If I might promote some fear for a moment......
The United States, largely bolstered by robust Evangelical
voters, put George Bush into office. Over the past ten years we've seen almost
endless war, torture, prison camps, and the elimination of many civil
liberties. Every day the United States is feeling more like a police state, and
now we have the government deciding who is worthy of legal protections, and if
you're deemed not worthy, even though you're a citizen, the state can assassinate
you.
When it is politically advantageous they will blame the
Democrat in charge, but largely the Christian Church has been behind these
measures and the current spate of Republican candidates (with the exception of
one) all advocate the continuation and expansion of these measures.
Even though its policies have not deviated from the Imperial
agenda, the Obama administration has radicalized the Right-wing and this has
been exacerbated as the country is in a state of economic desperation. There is
the very real possibility Republican rule will return by the end of 2012.
If George W. Bush represented something of a pendulum swing
in response to Clinton, what will the new pendulum swing look like in a more
polarized and desperate time? What will it look like if some other catastrophe
befalls the United States?
Let me be clear. My concern is not for the United States. I
live here (in Babylon) but whether Babylon comes or goes means little to me.
One way or another we (Christians ) will weather the storm.
My concern is for the Church. The
Dominionist-Transformationalist web is widening. As of right now it is very
difficult to find a Church even remotely preaching Scripture. And the handful
that do...mix it with Dominionist and Americanist ideologies, making them most
unpalatable. This is not only during the regular meeting, but even in the
context of fellowship. Rather than feel a fellow, you'll certainly feel like an
outsider, if not some kind of intruder. There are times I have felt deceptive
in even being present.
I fear the day is soon coming if not here already that to be
a faithful Christian we will have to disassociate ourselves from such
people...entirely.
My hope is that a remnant Church will arise. For various
reasons people will see that the mainstream Conservative Church is far out of
Biblical bounds. I don't even need to mention the theologically compromised
mainline bodies... I do not call them Churches.
Maybe it will take extremes to wake people up? Maybe when
Christian leaders are referring to anyone who doesn't go along with them as a
Marxist...the people will begin to question their integrity and judgment? Let's
hope so. Daily I hear radio preachers and commentators as well as authors in
print declaring Transformation to be the line of demarcation, the shibboleth of
Orthodoxy. If you don't hold to this notion at least in some form, they're
saying it quite plainly...you are not a Christian.
In the Middle Ages, it was unthinkable to question the
notion of Crusade, the holiness of relics, and the feudal system. Those that
did were anti-Christian, social misfits and dangerous. And yet in many cases
these were clearly the Christians that were opposing the Medieval order, the
Babel, the Beast, the Babylon of that day.
How funny it is now to look at something like the feudal
social and economic system and think that somehow people thought it was a
Christian system. We can see clearly what historical events brought it about
and how the Church accommodated itself and bought into the power structure. It was
wretched but it worked and provided a framework for society. Just because it
worked did not make it Christian and I don't think anyone disputes that or would
argue for a return to the hierarchy of lord, priest and peasant. Or would they?
That's for another time.
Today, we have a myriad of Christians running about arguing
the American political system is just shy of being under Divine Inspiration.
Our wars are couched in religious terms, nebulous in public but quite clear
with the Church, and our cultural icons, our pop culture is integrated within
the Church. Just as people didn't question relics, the Churches do not question
all the extra-Scriptural innovations today. People like the CrossTalk hosts
think they are exempt but they pollute the Church with culture when they
confuse American cultural distinctives and politics with Biblical worldview.
The feudal system seemed the most Christian structure
imaginable. Everyone had their place and function and contributed to the
societal welfare. Today, we have Christians which have taken American
individualism, pioneer generated entrepreneurialism and its laissez faire
context, empire and several other ideas and believe they have accurately
reflected Scripture. Just as feudalism seems absurd to us, the American Christian
socio-economic system seems equally bankrupt if not sick to Christians outside
these borders and I fear history will not be kind to American political
Christianity.
But considering the Church almost every time ends up joining
with the Beast and helping to build Babel...they will probably look back and
smile...just like Christo-Americans do today at the pro-British Empire
Christians in the 19th century. They don't condemn the idea, just
their foolishness in thinking it was to be Britain. Because of course, we know
America is the chosen nation. At some point in the future it will happen again,
and Sacralists will look back and shake their heads at someone like Jerry
Falwell who thought it was to be America. The problem isn't the principle, just
the fact that someone exclusively identified their nation as the standard
bearer.
I haven't been very kind in this series of articles. If
you've understood me, then you know why...and also know that I'm constraining
myself.
But I always must remind myself the wheat and tares grow
together until the end. People are waking up. Sadly most people don't know
where to go and they get pulled off into other popular movements and new ideas.
Some also claim to be Christian but are engaged in other forms of syncretism. Some
also criticize the ever popular Christian Right, but are still engaged in the
whole concept of building a Christian culture...and like it or not are headed
down the same road.
I am confident God will take care of his Church...even now
He is at work.
The Remnant needs to learn that sometimes the enemy looks
good, sounds good, they may even have nice little fife music accompanying their
shows. But when they promote politics instead of Gospel, lies instead of truth,
fear for the purposes of power...we should be able to clearly recognize them
for what they are.
Wolves in sheep's clothing.
Is that too harsh? I wrestle with this every day. I'm left
with this...there are many folks who may be Christians, sitting in these
Churches, eagerly listening to programmes like CrossTalk, and caught up in all
this false kingdom activity. I don't presume for a second to know the state of
their souls or the limits of God's grace. What I do know is this....If they are
believers, they're in sin and need to be rebuked. And I will not encourage them
by joining with them or even gritting my teeth and looking the other way while
they engage in this behaviour. I realize I don't have it all figured out either
and I'm hardly free from sin. So I believe we need to speak the truth in love,
which sometimes our love for Christ demands bluntness, at least Paul thought
so. He wasn't always very kind in his use of words. Be angry and sin not.
I do think we've reached a point that these people will
persecute those within the Church who do not go along with them and even worse,
dare to critique them. I think this will grow worse or at least has the strong
possibility of worsening in the near future. If you're standing against
Dominionism, you will not be tolerated.
Transformationalism is the New Orthodoxy. Those who reject
it are heretics. In this case I will happily accept the label.
While I weep for those who will go through much grief as a
result...being put out of the Church and more...I am hopeful because many
Christians will be forced to reassess many issues regarding the nature of the
Church and the whole idea of the Kingdom. This is a good thing.