By Bern Velasco
If you’ve spent any time in a conservative church in America around the 4th of July you’ve probably noticed the sacred connection between our faith and our body politic. Perhaps you've felt the uproar over the United States’ progressive removal of faith symbols from public life or our president's declaration that the U.S. is not a Christian Nation and Congressman Forbes' response.
But before we rush to defend our Christian nation against the pressing forces of secularism we should first define Christian nation. Do we simply mean "A lot of Christians live here"? Do we mean "The US symbolically uses the Bible and other Christian forms on a regular basis"? Or do we mean, "The United States of America has a particular relationship with God similar to Israel in the Old Testament"? I must reject the third, the US has no covenant with God. The second is inevitably reduced to lip-service since the majority of our leaders and nation do not appear to follow Christ. The first is an ever weakening proposition as our younger generations become more secular. Furthermore, is self-identification as a Christian nation even sufficient to warrant that designation?
While we could explore each of these definitions further, it would be more helpful to consider our founding documents themselves and determine if the ideas that constitute our nation are truly Christian. If you examine the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution you will find the official US position is that governments (not the notion of government) are established by men, derive their authority from men, and are man's instrument for order and justice. Contrast this to Romans 13.1-7 where governments (again, governments, not the notion of government) are established by God, derive their authority from God and are God's instrument for order and justice.
While stimulating, the more pressing question pertains to the true Christian Nation. Notice the language of 1 Peter 2.9: "But you [Gentile believers scattered throughout Asia Minor] are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION. According to BDAG, Race [γενος genos] refers to large and small groups with common ancestry and traits. Nation [εθνος ethnos] refers to a body of people united by kinship, culture, and traditions. People [λαος laos] refers to a body of people with a common, specific territory and traditions. Should we not conclude the true Christian nation is the Body of Christ?
Discussion Question: What would we lose if the U.S. were no longer considered a Christian nation? What might be gained?
Bern Velasco is Ryan's buddy from Seminary and the College and Young Adults Pastor of Hessel Church in Sebastopol, CA. On his blog (Everything's Hebel) you can listen to a message delivered on this subject.
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Bern,
ReplyDelete2 thoughts:
first, to your list of possible definitions of 'Christian Nation' I would add "Our founding fathers were Christians, and this nation was founded on Christian principles." Your founding documents definition hints at this, but tit is more often stated in this way.
second, as to what we lose or gain, I am not sure, other than self-perception. many other nations already see us like many of us see Europe, post-Christian. it is really just our perception of ourselves. i think that many right wing conservative Christians are afraid that if we say this is not a Christian nation then Christian ideas and principles will cease to have a hearing in the political and public arena. this sort of thinking, for me, is problematic because it seems to substitute form for substance. we will be heard and our principles will be given a place in the public arena when we characteristically represent Christ. i think many are afraid of losing their 'automatic seat at the table' so to speak. when you think about it this is very similar to the college football bcs debate. should a seat at the table be automatic, or should you have to earn it? should your history earn it, or should you have to earn it every year? i think a lot of Christians are scared of having to earn it.
Ryan, thanks for your comments. Re the first, that was an oversight on my part not to explicitly put it in such terms. However, that would have required far more discussion since there are, I believe, 7 Christian Principles that our country was supposedly founded on (the American Patriots Bible lists them if you're interested). My overall assessment if this definition would be as Rex Howe (http://rexhow.wordpress.com - fellow DTS grad) puts it:
ReplyDelete"We were founded as a deistic religious hodge-podge wearing a Christian t-shirt. Many Christians look back today and see the Christian t-shirt and believe that since they were wearing the shirt, then they must have been orthodox in their belief and practice."
With regard to the second, I think you're on to something. I was thinking that we saw what God did to Egypt, Israel, Assyria, Babylon and we're afraid that we'll lose our superpower status in rather violent fashion. That's probably an unfair assessment on my part.
Sorry, that's http://rexhowe.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteTheodore Roosevelt,Patrick Henry, Andrew Jackson, William McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Jefferson, Herbert Hoover, John Quincy Adams, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Robert E. Lee, Ulysees S. Grant, Ronald Reagan, George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln,
ReplyDeleteCongress 1983 "Year of the Bible" ...the Bible, the Word of God has made a unique contribution in shaping the United States as a distinctive and blessed nation and people...Deeply held religious convictions springing from the Holy Scriptures led to the early settlment of our nation...Biblical teachings inspired concepts of civil goverment that are contained in our Declaration of Independace and the Constitution of the United States (Public Law 97-280)http://www.allabouthistory.org/year-of-the-bible.htm
In his diary entry dated February 22, 1756, John Adams wrote:
Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love and reverence toward Almighty God...What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be.
