and a kitchen the size of a bathroom. There were 12 or 13 people living there. Most were kids who were family members of the owner of the house who had been orphaned and had no where else to go. The grandmother had taken them in because that is just what they do in Africa.
That is how we are called to live. If someone doesn’t have food – you feed them. If someone doesn’t have clothes – you clothe them. If someone is homeless – you give them shelter. The concept of ‘loving your neighbor as yourself’ has long been forgotten here in America – “the home of the free”. It seems we have taken that title to the extreme. Free people are able to do as they please – but as Christians, we are slaves of Righteousness (Romans 6:15-18), which in itself is a slave to Christ’s way of living. It would seem that American Christian’s have tried to combine both – which does not work.
Well said, Ryan.
Many people say they love Jesus more. Here's a test: Put two flags on a flagpole. Put the Christian flag above the American flag.
You will then discover two things:
1. How much freedom of speech you really have in America, and
2. How many people love Jesus more than the Goddess of Liberty.
Deeg says:
Here are my thoughts, you are right, if you are a Christian, politics should not be your label. I mean there is something more than that that you belong too and I believe that politics are a part of life, but definately not a part of who you are as a person! You shouln't let politics be your label but who you are as a child of God is the ultimate label! :)
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