Christianity's New Culture War

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

In the recent debate over American evangelicals' role in Uganda’s foundering bill to execute gay people, the bill’s most vocal opponents have proven to be fellow American evangelicals.

“As a career missionary to Africa, I fear what would happen to me on judgment day if I didn’t speak out against what is happening in Uganda right now in the name of Christ,” Aaron D. Taylor, 31, an evangelical missionary from Farmington, New Mexico who has worked in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nigeria, and Guinea Bissau, recently posted in his blog.

Taylor and his wife Rhiannon, 33, co-founded The Great Commission Society in 2001, an evangelical organization that works to start (plant, in evangelical parlance) churches and teach foreign pastors how to reach non-believers through interpreting Bible stories. He grew up in a conservative mega-church in Saint Louis, Missouri; attended Christ of the Nations Bible College in Dallas, Texas; and like his parents and grandparents before him, dedicated his life to Jesus Christ at an early age.

Taylor believes that only through being born-again can a person reach heaven. Given his evangelical pedigree, one might assume that Taylor would be keen to promote his moral values in the African countries where he works as a missionary. Instead, Taylor believes that America’s culture wars have no place in Africa—or anywhere else, for that matter.

He is part of a growing Christian movement called progressive evangelicalism, a group led by such figures as Jim Wallis, the activist and founder of Sojourners, a left-leaning evangelical publishing empire, and Richard Cizik, who resigned last year from his post at the National Association of Evangelicals following outcry when he told Terry Gross on National Public Radio that he no longer opposed civil unions between homosexuals.

These leaders and their left-leaning followers are in the midst of a schism, a fundamental splitting off from the former generation of more conservative evangelical Christians who saw it as their duty to promote their social values in the secular world. This is the real culture war—the one unfolding within Christianity over what it means to be a true believer—and Aaron D. Taylor is a grunt on its battlefield. The future of this movement will help set the course of evangelical Christianity, which includes an estimated one-quarter of American adults.

“President Obama’s recent election reinvigorated the culture wars and renewed the base within the Christian Right,” Taylor said yesterday when he spoke by phone from the hospital room where his wife had just given birth to their first child, a boy named Christian David who wailed in the background. For Taylor and his new generation of progressive believers, they have to fight back against these outmoded and dangerous campaigns to mediate people’s everyday lives.

The most important thing that evangelicals can do, according to Taylor, is to stay far away worldly politics. “Taking on the role of moral police is the exact opposite of what Jesus did,” he told me. The old fights over controlling American culture at home in the United States and abroad (in Africa more than anywhere else) seem at best a waste of time, and at worst, a betrayal of the core tenets of their faith. In regard to Uganda, he said, "I would expect something like this from a group like the Taliban, but from a nation with a vast majority of Christians? Who would have thought?”

...

“Faith is at its worst when it becomes subservient to power,” Taylor said. “Jesus refused political power not once, not twice, but three times throughout His earthly ministry. The more Christians pursue political power to try to control other people’s behavior, the less they look like Jesus.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-sto...new-culture-war

[alienlovechild 75]

These leaders and their left-leaning followers are in the midst of a schism, a fundamental splitting off from the former generation of more conservative evangelical Christians who saw it as their duty to promote their social values in the secular world. This is the real culture war—the one unfolding within Christianity over what it means to be a true believer—and Aaron D. Taylor is a grunt on its battlefield. The future of this movement will help set the course of evangelical Christianity, which includes an estimated one-quarter of American adults.

“President Obama’s recent election reinvigorated the culture wars and renewed the base within the Christian Right,” Taylor said yesterday when he spoke by phone from the hospital room where his wife had just given birth to their first child, a boy named Christian David who wailed in the background. For Taylor and his new generation of progressive believers, they have to fight back against these outmoded and dangerous campaigns to mediate people’s everyday lives.

The most important thing that evangelicals can do, according to Taylor, is to stay far away worldly politics. “Taking on the role of moral police is the exact opposite of what Jesus did,” he told me. The old fights over controlling American culture at home in the United States and abroad (in Africa more than anywhere else) seem at best a waste of time, and at worst, a betrayal of the core tenets of their faith. In regard to Uganda, he said, "I would expect something like this from a group like the Taliban, but from a nation with a vast majority of Christians? Who would have thought?”

...

“Faith is at its worst when it becomes subservient to power,” Taylor said. “Jesus refused political power not once, not twice, but three times throughout His earthly ministry. The more Christians pursue political power to try to control other people’s behavior, the less they look like Jesus.”

This article is several years out of date as there was a schism years ago and several in the history of Christianity. Obama's election did nothing as there was no larger turnout by evangelicals before the election.

The notion that "progressive" Christians don't have an agenda is laughable. A lot of Africans had a tradition of taboos against homosexuals so it's primarily the left pushing their beliefs on Africans.

[Danno 1,228]

I love stories like this that "suggest" a LOT but tell us nothing specific.

- Who is in favor of executing Homosexuals and why write this long article without naming names and addressing the flash point of the story? (kinda odd wouldn't you think)

- Terms like "american Culture wars" tells us nothing.

-"He is part of a growing movement" (well how big is that? have they grown to a dozen now?)

- How has Obamas election reinvigorated the Culture wars, he has not even kept his promise to allow Homosexuality in the Military?

Of course all these questions and more we will never know because the story stuck to the simple narrative that "conservative Christians are bad and Real Christians are turning away from them"

This has been the talking points by the left for a number of years now.

On a side note and since we are talking about Uganda.

It would seem to me Uganda, more than perhaps any other country is in need of a Culture war.

Consider this top page news story this week.

