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The Distortion of Christianity
Nov 20, 07:14 AM
“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and given Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
What we see in Barack Obama and George Bush is not so much differences in programs, economics, and initiatives but a polarization of ideologies which has existed in this country from its inception. The original shapers of American government wrestled with the same ideological frameworks which provide the impetus for our current national debate. In those days Alexander Hamilton squared off against Thomas Jefferson over ostensibly the same ideals as do Republicans and Democrats today. Hamilton was the father of our current economic system. He advocated for a strong foundation of industry and trade, founded the first national bank and formed the bases for a capitalist system fueled largely by credit. He was opposed to a pure democracy, fearing the same kind of mob-rule that characterized what was going on in France at that time. He believed that a few wiser and more politically astute persons would know what was best for the country and would act on its behalf. He was therefore representative of what has become contemporary conservative capitalism.
Thomas Jefferson was the exact opposite. He hated anything and everything which infringed on the free expression and behavior of the individual. He hated centralized government, urbanized industry, and believed in a much more populist form of government. Jefferson was opposed to authority of most any kind, be it governmental or religious. He was, in short, a liberal’s liberal.
Neither man was a Christian in the true sense. Hamilton was without religion until late in his life when God seemed to provide solace for the sadness that gripped him in his final days. Jefferson was a Deist at best. He liked the teaching of Jesus Christ but ardently refused to believe in any god that might have a direct influence on the affairs of humanity, certainly not one who might restrict a man’s desires. Hamilton and Jefferson despised each other. Their disdain for one another led to a very open and pubic acrimony which makes the personal attacks of modern politics seem rather tame in comparison. Their respective ideologies have outlived them and continue to play out in current day politics as evidenced by George Bush and Barack Obama. While the political ideology of each is clear, it is their respective brand of Christianity that is emblematic of the religious polarization in the country. I find both of their representations of Christian faith disturbing and fear that many Americans think that theirs are the only two choices.
Both Barack Obama and George Bush claim to be Christians but carry very different ideas of what that means. On the one hand, George Bush represents a Christianity that appears rather arrogant and imposing. He was elected by an unseemly religious coalition bent on imposing its perspective on the country. Christianity such as that is all too often based more on nationalism than it is a genuine love for the world. It is ill-informed, narrow-minded and blind to many of the realities of the world. The witness of this kind of faith does not draw the people of the world to it; faith such as this drives people to find other avenues of spiritual expression.
Barack Obama, on the other hand is popular because he represents the more pluralistic type of faith perspective. While he claims to be a Christian, he is quite open in his belief that all the world’s religions basically lead to the same place. This is, of course, a logical and practical impossibility since the world’s religions offer very different views of the nature of God as well as the origins and purpose of life. Obama is characteristic of many modern spiritual people. The way of Christ might be a good way, but it is not the only way. According to this faith perspective, Jesus was a good man, and a wonderful teacher and example but He is not the Savior of the world nor is he lord of heaven and earth. This kind of faith gravitates toward Christ’s ethical teaching but totally disregards Christ’s claims about His own identity and purpose. The Biblical assertions of the unique nature of Christ’s supremacy are rejected as religious bigotry. People who adhere to this philosophy have a certain measure of worldly intelligence but their claims to Christianity are largely without foundation and are moored in the ultimate authority human ideas rather than Biblical truth. Like the men of Athens in the Book of Acts, they are easily swayed by the latest trends in popular philosophy.
Either man may or may not be good at governing – that is not the point here. We could endlessly debate the relative merits of liberal and conservative politics. All of us hope that Barack Obama handles the Presidential responsibilities well. Their faith perspectives, however, are two ends of a disturbing spectrum. Bush represents faith without knowledge or love. Obama represents faith without truth or submission to Christ’s dominion. What is particularly disturbing is that these two perspectives seem to dominate the American religious scene. It is not only represented in American politics but the same dynamics exist in the American church. There are churches that are controlling, authoritative and manipulative and there are churches who simply do not believe the Bible. Perhaps one of the reasons people are largely rejecting Christianity that all they see are distorted representations of it.