Commenting on the dis-invite of Louis Giglio as a participant in the inauguration, Robert George writes: "Christians
shouldn’t panic or cower when culture
or political power shifts into the hands of those who hold our moral
convictions in contempt. Christians shouldn’t seek to silence our
opponents. But calling for fairness and justice, as the Apostle Paul did for
himself (Acts 16:37-39), is none of those things. When it comes to our public
witness, we are our brothers’ keepers." This was a directed response to Matthew Anderson's blog comment that evangelicals need to "shrug it off." (SEE Robert George and Russell Moore, First Things First post at http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/ 2013/01/shrug-not commenting on
(NOTE: Robert P.
George is a visiting professor at Harvard Law School and McCormick Professor of
Jurisprudence at Princeton University; Russell D. Moore is the provost and dean
of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in
Louisville, Kentucky.
-------------------------
O.K. who
is right? Anderson or George? What SHOULD be the Christian's response to the
dis-invite of Louis Giglio in the inauguration? I think there are actually a
number of responses. First, a bit of background. I have marched in Right to
Life rallies, served on a city-wide pro-life board, written letters and spoken
to Washington, DC insiders. I have also, on the other hand, written letters and
notes against Jim Dobson and other
"activist" politically-minded evangelicals. I have been a Baptist, a
Presbyterian and a Brethren in Christ pastor and church leader. So, I come from
a wide perspective and with a breadth of interaction and experience in dealing
with both non-conformity and, on the other hand, involvement with the culture.
I believe in a God-centered, Bible-based, world-and-life viewpoint.
To begin with,
you cannot have it both ways. Either we SHOULD seek to silence our opponents,
OR we should PANIC and be VERY concerned. Not to silence our opponents means
accepting more and more of a worldview at violent and inescapable odds against
Christianity. The current homosexual agenda is very militant, very focused, and
is saturating every aspect of our society. If we don't defeat this evidence of
atheistic secularism, we will never be able to define marriage biblically. This
may require severe means for Christians who take a stand against such agendas.
On the
other hand, what does "silencing" our opponents mean and involve?
Some would call for radical protests, marches, demonstrations, sit-ins (remember
the 60s?), jail time, fines and so forth. A few would even propose more
radically minded revolt. But I see this option as unbiblical and unworthy of
what God finally wants of us. Jesus as a sheep was led to slaughter. He calls
his disciples to turn the other cheek, to pray for enemies, to submit to even
ungodly governments.
This
brings me to my second point. The Apostle Paul DID plead for justice and his
rights as a Roman citizen, BUT ONLY to be able to get the Gospel across and
fulfill his calling from God. The key was the Gospel, because it is the Gospel
which changes lives and minds and positions. It is the Gospel driven to the
heart by the Holy Spirit which conquers anti-God secularism. It is the Gospel
which turns it on its head. His purpose was never politically motivated. He
could have complained against the Roman prison system and pleaded his case
against the harsh treatment to the governor. His purpose was the Gospel, not to
change the system in which the Gospel lived.
Third,
and I have said this for years, it is the one-by-one internal, radical,
God-given change in the heart that finally wins the day against secularism and
atheistic movements. That is why I am a minister of the Gospel. That is why I
believe in sharing the Gospel near and far. That is why I must at the end of
the day trust God to change legislation and the minds and hearts behind it.
The
objection would be that if my rights and liberties and means are taken away,
the Gospel cannot get out. This is nonsense. The Gospel cannot be muzzled nor
defeated! The fantastic underground growth of Christianity across the world in
countries where it is officially outlawed is the witness for that. God always
will find a way to get His eternal message and plan across. It doesn't matter
how evil, how bad, how secular, how atheistic humankind gets. God will win. And
that does NOT depend on us or our efforts at the end of the day. God will win
because He is God. He is sovereign. He holds the rulers in His hands. He
controls history. He has determined the means and the end.
Fourth,
evangelical Christians must LIVE OUT the Gospel message. Judgment rightly must
begin at the house of God, at the local and national and global level in our
churches. We have generally failed to live out the Gospel message. We have
imbibed secularism and then fight against it when it crosses our views and
comfort zones. Unless we become what John R.W. Stott called "radical
disciples," unless we live what we say and teach, unless we choose
lifestyles that are Christ-centered and others oriented, we cannot and will not
defeat the homosexual agenda or any other unbiblical agenda for that matter.
So, I am
fully ready to do whatever I need to do to preach and teach and share the
Gospel. That might even be from a prison cell. God will at the end of the day
win. Both Anderson and George are right and both are wrong! Giglio did the
right thing--he redirected the conversation back to the Gospel and to Gospel
work. Unless we teach and preach and live out the Gospel and its demands, we
will never be able to move forward.