Human sacrifices 'on the rise in Uganda' as witch doctors admit to rituals

Witch doctors in Uganda have admitted their part in human sacrifice amid concerns that the practice is spreading in the African country.

Published: 6:00AM GMT 07 Jan 2010

One man said he had clients who had captured children and taken their blood and body parts to his shrine, while another confessed to killing at least 70 people including his own son.

The latter has now given up the ritual and is campaigning to stamp it out, according to BBC News.

The African country's government claimed human sacrifice was on the increase.

According to officials trying to tackle it, the crime is directly linked to rising levels of development and prosperity - and an increasing belief that witchcraft can help people get rich quickly.

During its investigation, to be broadcast on Thursday on Radio 4 and Newsnight, the BBC team witnessed anti-sacrifice campaigners torching the shrine of a witch-doctor in northern Uganda, who agreed to give up the practice.

He said clients came to him in search of wealth.

"They go and capture other people's children. They bring the heart and the blood directly here to take to the spirits," he said.

"They bring them in small tins and they place these objects under the tree from which the voices of the spirits are coming."

The witch doctor, who said he was paid 500,000 Ugandan shillings (around £160) for a consultation, denied any direct involvement in murder or incitement to murder, saying his spirits spoke directly to clients.

Moses Binoga, the assistant police commissioner who is head of the Ugandan anti-human sacrifice and trafficking task force, said there were 26 murders thought to be part of ritual sacrifice last year compared with three cases in 2007.

"We also have about 120 children and adults reported missing whose fate we have not traced," he added. "From the experience of those whom we recovered, we cannot rule out that they may be victims of human sacrifice."

Crossing Continents - Uganda: Battling the Witch-Doctors will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 11am on Thursday.

Newsnight - Uganda: Battling the Witch-Doctors will be screened on BBC2 at 10.30pm

[chri'stina 190]

As for conservative Christians supporting something having to do with execution of homosexuals, that is very wrong IMO b/c several reasons. You can be against people's behavior but executing them does not go along with what Jesus preached. If anyone thinks all conservative Christians are like that, they don't know much.

I also have problems with Christians who lean far left because I feel certain views are not supported by what I read in the New Testament. People get too into being cafeteria Christians, picking what they don't mind and ignoring what they do mind.

[Dan J 277]

As for conservative Christians supporting something having to do with execution of homosexuals, that is very wrong IMO b/c several reasons. You can be against people's behavior but executing them does not go along with what Jesus preached. If anyone thinks all conservative Christians are like that, they don't know much.

I also have problems with Christians who lean far left because I feel certain views are not supported by what I read in the New Testament. People get too into being cafeteria Christians, picking what they don't mind and ignoring what they do mind.

Isn't that what all religion is in the end? All Christians use the bible, but there are many widely varying interpretations of it. Many of them not compatible with each other, but all believing that they are the right path.

[Danno 1,228]

As for conservative Christians supporting something having to do with execution of homosexuals, that is very wrong IMO b/c several reasons. You can be against people's behavior but executing them does not go along with what Jesus preached. If anyone thinks all conservative Christians are like that, they don't know much.

I also have problems with Christians who lean far left because I feel certain views are not supported by what I read in the New Testament. People get too into being cafeteria Christians, picking what they don't mind and ignoring what they do mind.

I have not seen one bit of information that Christians from the USA are encouraging... or supporting the killing of Homosexuals in Africa.

This sounds more like an effort to Create a stereotype to me.

Where's the Beef!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

People get too into being cafeteria Christians, picking what they don't mind and ignoring what they do mind.

Christ's teachings - what He said, if He is truly the leader of the Christian faith, should trump anything else that was said before Him, IMO. Second, aren't Christians who believe that God rewards their Righteousness with wealth, not being cafeteria Christians, by not hearing the words that Jesus spoke about being rich? It's such a fundamental part of Christ's message, yet many Right leaning Christians ignore or dismiss His teaching on being wealthy and entering the Kingdom.

[chri'stina 190]

Christ's teachings - what He said, if He is truly the leader of the Christian faith, should trump anything else that was said before Him, IMO. Second, aren't Christians who believe that God rewards their Righteousness with wealth, not being cafeteria Christians, by not hearing the words that Jesus spoke about being rich? It's such a fundamental part of Christ's message, yet many Right leaning Christians ignore or dismiss His teaching on being wealthy and entering the Kingdom.

I don't disagree.

Although I think some things don't need interpretation yet are ignored by people. I understand there are denominations because of varied interpretation. Some things are written clear as day and yet are ignored by Christians whether they are far left or far right. For the Christians on the right it may be the riches issue and pushing for govt to act "Christian", for the left it may be lax morality and ignoring certain behavioral instructions in the new testament. I can't find either side being right, and I know I am not perfect either.

[Danno 1,228]

Christ's teachings - what He said, if He is truly the leader of the Christian faith, should trump anything else that was said before Him, IMO. Second, aren't Christians who believe that God rewards their Righteousness with wealth, not being cafeteria Christians, by not hearing the words that Jesus spoke about being rich? It's such a fundamental part of Christ's message, yet many Right leaning Christians ignore or dismiss His teaching on being wealthy and entering the Kingdom.

Steve, I doubt very many Christian believe As a doctrine "God rewards their Righteousness with wealth".

Anyway I think most everyone in america is WEALTHY at least on a global standard so if we were to embrace your concept we would have to move to some poor third world country to live "real Christian lives"

but wait a minute, isn't that exactly what those Missionaries in Africa are doing... and you are complaining about them too.

Remember Steve, it's the "love" of money that is the Root of evil. I've actually known as many Poor people loving and lusting after money as wealthy the wealthy do.