One of the complaints that has seeped in from the secular left into the Church, namely the Emergent Church, is that right-winged Christians are too political. And so, we have been chastised for supporting President Bush just because he is against abortion and gay rights. We are told that we should just vote Republican.But one look at the Emergent Church and their hypocrisy is immediately exposed. While chastising us about our support of the Republican party, they are more than willing to support all things Democrat. The truth is, one of the main differences between Evangelicals and the Emergent Church, in terms of politics, is in what they emphasize. Evangelicals focus on homosexuality and abortion and so vote Republican. Emergent Churchgoers focus on poverty and the environment and so vote Democrat (although I would argue that the Democrat party is causing poverty and not helping our environment while destroying our economy in the process).
Dr. Russell Moore recently did a Shortblog post regarding this issue, specifically looking at Derek Web, singer and song writer. Moore makes the same point above when he writes:
Singer-songwriter Derek Webb has now officially begun blogging for the leftist-Christian political group, Sojourners. Webb once wrote a song with lyrics lamenting what he perceives to be one of the two great lies he has heard, "that Jesus Christ was a white middle-class Republican, and if you want to be saved you have to learn to be like him." Now the recording artist has closely aligned himself with a political organization whose "lie" may be closer to the following: that Jesus Christ was a white middle-class Democrat, and if you want to be saved you have to learn to be like him. (RES)
I can think of no better way of putting it.
3 comments:
Thanks for saying this. I was googling "emergent church" and "politics" and came across your blog.
I was once married to a man who attends Greg Boyd's church... Greg Boyd is an outspoken person, as I'm sure you know, who doesn't believe we should be involved in politics.
Yet, he is taking his own stand when he says that, and I personally, find him to be very judgemental of people who don't think like him.
I, personally, do not know how I could even live for myself if I voted for anyone who supported abortion alone. I just don't see how I could give that person a "vote" saying... yes, I want you as a leader. And that's only one of many issues, although for me, one of the most grievous issues.
I don't mean to judge or condemn them... but I truly, as a Christian, do not understand the thinking behind the whole emergent church movement and their views on politics. It honestly makes me sad because I think it's wrong not to be involved.
Oops... meant to say "i don't know how I could live WITH myself if I voted for anyone who supported abortion."
Do your research on Derek Webb. To align him as part of the Emergent Church is just flat out incorrect. He has a background strongly based in Reformed Theology, and his connection to any part of the Emergent Church is not one of theology or promoting leftist politics, but recognizing some of the valid questions people in the Emergent Church are raising regarding issues such as poverty and the environment, and looking at what the Bible has to say about those issues. And frankly, far too many people from the religious right do set Jesus up as a white, middle-class Republican, and Webb's point in saying that is we as Christians need to recognize who Jesus was and is. He was of Jewish decent, did not live a life of comfort by any means, challenging those who hold tightly to their possessions to sell them all and give the money to the poor, and politically he upset the status quo, calling out the hyocrites on both sides. There are significant points of disagreement I have theologically with the Emergent Church, but we should be embracing and engaging our brothers and sisters in positive and productive discussion, and joining them in doing a better job of taking care of the poor and the world God blessed us with.
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