A Taboo Beef
Here is a thought that may bring some flack, not because it is controversial, but because it touches a topic that has become almost off-limits in certain Evangelical circles… and that is part of the problem. So, take a deep breath, read the whole thought, and give it some thought before you comment. But please, feel free to comment. This blog is designed to generate thought, not think for people.
Boo Helfin used to tell the students of his Old Testament Survey that the prophets were patriots. He then defined patriots as men who DON”T say, “my country be she right or wrong,” but rather, “my country be she right.” In other words, they knew that loving country meant taking a stand against the leadership when they go against God. Some Evangelicals today would probably take some of the Old Testament prophets to task. Don’t they know that you have to agree with everything that Israel does or you will be cursed?
Of course that is not true, but a lot of people teach that lie today. They say that any stance against Israel is wrong because God will curse anybody who does not follow Israel’s positions. This is a simple case of mixing politics and religion and coming up with a mess of a theology.
That is not the worst of it either. There are people some would call wolves in sheep’s clothing misleading churches with downright false theology regarding Israel. Recently I heard a man claim that Martin Luther took a step in the right direction but did not go far enough. He claimed that salvation by faith alone was a good first step, but that the church today needed to learn that its true task was to free Israel from the demonic throne currently residing there so that the end of the world could be realized. He did not claim this to be a Biblical teaching even, but rather a truth revealed to him by God. That is at best a distraction and at worst a lie meant to deceive.
So, when Obama reverses years of US political policy regarding Israel, ask yourself why you are upset. Is it because it is a dumb foreign policy move, or because he is being a bad Christian? The one is a valid opinion, the other may need some thought.
Boo Helfin used to tell the students of his Old Testament Survey that the prophets were patriots. He then defined patriots as men who DON”T say, “my country be she right or wrong,” but rather, “my country be she right.” In other words, they knew that loving country meant taking a stand against the leadership when they go against God. Some Evangelicals today would probably take some of the Old Testament prophets to task. Don’t they know that you have to agree with everything that Israel does or you will be cursed?
Of course that is not true, but a lot of people teach that lie today. They say that any stance against Israel is wrong because God will curse anybody who does not follow Israel’s positions. This is a simple case of mixing politics and religion and coming up with a mess of a theology.
That is not the worst of it either. There are people some would call wolves in sheep’s clothing misleading churches with downright false theology regarding Israel. Recently I heard a man claim that Martin Luther took a step in the right direction but did not go far enough. He claimed that salvation by faith alone was a good first step, but that the church today needed to learn that its true task was to free Israel from the demonic throne currently residing there so that the end of the world could be realized. He did not claim this to be a Biblical teaching even, but rather a truth revealed to him by God. That is at best a distraction and at worst a lie meant to deceive.
So, when Obama reverses years of US political policy regarding Israel, ask yourself why you are upset. Is it because it is a dumb foreign policy move, or because he is being a bad Christian? The one is a valid opinion, the other may need some thought.
Thank you for putting into words what I have thought for a long time. I have found myself not saying much about this when it came up in discussions because of fear of being a "bad Christian". The backing of Israel, no matter what, has never made sense to me. It will be interesting to watch how things unfold.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Madge. I was a little fearful to even post this!
ReplyDelete