As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Why do people, both on the political left and right, get so angry that they decide to kill political figures with whom they disagree? Why is it happening in America even more, lately? Why do people murder state lawmakers in Minneapolis, and kill Christian political activists in Utah, and nearly succeed in slaying presidential candidates—all in the past 15 months?
“Lee and Macedo criticize the intense moral loathing and intolerance on both sides of the aisle. They are weary of the inability among Republicans and Democrats to see that people can reasonably disagree about complex scientific issues.” - L&L
“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
“1. The Imago Test: Are we treating opponents as image-bearers? …2. The Red/Blue Test: Are our minds hyper-politicized?… 3. The Justification Test: Are we seeking righteousness apart from Christ?… 4. The Fruit Test: Is the Spirit less evident in our lives?” - Desiring God
“…to hear some Christians talk, we’re apparently in a war with others, culturally and politically. I’ve been told things like, ‘We’re in a battle for the soul of America’ and ‘If we don’t win against the Liberals we won’t be able to preach the Gospel.’” - P&D
“The specific issues are many, some comparatively new (critical race theory, former President Donald Trump), some all too familiar (racism and race relations beyond the one theory, roles of women, sexual ethics, Christian nationalism, church handling of abuse), all with a political edge.” - C.Today
“It isn’t just the Olympics. All of the teams I follow are dragging down my mood.” - Veith
“ ‘Follower of Jesus.’ A follower of Jesus myself, I normally like to see those words on someone’s Twitter profile. Lately, however, I’m reluctant to scroll down for fear that this same follower has cussed out a politician on the social media platform or tweeted nasty things at a person they disagree with.” - Dan Darling
All humans are political and ideological. We’re political in the sense that we have beliefs about the groups we’re part of—what those groups ought to have done in the past, ought to do now, ought to do in the future, and what sort of people should lead them. And we certainly have strong views about the groups we’re not part of.
Discussion