Why "A Dying Breed?"

Well, as a Christian-American living in a postmodern America it seems increasingly clear that anyone who professes an authentic and orthodox Christianity faces unprecedented attack. These attacks are in some ways the last acceptable form of bigotry and class hatred in our culture. Our postmodern culture holds dear an intellectual conceit that the concept of absolute truth is denied and anyone who claims such a truth is wrong-headed and repressive.

And yet, as Christian-Americans we are called to be a Gospel people committed to teaching and sharing the Gospel of Christ. We cannot serve two masters - e.g., ideology and Christianity. Adopting a theology of accommodation and compromise demeans the Glory of God and our witness to that glory. Unless we hold to the Gospel without compromise, we have abandoned our faith.

Trends in contemporary Christian churches threaten the integrity of our corporate witness. What trends you might ask?

First and foremost is confusion about the Gospel itself. What one holds to be the truth about the authority of Scripture is a sure sign of the orthodoxy of their faith. Scripture is the inerrant and infallible Word of God. It is not a philosophy text, a compilation of interesting history or a smorgasbord of ethical options.

Next, is that the Gospel truth is that Christ died for sinners, and that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. Or as John told us: "Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me." (John 14:6)

Unfortunately much of what is presented in many pulpits -- and marketed by catchy televised feel-good gospel preachers -- bears little resemblance to this simple message. In the culture of acquisition, sinners (if acknowledged at all) are told to seek prosperity and material blessings because that is what God wants for them.

Salvation from sin and judgment has been neatly repackaged into self-actualization.

In the liberal church, the Gospel was transformed into a social and political message of liberation and self esteem. Salvation is promised as the answer to low self-esteem and emptiness. There is no concept of a holy God who offers salvation from sin and its eternal penalty.

Sin itself has been repackaged as just another form of self-expression and an alternative lifestyle choice. The self is held out as the center of existence, everything and everybody else is secondary. That goes directly counter to the Puritan and Reformed attitudes and beliefs that built and expanded this great nation - and which, by the way - insisted on a Bill of Rights that insures every American the right to believe or not believe as he/she sees fit. At least for now.

I think the day is coming when the government will legislate what can and cannot be preached in the pulpit of a Christian Church.

Is that a gross overstatement of the possibilities? I don't think so. The worldview held by many individuals in our society flatly rejects objective truths as imperialistic and arrogant. R. C. Sproul has said that we are living in the most anti-intellectual age of the church and as a result we believe nothing. The frightening part of that is that he is talking about many who are "in the church."

Far too many church goers judge churches today on how they make us feel, and not whether they preach and teach the truth of the Gospel.

Why from the perspective of a "Christian-American?" Well, 3 answers really.

First of all, I figure that since everyone else feels the need to be some sort of hyphenated American, I may as well. The most accurate descriptive I can imagine is this - "Christian-American." I am both of those things - and the Christian part is primary.

Secondly it clearly identifies my world view.

Thirdly, it should give the reader a clear indicator that I have no intention of being fair and balanced. Its my blog.

So, what does that bring to mind? Well, this month we celebrated the 233rd birthday of our nation and one week later the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. What a great juxtaposition of events.

According to Leopold Van Ranke, a German historian, John Calvin was the virtual founder of America. Under the heading, “Did You Know” you will find these items of interest. It is estimated that at the time of the American Revolution:
*75% of the colonists were Calvinists;
*50% of the soldiers in Washington's army were Presbyterians;
*when the war ended, all but one of the colonels in the Continental Army were Presbyterian elders and
*the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence was a Presbyterian Pastor and educator, John Witherspoon.

Irrespective of what modern day revisionists want you to believe, America was begun as a nation founded on Christian values and vision. It has become the epitome of liberal thought control to insist that the founding fathers were either deists or atheist. That is nonsense. At most two might have believed in a deistic philosophy, but wouldn't have called it that. It is possible that Thomas Paine was an atheist. According to their own biographers, Jefferson and Franklin both became much more engaged in their faiths toward the end of their lives. Here are the thoughts of some of the others.

John Adams: '"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."'

It has become routine and conventional wisdom in our culture to denigrate the clearly Christian nature of the development of our great nation. The nation, like many of the mainline churches has become apostate (literally defined as falling away from the beliefs on which something is founded.)

Patrick Henry is still remembered for his words, '"Give me liberty or give me death."' But in almost all current history textbooks the context of these words is intentionally deleted. Here is what he actually said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death." In 1776, as America was declaring her independence, Henry went on to say "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

Returning for a moment to John Adams, while he was president he issued this pointed charge: "Let not Geneva be forgotten or despised. Religious liberty owes it much respect."

He was talking specifically about John Calvin. As an architect of Reformation Christianity was perhaps best known in his time for his influence on the city of Geneva. It was as magistrate of that city/state that he modeled many of the principles of liberty wholly embraced by America's Founders:

• a belief in transcendent principles of law as the foundation of an ethical legal system,
• free market economics,
• decentralized authority,
• an educated citizenry as a safeguard against tyranny,
• and republican representative government which was accountable to the people and a higher law.
  

