Be Careful About the Multiplying Attacks on Christian Nationalism
“I am compelled to sound a word of warning here. Be very wary when CNN seeks to define what is and what is not true Christianity. And when anyone claims that a form of Christianity is a threat to democracy, it is usually a pretext for marginalization and persecution.” - Kevin Schaal
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[Larry]Based on what Deut. 4 and other passages teach about the unmatched excellence and superiority of God’s Law and all His ways above that of all other nations, I hold that there is no question that any and every society would be better off if they lived by biblical principles.Is a society better off or worse off if they live by biblical principles?
[RajeshG] Larry wrote:Is a society better off or worse off if they live by biblical principles?
Based on what Deut. 4 and other passages teach about the unmatched excellence and superiority of God’s Law and all His ways above that of all other nations, I hold that there is no question that any and every society would be better off if they lived by biblical principles.
Agree. Just as the wisdom of Proverbs improves the lives of whoever applies it, believer or not.
Job 31:9 If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;
10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
11 For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.
Job was not a Jew and was never under the Mosaic Law. His statements here attest to the belief by God’s people who were not Israelites that immorality was a “heinous crime” and “an iniquity to be punished by the judges.”
What God says is moral vs. immoral is true for all peoples everywhere and applies to all people everywhere. Nations that follow His ways do the right things whether they are “Christian” nations or not.
[RajeshG]Based on what Deut. 4 and other passages teach about the unmatched excellence and superiority of God’s Law and all His ways above that of all other nations, I hold that there is no question that any and every society would be better off if they lived by biblical principles.
Seems to me that Deuteronomy 4 would be appealing to the law of Moses or Torah, and Paul said some very pointed things to Christians who would try to live under that law during the dispensation of grace in Galatians. (and Colossians)
So if we’re talking about living according to God’s Word as it applies to New Testament Christians, Halleluiah and Amen. But we need to be careful that we don’t try to apply rules to ourselves or our country that God never intended to apply to us.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
I can understand why many Christians would NOT want to be Republican, but when opposition to the GOP so easily becomes an excuse to attack Christian values, it is understandable why so many evangelicals are Republicans.
At (Health/Wealth Name-it-Claim it) Pentecostal evangelist Ken Copeland’s FlashPoint Victory Live event in Georgia two months ago, the audience recited their “Watchman Decree.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXMZ_CoUU14
As a Patriot of faith, I attest my allegiance first and foremost to the kingdom of God and the Great Commission. Secondly, I agree to be a watchman over our nation concerning its people and their rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness—
WHEREAS
we, the Church, are God’s governing Body on the earth
we have been given legal power from heaven and now exercise our authority
we are God’s ambassadors and spokespeople over the earth
through the power of God, we are the world influencers
because of our covenant with God, we are equipped and delegated by Him to destroy every
attempted advance of the enemy,
WE MAKE OUR DECLARATIONS:
1. We decree that America’s executive branch of government will honor God and defend the Constitution.
2. We decree that our legislative branch (Congress) will write only laws that are righteous and constitutional.
3. We decree that our judicial system will issue rulings that are biblical and constitutional.
4. We declare that we stand against wokeness, the occult and every evil attempt against our
nation.
5. We declare and we now take back our God-given freedoms, according to our Constitution.
6. We declare that we take back influence at the local level in our communities.
7. We decree that we take back and permanently control positions of influence and leadership in
each of the *Seven Mountains.
8. We decree that the blood of Jesus covers and protects our nation. It protects and separates us for God.
9. We declare that our nation is energy independent.
10. We declare that America is strong spiritually, financially, militarily and technologically.
11. We decree that evil carries no power, authority or rights in our land nor over our people.
12. We decree that we will operate in unity, going beyond denominational lines in order to
accomplish the purposes of God for our nation.
13. And we decree that AMERICA SHALL BE SAVED!
We know this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.
We know the truth; therefore, we stand for truth and will NEVER be deceived! We will NEVER stop fighting!
We will NEVER, EVER, EVER give up or give in!
We WILL take our country back.
We WILL honor the ONE TRUE GOD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! AMERICA SHALL BE SAVED!“Working together with Him, we strongly urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain [by turning away from sound doctrine and His merciful kindness]. For He says, ‘At the acceptable time (the time of grace) I listened to you, and I helped you on the day of salvation.’ Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation.’” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (AMP)
*Seven Mountains of Influence include media, business/finance, family, education, politics, arts/entertainment and religion. http://1o9uu22xvmgf2vc35t1brkz8-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2022/06/WatchmanDecree.pdf
This is the dominant political ethic among Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians in America, which comprise about 36% of American evangelicalism. This is the heart of Christian Nationalism and we should avoid it like a plague.
It’s applying Name-It-Claim-it heresy to Politics and it has dangerous consequences. It’s Kingdom Now theology that takes the Christian’s focus off of Jesus and making disciples and puts it on dominating and controlling America/World. It has a weak theology of sin (ignores original sin and total depravity), an overemphasis on demonology, undermines the doctrine of Scripture (Inspiration, Sufficiency) because so much of the 7 Mountains is built on dreams and prophesies, and commits the serious error of making prosperity an aspect of the Atonement.
They butcher and revise history of America just as badly as Nikole Hannah Jones butchered and revised history in her 1619 essay.
It ignores 1600 years of Christian Theologians such as Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Kuyper, and many others who have wrestled with how the Church/Christians should engage politics for the glory of God and the good of the world. We who believe in the Doctrine of Separation need to be aware of those who are at the heart of Christian Nationalism embrace and are motivated into the political arena by errant teachings of the faith.
Joel, as I read your last post I could not help but think that sounds a lot like dominion theology. I have long clarified that we should be able to take a stand against dominion theology and Doug Wilson/Theonomy without having to give up nationalism/patriotism. That is why I have continued to ask for definitions for what people mean by Christian Nationalism. I am thankful that you have stepped up and clarified what comes to your mind when you hear of Christian Nationalism. If 7 Mountains Christian Nationalism is what comes to your mind, then I join you in opposition to it, however I know plenty of people have something totally different in mind when they hear the term- myself included before you shared about 7 Mountains etc. That is why I continue to encourage us to ask clarifying questions and to show grace to our fellow Christians as this topic comes up.
Joel, as I read your last post I could not help but think that sounds a lot like dominion theology.
Yes, it would be considered under the umbrella of dominion theology, however its roots do not come from Christian Reconstructionism, but rather applying the worst of Pentecostal/Charismatic/New Apostolic Reformation theology to political ethics. However these Kingdom Now Dominionists have very similar goals and outcomes as the Doug Wilson/Theonomy advocates.
I think Christian conservatives need to make the sharp distinction between a Patriotism and a Nationalism. There are many 20th Christian thinkers who have affirmed a Christian’s duty to love its country as part of loving your neighbor as yourself but rejected a Christian Nationalism (i.e. CS Lewis-the Four Loves and Chuck Colson-Kingdoms in Conflict) that can help us think through the Christian’s political posture or else we may end up with a theologically compromised socio-political ethic. But Patriotism should be tempered with unconditional loyalty to Christ and His church.
Discussion