Rethinking Evangelical political involvement

[ProfessorAlan]

Have you heard about (or even better, read) this (http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com/) document that came out a few days ago? The controversial part (about Evangelicals and partisan politics) is in section 3, starting around page 14.

I am generally in favor of vigorous debate within the church on issues like this, so I welcome this.

[Tamera]

Very interesting article. I haven't read it in full yet - just skimmed it, so my thoughts on it may be random. I believe it is true that the Republican Party has made the mistake of believing that Evangelical Christians will just fall into step with everything they decide. They are going down a slippery slope because, as the article says, we answer to a higher power. If any party expects our vote, they have to earn it.

[Ransom v. Unman]

...some of us feel they never earned it the first time around - merely co-opted it.

The church-state complex is one I would love to see broken. I hope this kind of scrutiny on the relationship between church and politics - wheter right or left - continues.

[Thebigguy]

I don't know why I would need to sign an evangelical petition to basically be what the bible calls me to be. Which seems to be what they're saying. As far as Republicans, I was or have been blindly republican (having come from Iowa where Christian and republican seen to mean the same thing.) However moving to California (while not convincing me to be a Democrat.) (And with what I"ve read from Tortured for Christ by Richard Wormbrand, and (the beginning of anyway.) Patterson of Tibet. Has left me with the understanding that if I followed Christ it could put me in opposition to "American Interests." We may have had a Christian beginning as a country but let's not fool ourselves conservative doesn't mean Christian.

[DrRita]

For me, I like to think our example is Christ himself. "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's." "My kingdom is not of this world." I believe we all should individually walk as Jesus did, totally dependent upon God and listening to what He wants us to do. Some are called to political reform but not all are. We need to do what God has called us to do.

[Xenia]

An Introduction
"An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative group of Evangelical leaders who do not claim to speak for all Evangelicals, but who invite all other Evangelicals to stand with them and help clarify what Evangelical means in light of 'confusions within and the consternation without' the movement. As the Manifesto states, the signers are not out to attack or exclude anyone, but to rally and to call for reform.

"As an open declaration, An Evangelical Manifesto addresses not only Evangelicals and other Christians but other American citizens and people of all other faiths in America, including those who say they have no faith."
http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.co..._Manifesto.pdf (http://www.anevangelicalmanifesto.com/docs/Evangelical_Manifesto.pdf)

I don't get it. It's suppose to be an EVANGELICAL Manifesto yet they don't want to exclude anyone, even those with NO faith?! Come on!

[Xenia]

Mohler, Guinness face off over Manifesto
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=116338

Caner didn't endorse 'Manifesto'
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=118542

[Lookin^Up]

I liked this part especially:

Called to an allegiance higher than party, ideology, and nationality, we Evangelicals see it our duty to engage with politics, but our equal duty never to be completely equated with any party, partisan ideology, economic system, or nationality. In our scales, spiritual, moral, and social power are as important as political power, what is right outweighs what is popular, just as principle outweighs party, truth matters more than team-playing, and conscience more than power and survival.

The politicization of faith is never a sign of strength but of weakness. The saying is wise: “The first thing to say about politics is that politics is not the first thing.”

The Evangelical soul is not for sale. It has already been bought at an infinite price.
From this and everything else I have read in this Manifesto so far, I'd have to say that it's a fair endorsement of what the Evangelical movement (if it can be called a "movement") is all about.

[Shellbiz]

The writers of the "Evangelical Manifesto" miss their mark when trying to both "address the confusions and corruptions that attend the term Evangelical" and "clarify[ing] where we stand on issues that have caused consternation over Evangelicals in public life."

First of all, I'm not sure who they are referring to when they talk about the "many people outside the movement now doubt that Evangelical is ever positive and many inside now wonder whether the term any longer serves a useful purpose." I think they need some references to who these people are. Also, they contradict this statement when they say that "we insist that we ourselves, and not scholars, the press, or public opinion, have the right to say who we understand ourselves to be. We are who we say we are, and we resist all attempts to explain us in terms of our 'true' motive and our 'real' agenda."

To be a manifesto worth its salt, it needs to make clearly understood proclamations. Instead, I see this document riddled with assertions (like the aforesaid--people who do not feel positive about Evangelical) and beating-'round-the bush speech that leaves one wondering more than nodding or even shaking a fist at what they say.

I have a whole lot more to say about this subject, but I do not want to monopolize the "conversation." [By the way, I wonder who edited this piece. There are numerous punctuation and a few other grammar errors. Argggh!]