How did those things become so much a part of the philosophy, ideology and construct of our nation? Through the vision of our Calvinist forefathers who quite simply – and yet quite fervently -- held that: God is sovereign, and the Bible is correct. At the Synod of Dordt, after Calvin’s death and the growth of some revisionist theologies, this simple statement of fact was systematized in the now famous, if often overlooked and forgotten, Calvinist doctrines known as TULIP;
Total Depravity: Humanity is sin-dead, and incapable of contributing anything toward salvation (Ps. 14:1-3; 51:5, Rom. 3:10, 23; Jer. 17:9; Eph. 2:8-9)

Unconditional Election: God chose to save us despite our complete unworthiness (Eph. 1:4, 2:8-9; John 1:12-13; 15:16, Rom. 8:28-30, 9:11)

Limited Atonement: Christ’s sacrifice secured salvation for all the elect. It did not make salvation possible for all who might choose to accept it. (Col. 1:21-22; John 6:37, 44, 64; 10:26; Acts 13:48)

Irresistible Grace: God will draw all the elect to Himself and none will be lost. (John 6:37, 39; 10:28; 18:9; Rom. 8:31-39; Eph. 2:8-9)

Perseverance of the Saints: As Christians, we are eternally secure; none of the elect can ever lose the gift of salvation. (John 5:24; 6:39; 10:28; Rom. 3:29; II Tim. 4:18; Heb. 7:23-25; 10:14; I Peter 1:4-5; II Cor. 1:21-22; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30)

In the development of the USA, there were three spheres of Calvin's Influence:

• Morality - In England, the moral result of Calvin's teaching was Puritanism. The first Puritans actually studied with Calvin in Geneva, where they published the Geneva Bible, whose marginal notes infuriated Queen Elizabeth. When the Puritans returned home, they launched a campaign to end corruption in government; vulgarity in the theater; worldliness in the clergy; and vagrancy and idleness in society. The Puritan influence spread so quickly that within 50 years, historian Richard Green observed: "England became a people of a book, and that book was the Bible." Macaulay called those Puritans "the most remarkable body of men the world has ever produced."These were the people who came to America and laid the foundation for our freedom today.
  
• Economics - Capitalism is the direct result of Calvinism. Capitalism is the only economic system that is not founded on an assumption of the basic goodness of humanity. Socialism/communism says : You have two coats; your neighbor has no coat. You give him one of yours. Capitalism says: You have two coats; your neighbor has no coat. You work out a deal whereby he gives you in money, goods, or services fair value for your coat. This is called enlightened self-interest. This enlightened self-interest, a product of the Calvinist doctrine of Total Depravity, has made the United States of America the wealthiest, most productive nation the world has ever known.
  
• Politics- Because our nation was founded on Calvinist principles, our government was established with checks and balances. Our leaders are chosen competitively. Where the Calvinist influence is strong, democracies flourish. According to church historian Williston Walker, “This doctrine was the only system the Reformation produced that could organize itself powerfully in the face of government hostility. It trained strong men, confident in their election to be fellow workers with God in the accomplishment of His will, courageous to do battle, insistent on character, and confident that God has given -- in the Scriptures -- the guide of all right human conduct and proper worship. This was Calvin's work.”

Why? Why not.

I am not absolutely certain that I am committed to the idea of blogging. Hell, for that matter I am not even sure I understand the point of blogging. But, what the heck, it is a chance to download some of the stuff that clutters up my cerebrum. I, like many (I suspect) find myself spending valuable time ruminating and fulminating over nonsense being spouted by everyone else, so...





...right -- why not!





It is the morning after the latest political pablum, carefully packaged and spoon-fed to the great unwashed American public. Yes, that's correct, I am speaking of the alleged "Press Conference" managed by PBHO and his minions on July 22.





To give the man his due, he is a superb speaker and wordsmith. Bereft of content, but jam packed with emotional appeal and conventional wisdom.





I recently read, and must say agreed with, an unsigned on-line essay about being exhorted to get behind this President and his agenda.





Allow me to summarize:





NO!





I cannot get behind things that are completely antithetical to the values and vision with which I was raised in our great nation. While I absolutely respect the office that he holds and while I will acknowledge his skill as a speaker/wordsmith, I simply cannot get behind him and his agenda. I will continue pray for him and his well being. But that is where I stop.





I hope with all my heart that his presidency is limited to a single term.

You see, my America is vastly different than PBHO's and I have a higher obligation to my God and my country and absolutely none to leftist/liberal ideology.

I do not share his vision or value system. Specifically;

• I do not share his radical “abortion on demand” beliefs.



• I do not share his belief in Marxist re-distribution of wealth.



• I do not share his views on confiscatory taxation.



• I do not share his view of that America as arrogant.



• I do not share his perspective that America is not a nation founded upon Judeo-Christian belief.



• I do not share his view on dangerously short-sighted military reductions.



• I do not share his view of amnesty for and entitlements to illegal aliens.



• I do not share his view that Islam is a friend and Israel is an enemy.



• I do not share his spiritual beliefs - heck, I don't even understand them -- and I'm a theologian.



• I do not share his ideas about universal government managed health-care -- and unlike him, I have actually lived under such a system.



• I do not share his strategic view of the Middle East.



• I do not agree with his stated intent to sit down with terrorist regimes such as Iran.


• I do not agree with his efforts to nationalize key industries e.g., banking and automobile manufacturing.

Unite behind him and his agenda? I think not.