Posted by
Mark McConnell on Wednesday, November 08, 2006 5:21:04 PM
Joseph Loconte and Michael Cromartie of the Washington Post have written a plea for honesty and an end to lazy, politically motivated caricatures of evangelical Christians, in an article called, Let's Stop Stereotyping EvangelicalsI picked up the reference to this post from the
Mission Lawrence blog.
The article is kindly-intentioned enough. However, after reminding readers of the "democratic "heritage of the Evangelical movement in America, Laconte and Cromartie conclude:
Of course it's true that a handful of Christian figures reinforce the
worst stereotypes of the movement. Their loopy and triumphalist claims
are seized upon by lazy journalists and the direct-mail operatives of
political opponents.
Yet it is dishonest to disparage the massive civic and democratic
contribution of evangelicals by invoking the excesses of a tiny few ...
The authors attempt to put distance between the "democratic" evangelicals, and the unnamed theocrats . I assume that they are referring to the Christian Reconstructionists, as these are viewed through the warped lens of
Karen Armstrong or "Chip" Berlet, and their sort.
But Christians must not be tricked by this dishonest, lazy dichotomy: democracy good, theocracy bad. Otherwise, they will find themselves saying absurd things, along with these authors:
It is surely no thirst for theocracy but rather a love for their
neighbor that sends American evangelicals into harm's way: into refugee
camps in Sudan; into AIDS clinics in Somalia, South Africa and Uganda;
into brothels to help women forced into sexual slavery; and into
prisons and courts to advocate for the victims of political and
religious repression.
Emphatically to the contrary, it is thirst for God's ways that brings this about. Christ said, "blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness", and "seek first the Kingdom of God". It is nothing other than a desire for the Kingdom of God, that sparked this love for neighbor.
Democracy does not redeem man. It is merely human, and subject to all the weaknesses of man. But if man will be redeemed, democracy also can be converted into a useful instrument for the purposes of God. These authors give examples of how this happens.
So, let's stop stereotyping theocracy - because the things these authors evidently commend are the fruit of the Kingdom of God, not of democracy.
tags: theocracy
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