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/cdf/onug/jadams.html
We will and have begun to lose our identity as a Christian Nation even though World Powers still see us as such. This loss will begin the intolerance of Christianity and its practice. I believe we will lose a great deal of Children to worldview propaganda and child and parent will have extreme peer and governmental pressure. I desire all to be saved and think we are at a critical juncture to bring Christ to as many homes as possible. Know is the time is it not? I think we will gain nothing as we slowly depart from being a Christian nation. No longer will we just say we pray that we will be at peace with all of man especially those in authority but we will weep before the Almighty as those under tyranny before us for deliverance from this place. 1 Tim. 2 we will learn yet another lesson. What is good and pleasing before God?
Bern, I appreciated your thoughts. Ryan good commentary as well.
ReplyDeleteI just think that most Extreme right winged Christians are living in fear. Fear of Obama, fear of the left, fear of losing what America has been or what it has stood for.
I truly want to be ready for whatever change might happen in our country and in our world. I want my heart/ passions/ longings to be in Christ alone and nothing in the freedoms or blessings we've enjoyed in this country. Those could come and go and we should be fine with that.
Maybe now is the time for us to undergo real suffering and persecution. Wouldn't that allow us to understand the Bible more and to identity with most of the Christians in the world?
I think then we would truly see people come to Christ and churches would be planted.
Brother Miles,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your challenges and comments - I appreciate your passion.
If I read you correctly I'd say you take view #2, "The US symbolically uses the Bible and other Christian forms on a regular basis" or, as more fairly stated by Ryan, "Our founding fathers were Christians, and this nation was founded on Christian principles." Is that correct?
I have two questions in response:
1. Is prior self designation as a Christian nation and the convenient use of Biblical principles and texts sufficient to bear the label "Christian Nation"? I don't believe so. Either way what we have now is certainly wouldn't be considered a Christian nation according to bygone standards, much less the one laid out by Rom 13, 1 Pet 2.9, or even Phil 3.20.
2. Do you not think our designation as a Christian nation severely compromises the notion of what it means to be Christian when all that many nations (especially in the Middle East) know about America is Hollywood? If the City on a Hill Christian nation puts out such filth and calls it culture what does that do to their view of Christ or His people?
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI think you are right that we have some suffering ahead of us - whether it will cost us more than our non-profit designation in the near future is debatable. Again, I think this would appear to be bad in the short term, but long term I think it will be purifying and refining for the Church.
As far as the extreme right-wing goes, I too fear that power is at the heart of the issue for many playing the game, if not most (I'm sure there are some who are genuine). As I said in my message, it's shameful that they deceitfully seek earthly power in the name of our God. And especially that we let them.
Brother Bern
ReplyDeleteExcellent thoughts and sorry to answer questions with questions but is the Nation of Israel a Jewish nation although it in no way resembles it foundation today except for very few minority of Judiastic (Might have made that word up but you understand I am sure) followers? I have great hesitancy being an American who is proud of the smut and filth within our country today but we all resemble filthy rags. Yes I do agree America was founded on Christian foundations in fear but has been carried away from its foundation.
I must also agree that we are Christians who fallow Christ submitting to government and Americans fallow America and American doctrine the same as followers of Smith’s teachings are Mormons and so on. In that regard we cannot call ourselves a Christian Majority Nation. The Majority has moved from Christ followers and disciples to a multitude of people fallowing a hodgepodge of beliefs. Saying that we are still a Christian Nation until otherwise stated. No matter how messed up i.e. Israel as an example
Hollywood isn’t the only influence Ahmadinejads Messianic Policy, along with the different extremist who are gaining more support all recognize America as a Christian Nation and Threat to peace and the coming of the Hidden Imam. Other countries perception of us is our identity. Bern you bring out great thoughts and I am picking up what you are putting down just don’t think we will escape the identity of a Christian Nation until there is a new declaration of independence from Christianity.
Brother Miles,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply. You are very right that our perception by others has some bearing on who we are and what we represent as a nation - wittingly or unwittingly. So, in light of your comments I think I'd say that it'd be best if Christians were the ones who declared and cried the loudest that this is not a Christian nation, don't you?
In Indonesia where my brother lived and worked the locals there definitely had the perception that America was a Christian nation. so their perception was, if you want to be a person that drinks and sleeps around then become an American because that's what Christians do. of course their bias is from American TV and Movies.
ReplyDeleteso I agree Miles and Bern. Let's be very vocal that this is in no way a Christian nation and let's live out what it means to be Biblical Christians.