Posted on 02/16/2016 11:00:36 AM PST by Kaslin
I realize that as an evangelical Christian I have a dog in this fight, but I want to say a few words about evangelicals and the unfortunate effort afoot to make them the political boogeyman.
There are so many misconceptions about "evangelicals" -- from the definition of the word to the intentions of the people themselves -- but the most damaging myth is that we evangelicals seek a theocracy for the United States of America, which couldn't be further from the truth. I'll get back to that, but first a little background.
Recently I've had several people ask me what the deal is with Ted Cruz and "the evangelicals." The people inquiring are Christians, some even evangelicals. They ask, "What exactly is an evangelical, anyway?"
In our culture, the term is used rather loosely -- and, more often than I'd like, pejoratively. I'm seeing columns, blog posts and tweets galore suggesting in hushed terms that Ted Cruz adheres to some fringe philosophy that Christians must take over the world. It's not enough to accuse them of advocating a theocracy limited merely to the United States. No, world domination is their aim. This fear-mongering propaganda needs to be addressed and discredited.
One tweet to me reads, "TedCruz is a theocrat. He is unbiblical & most Christians theologians/scholars believe he is a heretic. Cruz thinks he's Christ." Another asks, "Does Cruz want to be President or the 'Christian' Imam for the USA?"
To laugh or cry?
So, let's examine the meaning of "evangelical."
One respected dictionary defines it: "Of, relating to, or being a Christian church believing in the Bible as the sole source of religious authority, in salvation only through conversion and spiritual regeneration, and in the necessity of public witness to faith."
Many use the term loosely, as a synonym for protestant. More precisely, and in line with the dictionary definition, I'd say evangelicals are a subset of Protestants. They are Bible-believing individuals who believe in salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. They believe that Christians are spiritually "born again," but only because the Bible says so, and not because they are snake-handling fanatics, as is sometimes assumed.
Part of the angst over evangelicals, I think, is based on the rise of the Moral Majority in the '80s, a coalition of mostly evangelicals who became political activists, not just on social issues but for all conservative causes.
It wasn't only the secular left that reacted adversely to what came to be known as the "religious right" but also some socially liberal and even establishment Republicans, who enjoyed the religious right's electoral power but feared they would alienate moderates and independents.
When you consider that evangelicals take fire from both sides of the political spectrum it's not difficult to understand how they've been so easily demonized and why misconceptions about their beliefs and intentions abound.
Contrary to popular belief, this nation was largely established by evangelical Christians, united in the unshakable belief that our liberties are God-given, and that the nation's founding documents are dedicated to preserving those liberties through a sophisticated scheme that limits governmental power to that end.
Indeed, Christians whose ancestors came to America for the very purpose of escaping religious persecution and seeking religious liberty founded the United States. And they enshrined that liberty in the First Amendment to the Constitution, in two separate clauses: the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause.
But historians have revised our history, and the conventional wisdom is that our liberties are owing to secular enlightenment influences. Christianity, they say, is intolerant, rigid and incompatible with freedom. To the contrary, Christianity undergirds, rather than undermines, our liberties. Christian precepts formed the intellectual underpinnings of American constitutional government. Even if French Enlightenment thinking had its run for a time, America experienced its "Great Awakening" around 1734, which was a nationwide Christian revival that re-energized America's spiritual flames and gave it a sense of unity. Its unique cultural identity was centered on Christian principles.
Most of America's Founding Fathers were strong practicing Christians, who believed that man was created in God's image and likeness, which means that man has intrinsic worth and dignity. It is that firm conviction that leads to the notion that man is endowed with inalienable rights -- that he has God-given liberties. The Biblical affirmation of man's inherent worth, then, is indispensable to the unique political liberty Americans have historically enjoyed.
Don't believe fear-mongers who preach that evangelicals and other Christians seek to suppress liberties. You can be sure that precisely because of their Christian and biblical worldview, they are theocracy's worst enemy and liberty's best friend -- the people most committed to preserving our freedoms by honoring the Constitution, whose integrity must be protected to keep government power in check.
Don't misunderstand. Christians have a right, and, I would argue, a duty, to be engaged in the culture and in politics. They will advocate for issues in which they believe, like any other group, but they do not seek to suppress the freedoms, religious or otherwise, of anyone else. The same cannot be said, sadly, for some other groups.
God bless America.
I support Donald Trump because I am a Christian, evangelical, born again believer. Cruz has lost any chance of me supporting him. It certainly appears there are a lot of Christians like me.
