Posted on 01/14/2014 7:47:13 PM PST by ReformationFan
Is this a Christian country? There are likely as many ways to answer the question as there are stripes on our flag. Yes, the country was populated at its beginning with Christians looking for a place to worship freely. But that was before we became a country. Yes, many of our founding fathers were sincere professing Christians. But many of them were not. Yes, we are Christian in the same sense as all of Europe is Christian — it is the faith tradition of the majority in our country. But no, we have rejected the faith of our fathers. Yes, our country’s laws, traditions, symbols, culture, were shaped by predominately Protestant notions. But no, we are living in times of great change. And therein lies the rub.
Our nation for decades enjoyed an uneasy peace on the question of the Christian faith in the public square grounded in a de pacto secularism and a de facto Christianity. That is, while the state could not, by pact, or on the grounds of a modern understanding of the First Amendment, promote any one particular religion. But, everyone knew our cultural momentum was Christian. Thus our pledge acknowledged that we are under God, our money noted we trusted in Him, and even the astronauts circling the moon read from Genesis to the watching world.
As the culture has been moving more vehemently into an aggressive secularism we are witnessing the steady erasure of the unwritten rules. We have moved from being the dominant cultural force to being the norm, to being oddities, and we are swiftly on our way to becoming pariahs. This, we would be wise to remember, is yet well short of what our brothers suffer in Muslim and communist countries. We don’t want to be the church that cried persecution.
That said, we would likewise be wise to, even as we seek to make known the glory of the reign of Christ over all things, get used to the new normal. It is not easy giving up privileges we once took for granted. The broader culture no longer recognizes our day of rest, and so many of us are expected to work, or to get our children to the game. It no longer recognizes our holy days, so now Turkey Day opens the Winter Holiday Season, and “Merry Christmas” is now less a greeting, more a political statement. The broader culture finds our sexual morality not just silly and old-fashioned but oppressive and demeaning.
While I long for and labor for a day when all men everywhere acknowledge the Lordship of Christ over all things, the loss of these privileges comes with a great blessing, the giving of a greater privilege — we are now hated and despised for His name’s sake.
Or are we? It will not be long, I suspect, before those who believe marriage is between one man and one woman will have all the cultural respect as a member of the KKK. Will the church be telling us to soften on this issue, to not talk about it, so accommodate the broader world for the sake of soul-winning? If so, we will have sold our own soul. Jesus was rather clear — if we were of the world, the world would love its own. But we have been bought with a price (John 15:19). Pray that we don’t sell our birthright of persecution for the pottage of respectability.
The popular culture, and liberal politics, is getting close to the point at which supporting marriage between a man and a woman only, will brand you as bigoted.
The liberals have framed the issues as issues of civil rights, just like civil rights for minorities.
If we get to the point of 50 state homosexual marriage, it will indeed be a case of any still opposed will be silenced, because we’ll be told that it’s the law of the land, and that the only reason to oppose homosexual marriage is hatred of the homosexual.
Just because all anti-gay bigots oppose homosexual marriage, doesn’t mean that everyone who opposes homosexual marriage is a bigot. But that nuance is lost on the liberals and the media who control the tenor of the debate.
Sproul is ignorant of the history. Our founding fathers were either Christian or Deist. Deism was trendy at the time but died out around 1810 due to boredom perhaps
We have been one of the preeminant Christian counyries since our founding. Claims to the contrary merely expose the author to charges of ignorance.
Read some history before you presume to instruct others in well traveled historical issues.
You are wrong in your assumptions
....perhaps you should read up on your history of Sproul Jr and Sproul Sr
So, then he was correct in saying that not all were professing Christians, right?
Regards,
But Jesus addressed the problem. The Jews were looking for a leader who would solve their political problems (the Romans). They wanted an end to tyranny. They wanted lower taxes. They wanted self government. And when pressed, Christ's answer was "give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's" That's where we are.
Years ago Jerry Falwell started "the moral majority". It didn't take to many years to realize most of its members weren't that moral and they weren't the majority.
How did you determine that most of the people of the Christian right was/is not moral, and compared to who?
How did you determine that most of the people of the Christian right was/is not moral, and compared to who?
Are you arguing that most of Christianity is moral?
LOL, why can’t you just read my post and answer it?
Do you remember when Disney went "gay"? Anita Bryant, the southern baptist boycott and all that. Why didn't the moral majority force Disney out of business? Why didn't Christians stand up and say we're not going to support Disney. The answer is because most of the Christians couldn't bear to deprive their kids of going to Disney World... sure we didn't like the gay stuff... but hey, we can't keep the kiddos from seeing Mickey Mouse...
Good Lord, you are an idiot, you pronounced the majority of the members of the “moral Majority” as not very moral, and I asked you how you determined that, you seem to be drunk or stoned judging by your inability to read my simple question.
I don’t drink.. and I don’t smoke. I’m answering your question. You look at the positions christians have taken during our lifetime. If you think the moral majority was moral and in the majority... good for you. Its clear that it wasn’t. If it had been.. we wouldnt’ be where we are now. It ain’t rocket science.
How many pastors will tell you that most of the people in church congregations don’t really know Christ? You think I’m the only person who’s made that statement?
I assume this is the son of the (very well spoken) radio preacher?
“Yes, many of our founding fathers were sincere professing Christians. But many of them were not”
WRONG! Let me correct that for you.....
Yes, MOST (if not all) of our founding fathers were sincere professing Christians. But possibly a FEW of them were not.
In researching this subject a few months ago, I was shocked at how often our founding fathers proclaimed the name of JESUS in their writings and our salvation through Him. The proclamations of their Christian faith were unashamed and profound.
The idea that our founding fathers weren’t devout Christians is a MYTH. All you have to do is read their own recorded words!
The United States was founded as a “Christian Nation” by devout, bible thumping, Jesus proclaiming, Christians. GET OVER IT.
And it still is a “Christian Nation” although we have lost some ground.
Excellent post. As always, Dr. Sproul is always eloquent and spot-on. Thanks for this thread.
Pardon me, but Dr. Sproul said that “many” were Christians. He did not state none of our Founding Father’s were Christian, nor did Dr. Sproul say that ALL of our Founding Father’s were.
Many of them were Deist. Believing in a Creator, or God doesn’t automatically mean you’re a Christian.
Dr. Sproul was correct in his statement.
BTW, I mistook this to be Dr. Sproul SR. I did not realize the author was JR.
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