Whither “Progress”?

This will (hopefully) be one of the few times I’ll blog about anything resembling politics.

Since last November’s election, the differences between “Christian Right” (ie: evangelicals) and the “Christian Left” (ie: mainliners) are being played up (and in some cases, created) by both sides so much that they have become glaringly apparent. I spotted an instance of this the other night when, while trolling around RELEVANT Media Group’s online store, I saw the below banner ad for the newly-launched Christian Alliance for Progress.

I smirked to myself a little when I saw this and wondered why in the world RELEVANT, a rather (theologically) conservative publisher and media compay, would accept advertising from a group proclaiming “THE RELIGIOUS LEFT IS HERE!” My interest was piqued, so I clicked on the banner. The main splash graphic (which, as of this writing, is still there) was of a rather serious-looking young woman with pleading green-blue eyes . . . the text next to her saying “I feel embarrassed and angry that Christianity has been used to divide our country and to promote bigotry and war. I joined this movement to stand up for compassion and justice.”

I’m certainly no Republican, registered or otherwise, but at this point, my blood started to simmer.

Just as the woman on the homepage was “embarrassed and angry”, I was angry (though not embarrassed) that this group, while playing at anger over division in our country, was using language that can and will even further divide the Church. Which is more important? I was angry that, while putting up a pretense of caring about lives, they were using Christianity to promote the legal murder of unborn children. I was angry this group claiming to be made up of followers of Christ was painting its more conservative brothers and sisters with a ridiculously broad brush stroke, implying that we all love war, don’t want all Americans to have health care, care nothing abot ecology, and hate homosexuals. I was angry that they implied that the values of “conservative Christians” and “liberal Christians” are somehow irreparably different . . . that they, for some reason, see evangelicals as the enemy, not as their brothers and sisters who are all under the headship of Christ.

As I browsed through the site, it quickly became apparent that this group existed to promote the usual leftist causes (with a “Christian” gloss over it). There was no need for this in recent years past, since evangelicals weren’t the political force to be reckoned with that they’ve become in the past four years. Now, out of nowhere, THE CHRISTIAN LEFT!! Look out! They use the usual liberal-Christian spin machine tactic of playing at care for Jesus’ own words and ministry, while dismissing or denying the words he spoke through his Apostles and through the whole of Scripture (e.g: Since Jesus himself didn’t talk much about sex, sexuality doesn’t really have anything to do with our religious beliefs.)

And trust me, folks, I don’t in any way believe that those on the conservative side are totally innocent of this either. It truly embarrasses me, as an evangelical Christian, to hear what some supposedly evangelical folks like Don Wildmon, Jim Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson have to say about the other side of the aisle. Is there truth in what they say? Usually. Is there anything wrong with being bold in truth-telling? No; in fact to not be bold would be wrong and deceptive. But, does boldness have to equal crassness and general boorishness? Again, absolutely not. The truth itself is offensive and divisive enough . . . why compound that by being an ass?

I digress. I have no interest in “conservative values” or “liberal values” . . . I want “Christian values” to prevail. Christ is the champion of those who are downtrodden and cannot defend themselves . . . seven-year-old Iraqi children and 12-week-old American fetuses alike . . . homosexuals and heterosexuals alike . . . and of course, the greatest way in which he manifests that mercy is in taking otherwise damned-to-Hell sinners and God-haters like me and giving them new hearts, new lives, and a desire to serve him. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Christ is not divided. Since we all supposedly serve one sovereign Lord, a Lord who prayed that we might “all be one”, it’s time to quit aimlessly shouting at and over eachother. There is certainly room and need for lovingly firm rebuke on both sides, but there’s equal, if not greater room and need for cooperation and for us to learn from eachother.

Is this idealistic? Perhaps. It’s something that Jesus asked his Father for, though, so it can’t be too far from reach.