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How Do Christians Fit Into The Two-Party System? They Don’t
New York Times ^ | 9-29-18 | Tim Keller

Posted on 10/01/2018 9:11:48 AM PDT by DeweyCA

What should the role of Christians in politics be? More people than ever are asking that question. Christians cannot pretend they can transcend politics and simply “preach the Gospel.” Those who avoid all political discussions and engagement are essentially casting a vote for the social status quo.

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Nevertheless, while believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one.

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One is that it gives those considering the Christian faith the strong impression that to be converted, they need not only to believe in Jesus but also to become members of the (fill in the blank) Party.

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He realized that thoughtful Christians, all trying to obey God’s call, could reasonably appear at different places on the political spectrum, with loyalties to different political strategies.

Another reason Christians these days cannot allow the church to be fully identified with any particular party is the problem of what the British ethicist James Mumford calls “package-deal ethics.” Increasingly, political parties insist that you cannot work on one issue with them if you don’t embrace all of their approved positions.

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So Christians are pushed toward two main options. One is to withdraw and try to be apolitical. The second is to assimilate and fully adopt one party’s whole package in order to have your place at the table. Neither of these options is valid.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: christians; christianvote; church; keller; megachurch; pastors; religionforum; timkeller
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To: DeweyCA
they need not only to believe in Jesus but also to become members of the (fill in the blank) Party.

This is poorly worded. While Christianity does not proscribe a certain form of government (certain versions of Republics, constitutional democracy, monarchy and feudalism may all be acceptable), some forms are intrinsically antithetical to Christianity (e.g. Communism, any totalitarian form that restricts the right to practice Christianity or assumes the raising of your own children).

In likewise, any political party that explicitly promotes the slaughter of innocent children is not acceptable for anyone to embrace, except perhaps to undo that (in the case where both parties are pro-slaughter, for instance).
21 posted on 10/01/2018 9:37:14 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: DeweyCA

“Christians, do your Christian duty and stay home on Election Day.”

“We got this.”

Signed,

The Evil Left
—————————————————————————————

Kiss my grits, Timmy.


22 posted on 10/01/2018 9:39:23 AM PDT by TADSLOS (I hate Russian Dolls. They are so full of themselves.)
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To: Popman

I find it very difficult to think a Christian can affiliate with the democrat party . . .


Members in my congregation are voting democrats too and I can’t help but wonder at their discernment when they continue to vote for policies that are anti-life (abortion, euthanasia, lgbtqxyz affirmation, socialism) not to mention the democrat platform that essentially kicked God out. Are they blind? Or stupid? Or so married to their party that they can’t imagine getting divorced? I do not understand them at all. And that’s not to say that I think the republicans have it right either. They are such fence sitters that I had to leave the party and become an independent.


23 posted on 10/01/2018 9:40:44 AM PDT by punknpuss
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To: DeweyCA

Yale alum, attendee of Keller’s church, and author of bestseling books on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther...Eric Metaxas begs to differ.


24 posted on 10/01/2018 9:45:04 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: Pilgrim's Progress

Well put.


25 posted on 10/01/2018 9:46:49 AM PDT by Arlis
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To: DeweyCA

Keller’s internet interest, The Gospel Coalition, is one he started with theologian Don A Carson.

Carson is a solid Reformation thinker. Keller has been able to share the Gospel with a generation in New York City that might have never even known about the truth of Jesus.

Sadly, The Gospel Coalition has become somewhat compromised. Apparently in the pursuit of that very urban, millennial demographic some of the columnists on the site have adopted the stance of liberal media, liberal theological thought, and the youngest of Christian believers. In other words, those who need to be converted and discipled have been allowed to set the tone and agenda for some of those writings.

The Gospel Coalition still puts out some good stuff, but it is like the Republican party: caveat emptor.

Keller has a great book called “The Reason For God”; so not all he says is wrong.


26 posted on 10/01/2018 9:47:29 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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To: DeweyCA

Ok NYT, if youre so interested in religion, why did you endorse not allowing german jews to land in NY harbor, instead they were turned away and all died in Aushwitz.


27 posted on 10/01/2018 9:48:30 AM PDT by TonytheTiger7777
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To: DeweyCA

I’ve long admired Tim Keller for his logical approach to theology, although I don’t agree with his every view. So I read the article to see if it was as bad as these excerpts imply.

This quote: “Increasingly, political parties insist that you cannot work on one issue with them if you don’t embrace all of their approved positions.”

I’m not aware of this requirement for any voter or supporter in the US. If you’re a politician wanting support, you’d better toe the line, or go it alone. I think this only applies to politicians.

Now, this statement is true: “For example, following both the Bible and the early church, Christians should be committed to racial justice and the poor, but also to the understanding that sex is only for marriage and for nurturing family. One of those views seems liberal and the other looks oppressively conservative. The historical Christian positions on social issues do not fit into contemporary political alignments.”

The Republicans would support such candidates and do. The Democrats would not, because LGBT rights are part of their platform.

This quote: “So Christians are pushed toward two main options. One is to withdraw and try to be apolitical. The second is to assimilate and fully adopt one party’s whole package in order to have your place at the table. Neither of these options is valid. “

is a false choice. There is no requirement to adopt a party’s whole platform, except by the Democrats who require affirmative action, LGBT rights, and pro-abortion stance. This is his weakest statement and he should know this is a false dichotomy. Yet, it’s an understandable error if he truly believes supporting a party is a package deal. Given the Democratic dominance of NYC, I think I can see why he’s deceived.