“...The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. ...
We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?...
...Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave....
...Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
-Excerpts from Patrick Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention in 1775, at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
I really hate the “holier than thou” groups who practice political idolatry. They want a candidate who is perfect, will bash the other candidates for not being 100% pure then if their messiah like candidate doesn’t win the nomination, they stay home on election night leaving America to endure another 4 years of absolute hell.
Of course not, but I bet there are more than a few Christians who feel a cold chill when they read about the dominionists for the first time. And the more they read, the creepier it gets.
Dominionism is not Biblical. Heresy is too mild a word.
It’s telling that Cruz & his supporters are so. . . evasive about their beliefs & choose, instead, to divert their targets with ‘hot button’ talking points. Maybe some of them are trying to hide the truth from themselves. I don’t know.
I agree evangelicals are not the bogeyman. And they support Trump by about a 15 point edge, regardless of which poll you look at.
The question David needs to ask is, “why is that?”
If evangelicals vote for that Canadian/Cuban sleazy fraud Ted Cruz, or the Cuban fraud Marco Rubio, then they are not only the Boogeyman -- they are as mentally retarded as Jeb Bush.
Keeping it classy...yep, real classy.
David Limbaugh is awesome. Great column.
You can call me an evangelical, but I’m just one guy, not all evangelicals are me!
Why, thank you. I was holding back some. I guess you could tell.
Cruz and I are on the same page, which is precisely why neither one of us could ever be elected President, or confirmed to the Supreme Court or even a cabinet post.
We evangelicals are so marginalized now that we constitute only about 33% of the country can even so much as identify with us; the rest of the country view us askance. Our un-electability comes in the form of the questions that would arise in the general election, especially if we have ever given a message (sermon, lesson, whatever), recorded, on the way of salvation, of heaven or of hell, or about Armageddon. We tend to take it literally that only born-again people will go to heaven (the rest go to hell); also that there will be a huge, end of the world as we know it battle, over the plains of Esdraelon in Israel, and that Christ Himself will come back to earth, lest there be no flesh left alive on the earth.
If a tape of Cruz could be produced of him addressing those topics, and I am sure such a recording can and will be found, the interviewers, commentators, etc., will never even have to talk about another topic.
As David Limbaugh is here saying that we are not the black beasts they take us for, the fact is that perception is everything, and it would take no effort at all for the 67% of the populace that is not evangelical to be turned even further against us than they already are. And the hue and cry would be “we can’t have a guy this high up in government who might just exert policies that would be geared toward bringing Armageddon along, on purpose”.
Sad but true. So, as much as I’d love my fellow believer to attain the office he seeks (he is, in my mind, the finest presidential candidate I could ever imagine, and I certainly have never seen his like), I am for Trump. I believe he can act as King Cyrus, or King Ahasuerus, on our behalf. Plus, he guarantees we’ll get a massive wall on our southern border. Of course, if within 2 years of his term he has not got the wall well underway, I will drop him and curse him just like I do the current president.
The word “evangelical” is used (and it too is passing) because (due to religious cults whose doctrines are way wide) the word “Christian” no longer really means anything.
Great article.
We sent to congress 100% conservatives only to be stabbed in the back by them?
How about one who isn't so vain he looks orange, wears some form of rug, can't keep it in his pants, is extremely crass and vulgar, and who has a taken a string of apparent Eastern European hookers as wives?
You blame Trump for being vulgar but you have no problem being one yourself? If you are going to be self righteous, at least try and looks civil.
Apparently 4% pure was too much to ask for in a candidate judging by the standards of Trump supporters.
He's against illegal immigration, muslim refugees, bring jobs back to America. More conservative then Cruz who wanted to increase Hb-1 visas, bring teddy bears to refugees and supported the Obama-trade deal.. 4% would be much higher than all the damn republicans in congress who voted to support Obama's agenda, funded Planned Parenthood.
Say what you want to, just don't run away from the fact that you support a lifelong democrat in practice, word, and deed, who pays you but lip service on immigration and some economic nationalism.
You are practicing political idolatry if you think Ted can do no wrong. He has done wrong. I supported the guy until he caved in over some issues. I will still vote for the guy. Anyone one of the republicans would be better than the liberal extremists.
“I support Donald Trump because I am a Christian, evangelical, born again believer. Cruz has lost any chance of me supporting him. It certainly appears there are a lot of Christians like me.”
Maybe not as many as you might think!
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