The following quotes, resources, or links have either shaped or reflect my views on the subject.
Stop feeding the outrage machine feed the hungry.
Stop defending your doctrine and defend the oppressed.
Stop serving your ideologies and serve the poor.
Stop loving conspiracy and love your neighbor.
Zach Lambert
If Jesus viewed the desire to acquire political power to be a temptation of the devil,
why do so many American Christians fight to acquire as much political power as they can?
It’s infinitely easier to be AGAINST something than to be FOR something.
It takes BRAVERY to be for something, because then you have to DEFEND your position.
BE BRAVE
Heather Cox Richardson
When we who follow Jesus fight for political power and seek to exercise dominance over other people, we have abandoned the light of Christ and returned to the darkness of idolatry-for instead of worshiping Christ, we are worshiping power.
Brian Zahnd
If Jesus is a mascot for your politics, a warrior for your supremacy, a megaphone for your condemnation, or the justifier of your hate, it’s not Jesus that you’re following.
Chris Kratzer
It’s not the task of the church to “Make America Great Again.”
The contemporary task of the church is to make Christianity countercultural again. And once we untether Jesus from the interests of empire, we begin to see just how countercultural and radical Jesus’ ideas actually are.
Enemies? Love them.
Violence? Renounce it.
Money? Share it.
Foreigners? Welcome them.
Sinners? Forgive them.
These are the kind of radical ideas that will always be opposed by the principalities and powers, but which the followers of Jesus are called to embrace, announce, and enact. And the degree to which the church is faithful to Jesus and his radical ideas is the degree to which the church embodies a faith that is truly countercultural.
It’s not the Christianity of Constantine that can face the challenge of secularism, but the Christianity of the catacombs.
Brian Zhand, Postcards From Babylon
Beware of any Christian movement that acts as though the world is full of enemies to be destroyed rather than full of neighbors to be loved. Beware of any Christian movement that demands the government be an instrument of God’s wrath but never a source of God’s mercy, generosity, or compassion.
Theology 101:
The question should never be:
Is this action left of right wing.. liberal or conservative…socialist or capitalist?
The question should always be:
Does this action love my neighbor…look out for their interests more than my own… does it manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit?
Dr. Michael J Svigel
When you live in Culture War Mode there is always a battle to fight, a side to take, and people to fear.
When you live in God’s Kingdom there’s always a stranger to welcome, a neighbor to befriend, and an enemy to love.
Dan White Jr., Love Over Fear
Christianity isn’t an American religion. It isn’t a white religion. It isn’t an English-based religion. It isn’t constrained- despite the efforts of many to do so-by any demographic factor, physical trait, political movement, social rank, financial status, race, culture, state, or society. For thousands of years, Jesus has transformed the lives of countless people, and if you are a follower of Jesus you are part of this legacy.
Following Jesus means being humble enough to recognize our presuppositions and brave enough to admit our stereotypes and limited perspectives. May we wisely learn from others and generously love our neighbors.
Stephen Marrson
On Love and Mercy: A Social Justice Devotional
If we were to set out to establish religion and polar opposition to the beatitudes of Jesus, it would look strikingly similar to the Christianity that has taken over the airwaves.
Tony Campolo
Matthew 25 tells us that when Jesus returns and judges between the righteous and unrighteous, he doesn’t judge them based on their orthodoxy, their patriotism, or their individual definitions of morality.
He judges them based on their compassion towards vulnerable people.
Rev. Benjamin Cremer
The founding fathers wrote the constitution – not the apostles.
They added the Bill of Rights – not the 10 Commandments.
Their intent was freedom of religion – not controlled by religion.
They created a democracy – not a theocracy.
Christianity is not a political party
The intersection of church and state was never meant to elevate one faith above others. It was meant to preserve equality.
When government sides with a religion, equality disappears.
Rights become conditional.
Freedom becomes selective.
True liberty requires neutrality.
Every citizen must be free to believe or not believe without fear that their government serves someone else’s god.
If we find it necessary to set aside or explain away the teachings of Jesus in order to defend our position, then it is our position that is problematic.
A smart person will change their view if new information contradicts their belief.
An indoctrinated person lacks this ability. They are conditioned to dismiss facts.
“Preachers don’t get to stay out of politics. We are either chaplains of empire or prophets of God.”
-Rev. Dr. William J. Barber