Friday, December 18, 2020
Michael Horton, a fellow minister in my church federation, recently denounced the dangers of Christian Trumpism evident in the recent pro-Trump “Jericho March.” In doing so, Horton unwittingly advocates what CS Lewis warned against— fighting one battle with the weapons of another. Don’t address a flood with a fire extinguisher.
I wholeheartedly agree with Michael Horton that the Jericho March was very syncretistic. There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ.
But can we also realize that we are swimming in a culture of syncretism? Can we also acknowledge that the political left’s embrace of progressive sexuality, Critical Race Theory, and intersectionality (to name only a few) has been adopted by many in conservative churches?
Having agreed on the perils of syncretism across the board, can we, then, ask the obvious question— which syncretism is better for the temporal well-being of the nation?
Syncretism, left, right, or center, will damn your soul to eternal perdition. But which one will give you a society that respects the rule of law? private property? the life of the unborn?
The tendency of the evangelical establishment (Big Eva) to adopt a “Christianity is the Third-Way” view of things creates a tendency toward liberalism.
You have heard it said: the Christian Faith is neither conservativism nor progessivism. Christian economics is neither capitalist nor socialist. Christian sexuality is neither heterosexuality nor homosexuality. Ad nauseum.
This “Third-Way” of viewing the world is deeply problematic because it leaves certain dangerous assumptions untouched— e.g. that there is a moral equivalence between two “extremes.” Proponents of the “Third-Way” view end up leaning towards progressivism, socialism, and homosexuality. Moderates are simply liberals driving at the speed-limit. We’re already begun to see this leftward shift among TGC surrogates in Big Eva. I hope that Horton has not adopted this “Third-Way” view of the world.
Horton’s denouncement of the syncretism of the Jericho March shows a misunderstanding of the nature of politics. Politics is about temporal goods, about common grace, about civic righteousness. Compare the political parties on a few temporal goods.
One party gives lip service to the pro-life movement; the other party tells you point blank they will continue the genocide of abortion. Which party do you support?
One party believes that riots destroying urban centers, private property, and the livelihoods of thousands across the US must be stopped; the other party thinks the riots show a positive racial direction for the country. Which party do you support?
One party believes that Christian liberty, freedom of peaceable assembly, freedom of conscience, and freedom of Christian worship should be protected as God-given pre-political freedoms; the other party is committed to eroding these freedoms because of ideological incompatibility. Which party do you support?
Brother Horton, how is this complicated? How are these issues on which Christians can disagree? No political party or platform can save one’s soul, but which set of stated values secures a more just society? And how do we know what true justice is?
Rebuilding From The Ruins 