From the latest Family Christian mailer:
Sarah Palin, present poster-child of the politicized American Christianity (TM) persecution complex. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, perhaps the 20th Century’s best example of faith under persecution who was imprisoned and later hung for his convictions. (I’m still trying to wrap my head around how Sarah Palin is an example of “faithful perseverance”)
On the surface, they are both very similar. Both are tied to movements that insist Christianity should oppose cultural and governmental moral decay. However, that’s where the similarities end, unless you liken our current administration to Nazi Germany (and those who do, really, really need to brush up on their history). Christians in America are under no threat of imprisonment or death for our beliefs. Our government is not conducting a systematic slaughter of a specific segment of our population, which would be worthy of opposition. And no, I’m not going to relate abortion to the Holocaust; a person’s choice, whether we agree with the laws allowing it or not, is still the decision of the individual, independent of the government. And no political leader is elevating themselves as a leader of the church, which would also be worthy of opposition.
Wait. That is happening, albeit subtly. This advertisement demonstrates it. Here is a potential presidential candidate being promoted by a Christian bookstore. She’s not the first. I’ve seen books by Gingrich, Bush (Sr and Jr), and Huckabee displayed right in front next to Joel Osteen (if that’s not a clue, I don’t know what is). Yet I’ve never seen any books by Jimmy Carter, President Obama, or others from the Left side of the aisle promoted in such a way. No, they’re not leading any church, but they are leading public opinion, especially those on the religious right.
I strongly believe our convictions should guide our politics, whether it’s Left-leaning Social Gospel or Right-leaning Family Values. However, our politics should not shape our convictions. While the secular world argues to keep faith out of politics, I argue we need to keep politics out of faith. And that includes bookstores.
“Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’“ (John 18:36)
Thank you, thank you …
In terms of perserverance, as awful as the publicity she's gone through, Sarah Palin's experience simply can't be compared to Bonhoeffer's.
But she's obviously persecuted by the MSM! She just has a show on TLC and her daughter was on DWTS. Persecution, I tell ya!
We all should be so cautious. Thanks for the wake-up call.
What gets me is this "cult of personality" that is so pervasive in Evangelical Christianity: Sarah Palin, Carrie Prejean, Kate Gosslen, etc. While we may have our favorite authors, preachers, movie stars, or athletes, our hope needs to be in Christ alone. But that doesn't sell in the Christian marketplace.
Thanks, everyone, for your feedback!
This is great perspective.