The current issue of Christian Ethics Today contains an interesting article by Tony Campolo entitled, "Being an Oxymoron: A Liberal Evangelical." The title caught my eye and I found his explanation of his position very thought-provoking,
The word liberal has become a political label of ill-repute among many Evangelicals. But if by social liberal, you mean someone who believes America should guarantee medical coverage for all of its citizens; fund the public schools in poor urban and rural communities at the same level as those in rich suburban neighborhoods; be committed to progressive environmental policies; give more than four-tenths of one percent of its federal budget to help the poor of other countries; and give up its militaristic adventurism—then I embrace the label with enthusiasm.
Referencing the impact Charles Finney had on such issues as abolitionism and a woman's right to vote, he pens,
Back in those days, Evangelicals pulled their churches out of mainline denominations not because the denominations were too socially liberal on the race issue, but because they were not liberal enough.
Regarding abortion, Campolo (who clearly states his pro-life persuasion) says,
... many of the Religious Right Christians who share my pro-life sentiments tend to oppose enacting legislation that would enable poor women to give birth and keep their children. No wonder one of our critics says, “Evangelicals are people who believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth.” Too often it seems like we care about protecting the unborn, but we’re not willing to provide for the born.
Toward the end of his article, Campolo writes,
The Bible speaks more about justice that it does about anything else—except for love. But in the end, justice is nothing more than love turned into social policies.
My point here is not to take position on Campolo's particular views regarding social policy, although I think the quote he gives followed by his own thoughts,
"'...Evangelicals are people who believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth.' Too often it seems like we care about protecting the unborn, but we're not willing to provide for the born..." should give all of us who hold a pro-life position serious pause, and merits honest reflection.
I simply want to underscore the greater sense of unease I have felt as American evangelicals have whole-heartedly endorsed one particular political party because we are so passionate about some particular planks in its platform, even when that same party strays far from our religious convictions in other areas. Might not it be better for evangelical spiritual leaders to take public stands along the lines of what Scripture says on
every social and moral and economic issue, calling
both parties to task when whey stray from the Judeo-Christian philosophical base upon which this nation was built, rather than align ourselves too closely with a party whose power brokers simply want to use us to elect their candidates, without necessarily sharing or promoting our convictions?
James Dobson's comments earlier this week on
Larry King Live regarding one particular Republican politician seem to make the same point, saying that the man in question
...is an economic conservative. He is not a social conservative. He doesn't like to talk about marriage and about the unborn child, the sanctity of life and things like that. He wants to talk about smaller government. We believe in smaller government too, and we're economic conservatives too, but we're also social conservatives and he's not.
Years ago, I heard Teresa's mother make the statement,
"Prosperity has silenced far more prophets than persecution." Could it be that the measure of acceptance by establishment, Republican power-brokers inside the Beltway in Washington that certain, high-profile evangelical leaders have experienced has tended more to silence the prophetic voice of the evangelical movement in America rather than further our values?
In the end, maybe it just comes down to each individual knowing the role God has called them to play. I have no question in my mind that for some public servants, politics is truly a vocation, but there does seem to be an inherent tension between a system of which it is commonly said, "Politics is the art of compromise," and the prophetic role of the church of Jesus Christ in the world.
Contemplating that reality gives even greater meaning to the admonition of the Apostle Paul, as rendered in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase,
The Message,
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. (1 Timothy 2:1)
."
