'Christian America' a Heresy

Creating a "Christian America" has always been a heresy, a historical error, and a blunder. A heresy because no human kingdom, however, admirable, can be properly identified with the Kingdom of God. A historical error because the federal government has been wisely nonsectarian from its beginning - its laws informed by religious values while establishing no single, official religious tradition. A blunder because the conflation of faith and ideology can politicize, nationalize and thus diminish the appeal of faith itself.

The decline of the Protestant mainline is not a development I choose to cheer, because it has often represented the best of liberal idealism, particularly during the civil rights era.

[Michael Gerson, former speechwriter for President Reagan, Washington Post, April 17, 2009.]

Refrain from Baptizing the Culture

Can there ever be such a thing as a "Christian America"? Our discipleship and our citizenship are always in conflict and often in direct contradiction. At some points in history, Christians have died rather than bow to political demands that would compromise their faith. At other times, Christians have meekly conformed in order to show loyalty to the larger culture.

Americans have the tendency to try to baptize the culture. Think of the Social Gospel movement, which fought for just labor conditions, women's suffrage, and prohibition [of alcohol]. But we shouldn't think the goal of Christian discipleship is to baptize the culture. Where in the New Testament does it say that the body of Christ can ever be society writ large? Jesus did not reconcile the world to himself by conquering Rome.

The most compelling Christian witness is found in a community faithful to the gospel command to love God and neighbor. The world might reject the Christian faith, but the church doesn't exist to please the world; it exists to please God. If the power of the gospel is real, people will be drawn to it.

[The Rev. Andrew Thompson, United Methodist Reporter, May 8, 2009.]