Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Responding To My Critics: Why Jesus Is Not A Liberal [And Neither Am I]



One of the most consistent complaints I’ve heard from people regarding my book is that I’m not tough enough on the Liberal Democrats or that I am too critical of the Conservative Republican brand of Christianity.

In light of that I’d like to make a few clarifications:

*The reason my book speaks more about Conservative Republican Christianity is because this is my own background and experience. I frankly can’t say as much about the Liberal Democrat Christianity because that wasn’t something I was immersed in for over 25 years of my life.

*If anyone reads my book and understands my message, they will abandon all politics, not just conservative politics.

*As long as we are continually distracted by which side – the Left or the Right – is worse than the other side, we will remain entangled in politics. It doesn’t matter which one you think is better or worse. The point is they are both corrupt and a distraction from our calling as Ambassadors of Christ’s Kingdom.

*Just because I spend less time criticizing the Left does not mean that I am in favor of Democratic policies, politicians or ideologies. Nor does it mean that Democrats are somehow “better” or “less entangled” than Republicans.

*HOWEVER: My book does warn readers NOT to take my criticisms of Conservative Republican Christianity and Politics as a signal that they should swing to the Left, or even towards another party like the Libertarians the Green party, etc.

In fact on page 117 of my book I say this:

“Let’s be clear. The answer to all of this is not to join the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party, or even to create our own political party. No, the answer is to abandon politics completely, to re-focus our eyes on Jesus, and to place our faith in His plan to change the world. The American Church must return to Her Bridegroom. She must remember Her first love.”

*On page 122 of my book I say this:

“One study conducted in 2011 found that nearly 5,400 former congressional staffers and 400 former U.S. lawmakers left Capitol Hill to become federal lobbyists over a 10 year period.  So, it really doesn’t matter whether or not there is a Republican or a Democrat in the White House
or if one party has a majority in Congress. Other than a few minor details, there are no significant differences between one or the other. Mainly because both parties are largely controlled by the same powerful corporations.

*On page 130 of my book I say:

“Many lobbyists even go so far as to write the bills they want Congress to pass, and to hand those bills to their representatives. The Congressmen often don’t even read the entire bill before they introduce it, vote on it, and pass it into law. It doesn’t matter if those Congressmen are Republican, Democrat, Independent, or Libertarian. This is how our government works, and it has been this way for a very long time.

*On page 146 I say:

“So, again, for the record, I am not a liberal or a Democrat. I am also not a Republican or a Libertarian. I do not even vote. I do not endorse any political party or agenda or candidate for office. I place no faith whatsoever in politics or politicians. My hope is in Christ and in His Gospel alone. The frustrating thing is that, whenever someone advocates for the idea that Christians should listen to the words of Jesus and put them into practice by caring for the poor, loving their enemy, or refraining from violence they risk being labeled as a liberal or accused of being motivated by politics. Even if what they’re really doing is following the Lord Jesus Christ.”

So, in conclusion, let me reiterate that my book advocates a complete and total abandonment of all political entanglements. Everything in the book points to Jesus and calls Christians to seek first His Kingdom and completely forsake any and all connections with politics.

If you read the book and you are offended that I didn't take more time to attack the other side, I suspect you might still be entangled in partisan politics and have totally missed the point.

Remember: You can't convert a culture if that culture has already converted you.

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." [Hebrews 12:1-2]

-kg
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