evangelical conservatism

Chris Knight's avatar

A few weeks from now, on the eve of the Democrat National Convention starts in Charlotte, an event called Charlotte714 will be held at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre.

Here is how it’s being described by USNews.com…

On the night before the Democratic convention in Charlotte, at the tip of America’s bible belt, more than 40 evangelical, Baptist and other Christian churches will host a massive church service in the 20,000 seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

“Charlotte714,” as the Sept. 2 event is being called, was inspired by bible verse 2 Chronicles 7:14, which instructs that if people “turn from their wicked ways,” God will forgive their sins. The group’s website says that with the country’s focus on Charlotte that week, in a “morally degenerating culture,” it is an opportunity to organize a service that will help “[God’s] church return to Him.”

So a bunch of evangelical Christians are going ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

Chuck Baldwin, Baptist minister and brilliant writer, argues in his latest piece that prophecy has driven far too many Christians into a state of apathy. But where Paul wrote in humble reproval to his fellow believers at Thessalonica, Baldwin’s is a thunderous condemnation (and in my opinion, rightfully so) aimed especially at those in America who profess to follow Christ. He writes…

In the first place, no one knows when Christ will return, no matter how many books or tapes they have produced to say they do. In Acts chapter 1, Jesus was asked by His disciples if He would, at that time, set up His kingdom. The first words out of His mouth were, “It is not for you to know.” Oh, we can speculate, surmise, and make educated guesses, but that’s the best we can do. It’s time we were honest enough to admit it: only God

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Chris Knight's avatar

I reported last April about the seething rage that a lot of “conservative Christians” were already venting against Barack Obama. And speaking of which, over the past few days I’ve heard even more thoughtless fury out of Ron Baity’s WPIP… but there’s gonna be more about stuff like that coming in the next few days, so I’ll hold my piece ’til then. Well unfortunately, my guess then that this rancor would “get worse”… is rapidly coming to pass now that Obama is officially the President of the United States of America.

I could comment on any number of items pertaining to this. But for now I’m going to direct my thoughts toward what one prominent “Christian writer” is suggesting, because in the past several hours I’ve seen his very hypocritical gesture spread like wildfire across the Intertubes. Joseph Farah, founder of WorldNetDaily, is actively encouraging Christians in America to ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

2009 is only a few scant hours old and it’s already seen my first published work for the new year. In today’s News & Record (the big paper serving this region) out of Greensboro there’s this letter, “Political power presents a false god for Christians”, written by Yours Truly.

Here’s the full text of it…

My thoughts regarding the recent election were confirmed when the son of a prominent local minister told me, “Why can I not have both?” when I remarked that the Christians of America can pursue Christ or pursue power, but they cannot pursue them together.

Who is to blame most for the election of Barack Obama? The self-professed “conservative Christians.” The ones who have for many years made an idol of political influence. Instead of the God of heaven, they have turned to worshiping a “god of fortresses” bereft of sincere love, mercy and grace.

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Chris Knight's avatar

So, all of you who have held up George W. Bush as a paragon of Christian virtue: how do you ‘splain this?

George W. Bush, outgoing President of the United States, now says that the Bible is “probably not” literally true.

Bush also says that evolution is not incompatible with the Bible.

Adding to his statement that he is “not a literalist”, Bush also hedged immensely when he said that the most important lesson in the Bible is that “God sent a son”. Ummmm… Georgie baby, if you studied the Bible at all, you would know that God sent His only Son.

I saw firsthand eight years ago that the Cult of Bush was anything but Christ-like. Bush and his faithful do not worship God: they worship raw, naked power. Bush just happened to say the right words and the “evangelical conservatives” – who are by far the ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

I figured this was going to happen if Barack Obama won the presidential election: self-professed “conservatives” would be quick to blast Obama and the Democrats for violating the Constitution… when in fact those same conservatives have turned a blind eye at every opportunity during the past eight years when “their guy” George W. Bush did the same.

That’s the kind of hypocrisy that I cannot forgive. And so far as the “Christian” ones go, it tells me that they are not interested in the truth at all.

Chuck Baldwin agrees, writing in his latest essay. The “Constitutional crisis” that many conservatives claim is there because of the dubious nature of Obama’s birthplace is diminished, because these conservatives refused to condemn their own just as equally…

Many conservatives seem to be obsessed with this controversy, calling it a “constitutional crisis.” The fact is, however, we have been in a “constitutional

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Chris Knight's avatar

Focus on the Family is going broke. The ministry ummm… “organization” is being forced to lay off 202 employees, supposedly after campaigning for Proposition 8 (the “gay marriage” ban) in California cleansed its coffers of over half a million dollars. It still has 950 employees though.

(What does any outfit like Focus on the Family need with more than a thousand employees?! I know of a few others who get by with much less overhead.)

Maybe if Focus on the Family was more responsible with its own house, it might have some legitimate clout. That’s been pissed-away though, and a lot of it has to do with silly stunts like “boycotting” businesses that don’t use the word “Christmas” enough (read Kevin Bussey’s thoughts on that, which I agree with him on most things anyway but on this point I especially have to concur.)

I’ve written about ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

A few days ago on this blog I wrote about how conservative Christians bore much of the blame for the election of Barack Obama. That they had let their pursuit of power blind them so much that they failed to see Christ and what He stood for anymore.

And now, writing in Jewish World Review (a very good publication, I might add), Cal Thomas doesn’t just echo those same sentiments, he articulates them far better than I could.

From his essay “The Religious Right, R.I.P.”…

Thirty years of trying to use government to stop abortion, preserve opposite-sex marriage, improve television and movie content and transform culture into the conservative Evangelical image has failed. The question now becomes: should conservative Christians redouble their efforts, contributing more millions to radio and TV preachers and activists, or would they be wise to try something else?

I opt for trying something else…

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Chris Knight's avatar

I originally had much more to say about this, but I’m going to dispense with the flowery rhetoric and cut to the heart of the matter…

The so-called “evangelical conservative Christians” had damned well better look in a mirror if they want to see who is most responsible for Barack Obama winning the race for President on Tuesday.

And now there is no reason to be angry, and no rationale for “blaming God” for Obama’s victory, as I have seen too many Christians seriously doing. God had nothing to do with Obama winning. If anything, He let the people of America have what they wanted… and He absolutely played fair with many of those who profess Him as Lord.

“Christian conservatives” paved the way to Obama’s historic win because they sold out their values for sake of worldly power.

People like James Dobson and the Focus on the Family crowd: ...

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Chris Knight's avatar

In case anyone’s wondering: currently I’m registered as a Republican. I helped a friend run for statewide office this election season as his treasurer, running on a platform of parental choice in education. Prior to that I ran for office myself, partly regarding issues of fiscal conservatism. In my opinion Ronald Reagan was the last real President that America has had and I’m very thankful that I got to drive to Washington D.C. a few years ago to pay my respects as his casket lay in state at the Capitol.

I never vote for the party though. I’ve voted for Republicans and Democrats and Libertarians and independents and a lot of people in between since I first registered to vote several years ago (the day after my eighteenth birthday).

I would never vote for Barack Obama. The man’s social spending ideas are a catastrophe waiting to happen. Neither can I ...

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