All kinds of people have made themselves judge and jury over Mr. Donald Trump's Christian faith. For the most part, I suspect this comes from the tendency in recent decades for America's denominations to steal sheep from each other instead of seeking to attract the unchurched. The rise of evangelicalism, with novel, poorly defined pronouncements about the requirements for salvation, has overshadowed "that old-time religion" of our grandparents and forefathers.
Bill Quick is not religious, and in fact calls himself an atheist. But he finally got enough of the gossip and set out a history lesson that matters to every American, of whatever faith:
" I recognize Trump’s religious sensibilities because I think they are a lot like the ones I grew up with: Church on Sundays, Sunday School for the kids, Bible Study for mom and dad, and a generalized acceptance of Christ, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments, but not the sort of flagrant protestations of deep belief favored by preachers and their ilk.
"In short, the sort of religious glue that holds a society and culture together, rather than tearing it apart in fanatic religious wars. ...
"Those who, whether they make a big show of their religion (as some do) rather than hiding their lights under a bushel, but continue to think that “love one another as you love yourself, do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” most of the Ten Commandments, and a general belief that God loves you is a pretty good set of guidelines to follow will end up making a fairly decent culture and society for all.
"Unfortunately, when the bright-line fanatics get involved, and start reading various heretics, sinners, apostates, and other unfortunates out of their pathways to salvation, is when societies and cultures begin to fester with the rot of religious warfare, and the sort of blank checks true believers always end up writing in aid of advancing the primacy of whatever their faith happens to be. ....
"Hillary has a religion. It is Marxist progressivism. Trump has a religion as well – call it American Christianity."Click over to The Daily Pundit to read it all.
What happens in this election matters. It's not the flashy, trendy lifestyles at stake, but the ordinary backbone of American life. The matter-of-fact, work-a-day Christians are the stalwarts, as they have been for 2000 years, following Paul's admonition in the next verse, Eph 6:13: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Or, as "The Message's" version of Ephesians 6:12-13 puts it: "This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
"Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. "
No comments:
Post a Comment