Danville Enlightener

VOL. VIII, No. 21

June 10, 2007

The Religious Left

Have you ever heard of the “Religious Left?” I’m sure you have heard a lot about the “Religious Right” from many sources. Usually the Religious Right is depicted as illiterate buffoons who reject science and think all evolutionists deserve to be burned at the stake.

I thought about the Religious Left recently when I heard about three leading candidates for president who participated in a televised forum on faith. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and former senator John Edwards were all trying to woo the Religious Left.

I listened with interest as they discussed faith in their lives. Edwards said: “Faith -- I mean, not only my faith, but prayer’s played a huge role in my life. It does every single day; it’s what gives me strength to keep going.” He went on to say that he would not impose his faith on the nation if elected president. This was, in my estimation, pandering to the Religious Left. Saying what is orthodoxy for the Religious Left and giving little meaning to the words. If a man would not try to impose his faith, then he has no faith.

The Religious Left is composed of organizations like the National Council of Churches. Also many mainline denominations are part of the Religious Left including the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church and the Episcopalian Church. And many people are in sympathy with the Religious Left without knowing in clear terms what these groups believe. They sound so sensitive, caring, and empathetic, but they could not possibly be more unscriptural.

Let’s consider some of the Religious Left’s core beliefs.

Cardinal Tenets of the Religious Left

1. God is morally neutral with regards to religion. To the religious Left there are no false religions – to them all religions have some truth. Jesus is not the “only way” to heaven. The Bible is neither inerrant nor infallible; it is filled with many errors and must be properly interpreted by experts (usually their theologians). To the Religious Left, Islam is as good as Christianity; Mohammad is as much a way to God as is Jesus. The Koran is no less important than the Bible. One cannot believe the Bible (Jn 14:6; 1 Jn 4:1; 1 Tim 2:5; Jn 16:13; Jas 1:25) and associate with the Religious Left.

2. Man is not a sinner; man is innately good, it is society that is evil. To improve the world, it is better to create good social institutions than to waste time trying to create good men. To these people a pedophile, a rapist and a murderer is the way he is not because of choosing to do evil but because society made him this way. This ignores the biblical truth that men become sinners because they choose to sin (Josh 24:15; Rom 6:16-17). In order to make for a better society, man needs to be held accountable for his choices (Eccl 8:11). In order to have better societies we need to lead men to a knowledge of Jesus (Jn 10:10).

3. God grades on a curve, there is no hell. Everybody goes to heaven, eventually, if there is an afterlife. “Don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff” according to the Religious Left. This flies in the face of the truth taught by the Lord in Matt 7:21-23 and Matt 10:28. God does not grade on a curve; He does not overlook sin. We all will be judged by Him for the lives we have lived and the deeds we have done (2 Cor 5:10).

4. Terms like “good” and “evil” are offensive, polarizing, and non-productive. They should never be used to describe individuals, groups, societies, governments, nations, or religions. Therefore, militant Islam is neither good nor evil it is a system of belief. I cannot count the number of times evil is found in the Bible. Jesus had no misgivings when it came to using the word evil. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mk 7:21-23). Jesus would not have been welcomed at a forum on faith held by the Religious Left because He said that adultery, deceit and the likes were evil. Paul called Elymas, “you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). I can only imagine what he would call the so-called “Prophet Mohammad.”

5. Since objective truth is unknowable, things such as homosexuality and abortion cannot be considered as sin. How often have you scratched your head and tried to figure out how Episcopal Churches could ordain Gene Robinson (an admitted, unrepentant and practicing homosexual) to their priesthood since the New Testament of Christ is so clear  (Rom 1:25-27; 1 Cor 6:9-11)  in its condemnation of homosexuality?

It is because these people do not accept the Bible as authoritative or even understandable. Instead of reading and understanding the New Testament as it is written, they say we should interpret it in light of present social mores. Instead of being fixed, we are told the New Testament is fluid (changeable).

6. Some humans are more valuable than others. The killing of an unborn is moral because it prevents the mother from suffering an unwanted pregnancy. Similarly, the killing of a human embryo is moral if it can prevent the suffering of another human being by advancing medical breakthroughs. To the Religious Left both abortion and embryonic stem cell research are morally acceptable practices. It is perfectly alright to the Religious Left to destroy some human life if in that destruction another, more valuable, life can be helped. If a cure for Parkinson’s can be found by killing human embryo then go for it. If having a baby poses a hardship on a woman then by all means kill the child so the more valuable adult will not suffer. God places a premium on ALL human life (Gen 9:6). Once we decide certain human lives are less important that other lives, then we are on a slippery-slope. This puts us in the same policies implemented by NAZI Germany.

When I hear about faith in the context of the Religious Left, I immediately recognize that it is not the faith about which we read in the Bible. The Religious Left does not worship and honor God. Instead it honors and worships man. It is not sympathetic to your religious convictions. Instead it is hostile to them. In order for you to be tolerated by the Religious Left, you will have to embrace these six cardinal tenets. Something no Christian can do! This is the twenty-first century form of confessing Caesar or Christ.

-jrb

"As I See It"

The announcer concluded his Sunday evening announcements with: “Does anybody have anything else that needs to be mentioned?” A voice from the back of the auditorium responded: “My aunt Floxie has lost her rooster; it is the only rooster she has and she wants us to pray that she will find it.” While most would immediately recognize that the rooster’s well being meant a lot to Aunt Floxie, it was not something that should have been announced during a worship assembly. However, when the announcer opened the floor to anyone and anything else, he invited such a response.

In writing to the church at Corinth about proper decorum in assemblies Paul concludes, “Let all things be done decently and in order,” (1 Cor 14:40). Anything done that is not decent and orderly is indecent and out of order.

Public announcements are not part of worship per se; they are made as a means of informing congregates of things relevant to them. It is the usual practice of local congregations to include announcements as a way of expeditiously making known important matters to the local body such as illnesses, welcoming guests, marriages, births, etc.

If announcements are included then they too should be done according to the principles outlined in scripture. They must be done decently and orderly. That is, with arrangement and dignity. Also, the principle of one speaking and the rest remaining quiet (1 Cor 14:23); of women remaining silent (1 Cor 14:34-35) and of doing all things in order to edify (1 Cor 14:26) must be observed.

AS I SEE IT, there are things we can do to help with this. Make sure if there is an announcement that needs to be brought before the church, inform the announcer or one of the elders. If this was not possible, then write it down and pass it to the announcer.

Also, the man making the announcements should never open the floor to anyone and anything. He should never say: “Does anybody have anything else that needs to be mentioned?” Such invites anyone to say anything and permits the patent violation of principles governing our assemblies.