Thursday, June 09, 2005
Jim Wallis -- Bobo Doll
In case you don't know this is a bobo doll:
You just keep hitting them and they just keep coming back for more.
Jim Wallis is deservedly such a person. He is a left-wing Christian, trying to disguise himself as a moderate. Everytime I have ever encountered him he has annoyed me with two critical mistakes:
I think there is more of a middle road here. First of all, in response to David's (and Chesterton's) point -- there is a danger in just "working on me" - narcissism. So much of the nanny-state, do-gooder left would proclaim, rightfully so, that they were working on themselves. Christ's example is naught but in humility, sacrificing self for the sake of others -- He to worked to change the world, but He did it in a very different manner. I think it better to say "Change individuals -- change the world." That's Christ's example.
I agree with David; however, that the OT prophet model is not the way to go for Christian political activism. The best Christian political activism is by being good Christians in politics. Which is why I went out of my way earlier to point out that the Israelites had no political franchise. They could not act to as leven in the political process because they had no role -- the prophetic model was the only option left to them. But we are in quite different circumstances -- we have a political franchise, and it is our duty as citizens and Christians to exercise it.
Because we are a body, there are many Christians that will not be politically inclined, fine, don't blog about it, don't volunteer for campaigns. But those that are so inclined should do so with gusto. God did not call us to stay out of politics -- He called us to be true to our setting. In America, that means participate in politics.
You just keep hitting them and they just keep coming back for more.
Jim Wallis is deservedly such a person. He is a left-wing Christian, trying to disguise himself as a moderate. Everytime I have ever encountered him he has annoyed me with two critical mistakes:
- He assumes commandments God gave the church apply equally to the government ("feed my sheep" = food stamps, not church-run soup kitchen)
- He acts as if current conservative concerns (same-sex marriage, abortion) are trivial matters.
But this post is not about me, it's about some questions SmartChristian is asking and Jollyblogger inadvertently is answering.
Andy at SmartChristian wonders if Wallis' assertion that Christian public policy efforts should be guided by OT prophets is valid. Of course, not having read Wallis' book (blood pressure issues), I am not entirely sure what he means by the assertion. I'll assume he means that we, like the prophets, are supposed to stand on the boundaries and point out to everybody what they are doing that is not within God's will. There is one other thing to note, in OT prophetic times, the Israelites were in bondage. They had no opportunity to control their political destiny.
Jollyblogger says this
This is where Chalberg hits the nail on the head. Chesterton says the problem with the world today is me - change me and change the world. Falwell and Wallis say the problem with the world is you, or ya'll. If I can change ya'll I can change the world. How can I change ya'll? Politics of course.Sounds like David thinks Wallis is way off on this one.
I think there is more of a middle road here. First of all, in response to David's (and Chesterton's) point -- there is a danger in just "working on me" - narcissism. So much of the nanny-state, do-gooder left would proclaim, rightfully so, that they were working on themselves. Christ's example is naught but in humility, sacrificing self for the sake of others -- He to worked to change the world, but He did it in a very different manner. I think it better to say "Change individuals -- change the world." That's Christ's example.
I agree with David; however, that the OT prophet model is not the way to go for Christian political activism. The best Christian political activism is by being good Christians in politics. Which is why I went out of my way earlier to point out that the Israelites had no political franchise. They could not act to as leven in the political process because they had no role -- the prophetic model was the only option left to them. But we are in quite different circumstances -- we have a political franchise, and it is our duty as citizens and Christians to exercise it.
Because we are a body, there are many Christians that will not be politically inclined, fine, don't blog about it, don't volunteer for campaigns. But those that are so inclined should do so with gusto. God did not call us to stay out of politics -- He called us to be true to our setting. In America, that means participate in politics.
