Both the left and the right have told us that a demanding, centralized government is possible in the United States. Would Christians here be able to withstand it?
Participatory democracy gives us Americans so many levers. We’re used to pulling them any time we perceive that the state is infringing on people’s rights. It almost seems as if we’re morally obligated to speak and act when someone’s rights are violated, even resorting to violence if necessary.
I’m inspired by our brothers & sisters who didn’t get taught to put so much hope in liberal democracy. They seem more capable of placing their hope in God’s kingdom.
I do wonder what the church’s prophetic role is—I agree that it’s not really our place to speak out against tyranny. What about denouncing sin? Tyranny is accompanied by lots of it, including untruth, corruption, and retribution. If Christians are silent about such things, I wonder what that silence says.
Well said! As my old prof Ellen Davis has said: "Prophetic preaching speaks truth to power and gives power to the truth." This is a bit of MLK's idea that the church is the "conscience of the state," I think.
Thanks, Chris for speaking boldly and with conviction about the American church and the example set by the persecuted church in other countries. Praying God will deepen my commitment to him and service to others.
You answer the question posed in your title right there towards there end: "As Germany became a totalitarian state, most of the German churches simply followed suit and became the subservient mouthpieces Hitler wanted them to be." I think the American church will follow suit, unfortunately. In many ways this seems already to be happening.
You mention Augustine and The City of God. I recently went through The Great Courses course "The City of God" and I can highly recommend it (most libraries have it). One of the main projects of Augustine in the book was to answer pagan critiques blaming Christians for the fall of Rome (and pagan critiques of Christianity in general). The critique was basically that the Christians were so earthly minded that they were of no earthly good - that they didn't care about civic life because they were too preoccupied with heaven and couldn't be concerned about improving life on earth. Augustine's reply was that in actuality the Christians were able to be the best citizens because they love their neighbors, care for the poor, the sick, the people who have been rejected by the city of man. We become good citizens by loving our neighbors.
Participatory democracy gives us Americans so many levers. We’re used to pulling them any time we perceive that the state is infringing on people’s rights. It almost seems as if we’re morally obligated to speak and act when someone’s rights are violated, even resorting to violence if necessary.
I’m inspired by our brothers & sisters who didn’t get taught to put so much hope in liberal democracy. They seem more capable of placing their hope in God’s kingdom.
I do wonder what the church’s prophetic role is—I agree that it’s not really our place to speak out against tyranny. What about denouncing sin? Tyranny is accompanied by lots of it, including untruth, corruption, and retribution. If Christians are silent about such things, I wonder what that silence says.
Well said! As my old prof Ellen Davis has said: "Prophetic preaching speaks truth to power and gives power to the truth." This is a bit of MLK's idea that the church is the "conscience of the state," I think.
Thanks, Chris for speaking boldly and with conviction about the American church and the example set by the persecuted church in other countries. Praying God will deepen my commitment to him and service to others.
Thank you, Diane!
You answer the question posed in your title right there towards there end: "As Germany became a totalitarian state, most of the German churches simply followed suit and became the subservient mouthpieces Hitler wanted them to be." I think the American church will follow suit, unfortunately. In many ways this seems already to be happening.
You mention Augustine and The City of God. I recently went through The Great Courses course "The City of God" and I can highly recommend it (most libraries have it). One of the main projects of Augustine in the book was to answer pagan critiques blaming Christians for the fall of Rome (and pagan critiques of Christianity in general). The critique was basically that the Christians were so earthly minded that they were of no earthly good - that they didn't care about civic life because they were too preoccupied with heaven and couldn't be concerned about improving life on earth. Augustine's reply was that in actuality the Christians were able to be the best citizens because they love their neighbors, care for the poor, the sick, the people who have been rejected by the city of man. We become good citizens by loving our neighbors.
Thank you, Mike!