28 posted on 10/01/2018 9:49:24 AM PDT by Forgiven_Sinner (Seek you first the kingdom of God, and all things will be given to you.)
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To: DeweyCA; Bob434

I agree with both you your posts. My husband and I have seen an underlying SJW theme being injected into our church’s sermons more over the past year. Our pastor spends too much time on Facebook. It is disheartening.


29 posted on 10/01/2018 9:50:29 AM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
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To: ASOC

The book of Proverbs describes individuals like this calling them “There are those who wish in their own eyes who are not yet cleansed of their filthiness.


30 posted on 10/01/2018 9:55:36 AM PDT by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of today be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: DeweyCA

evangelical Christians were key to the election of Trump. Seems this guy want them to go to the back of the bus and shut up.


31 posted on 10/01/2018 9:55:55 AM PDT by Godzilla ( I just love the smell of COVFEFE in the morning . . . . .)
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To: Bob434

[[then some people may not become Christians because they think that if they become a Christian then they also have to become a member of a political party.]]

“Bull- People who CHOOSE not to become Christians are people who reject Christ- period- A political position is not required for salvation- Salvation is between a person and God- NOT between a person, God, AND the public in general- IF a person rejects Christ- they were NEVER going to accept Christ because they Reject Him- period- There are goign to be no excuses for personal rejection in Heaven- one is not going to get a ‘get out of jail free card’ by claiming ‘well i would have accepted Christ if only I was sure i wouldn’t have had to become a republican’ nonsense-”

What you said. “40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Matthew 10

Conversion requires: 1) God’s intervention to give us faith; 2) Us acting on that faith and not rejecting it.

I think Tim is coming from the POV of not putting a stumbling block in front of a new believer by ‘requiring’ a political view. However, anyone who comes to Christ rejects sin and those who promote it.


32 posted on 10/01/2018 9:56:41 AM PDT by Forgiven_Sinner (Seek you first the kingdom of God, and all things will be given to you.)
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To: DeweyCA

Anything the New York Times publishes about Christians is almost certainly anti-Christian propaganda. They are pro-Satan, anti-God. They sounded better when they just pretended to be ordinary Godless communists.


33 posted on 10/01/2018 10:06:12 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: DeweyCA
There has been a concerted attempt to ‘shame’ in particular, Evangelical Christians to turn against President Trump. One of my libtard relatives has even found some Scriptures to support her cause.. Funny thing, just like the ‘devil’, those Scriptures are taken out of context and/or twisted ever so slightly.

Christians worth their salt, know that the Creator historically blessed the people that were supportive of their nation. Christians also know that God has blessed US far beyond what we deserve. Some fake Christians decided they needed to profit off illegal human trafficking... and to destroy what the Creator set in motion. Nothing new under the sun.

34 posted on 10/01/2018 10:14:01 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: ASOC

I got into a knock down, drag out fight during a Bible study with such a character. No one was pure enough for him. He was a strident anti-abortion protester who believed that everyone who did not do at least as much as he did for the pro-life movement was unworthy. Since I was unable to work for his cause full time, I was among the unwashed.

I told him that his attitude was fine during the primaries. Support Your Guy. But during the general election, you suck it up and vote for the nearest best choice, which in my eyes is never, ever the Democrat.

The leader almost had to break it up. Sadly, the guy died soon after that so we never got to continue our discussion.

He was a fearless pro-life advocate, but couldn’t understand that many of us have other priorities too.


35 posted on 10/01/2018 10:17:32 AM PDT by cyclotic ( Democrats must be politically eviscerated, disemboweled and demolished.)
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To: DeweyCA
How in the world can any Christian claim any allegiance to the Demonrat party? The party that thrice voted God off their platform, the party of child murder up to and even after birth for any reason at all including inconvenience, the party of government-sponsored murder (Fast & Furious), the party of government-sponsored envy (cultural and economic Marxism), the party of denial of the right to self-defense (vs. Jesus telling his disciples to arm themselves), the party of worship of the Earth (Gaia) as our "mother"-- how can any Christian be "unequally yoked" (as St. Paul put it) with that?
36 posted on 10/01/2018 10:19:54 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Enjoy the decline of the American empire.)
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To: DeweyCA
Nevertheless, while believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one.

Dude, Jesus is not republican but Satan IS a democrat.

Sorry that this bothers you.

37 posted on 10/01/2018 10:20:10 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold.)
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To: DeweyCA

I always ask myself several questions..how would Satan vote?
How would Hollywood vote?
How would the MSM vote?


38 posted on 10/01/2018 10:22:07 AM PDT by Leep
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To: DeweyCA

Oh, and the Demonrat party is the party of homosexual “pride”, the party teaching and using the tactics of Saul Alinsky (dedicated “Rules for Radicals” to Lucifer aka the Devil), the party of forcing Christian businesses to provide abortions on their dime, the party of telling women to divorce their Republican husband, the party that supported the attempted murder of Rep. Steve Scalise, other Reps and Sen. Rand Paul, the party of world government (e.g., The Beast). Shall I go on? How can ANY Christian identify with the Demonrat party?


39 posted on 10/01/2018 10:26:43 AM PDT by backwoods-engineer (Enjoy the decline of the American empire.)
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To: DeweyCA

Who wrote this? We are light and salt. We have been mandated to make disciples of nations. We should go to the polls and vote in righteousness every single time.


40 posted on 10/01/2018 10:26:43 AM PDT by carton253 (Jesus is everything.)
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