-I don’t think that’s right because Jesus is King!

Interesting article and comments!

mf

Namely,. because it is right-wing political advocates that oft get confused about the relationship of God to America (subtly assuming God to be pro-USA), I have found that the antidote is as oft presented as left wing politics. That is, it is is easy to realize that God is not wearing Red, White and Blue. But that does not mean that liberal, left-wing politics have been right all along and now we have just realized the error of our way.

Right-wing political advocates can reject bringing God to their side of the debate, without accepting the Left-wing side of the debate.

I know liberal Christians who sincerely believe that once all of us right-wingers see how bad it is that fundamentalist preachers have gotten the best of us, then in our rage we’ll all become leftist. Indeed, when people wake up from fundamentalism (the modern right-wing God-n-Guns version), they do feel cheated and tricked. But the answer is not to embrace a new left ideology, but to realize the error of brining God into our backwater fights.

The irony comes when those on the Left claim that they are the enlightened gurus who have been on Jesus’ side all along, and now we should all figure out that bleeding-heart policies were the correct ones all along. And being the defeated ex-fundamentalists, we can swoon over the brilliance of our compassionate and enlightened non-right-wing friends. And the irony is that they have brought God right back into the mix, this time making him into their image.

Once we realize that we have made God in our own image (a Pro-American right-wing conservative), the solution is not to leave that idolatry for another version! Our right wing conservative politics may be better for the country, and we can keep that and give up the idolatry. This is not an either-or proposition. The left side must not be understood as having figured out that God was really on their side all along. For to do that, is to trade one form of idolatry for another, or to keep the bad parts of fundamentalism while only trading out the policy side.

Steve
Along these lines, check out my two posts on Marxism

In Luke 22:36, I’m not sure what exactly Jesus was commanding. Certainly He meant to say, “Be prepared. I’m leaving.” But when the disciples take inventory of swords, Jesus says, “It is enough.” Obviously what this phrase means is vital. Then Jesus later rebukes Peter for his use of the sword (Luke 22:49-51). Seeing the example of the apostles’ endurance of insults and assaults in the book of Acts also makes me wonder how they understood the command after Peter’s rebuke and after Jesus’ further commission-teaching post-resurrection. In any case, you’re right: we have to grapple with these verses!

John