Haggard's Timing
I imagine that many members of his own and his extended congregations now find themselves in an awkward position, conflicted by their leader's teachings and his actions. It's really too bad for those whose faith and worldview was nurtured under the influence of Haggard.
Maybe, but if they find themselves in a crisis of faith or even deeply affected by Haggard's actions, then their faith was not properly grounded in the first place. It is fundamental Christian teaching that we mustn't put our faith in the words and actions of men.
Further, right here at election time, this type of story — where religion and politics are once again mixed with unsurprising results — continues to muddy the waters for all Americans.
I did my own little informal survey, mostly passive, of twenty or so people from all over the country who consider themselves to be religious conservatives. These people are probably better informed than the majority of the electorate. Not a single one of them had ever heard of Haggard before this. They all agreed that if this had happened at any other time, it wouldn't even have made the front section of the local newspaper. The only muddying of the waters that is going on here is that perpetrated by the media. Apparently it was time for a round of pre-election Christian-bashing. The media can always be counted on to do its part to stir up the secular left.
posted by Anonymous | 7:12 PM
1 Comments:
It does seem that this scandal is politically motivated. In fact, Haggard's accuser said as much, citing the upcoming homosexual "marriage" vote as reason to out a hypocrite.
Whether it is or not, the best defense to slander is the truth. Unfortunately, truth was not on this preacher's side, according to his own admission.
My bigger concern is that Mr. Haggard lost his way long before any allegations of homosexual activity and drug use ever surfaced. Yes, I am somewhat alluding to the fact that this was a long-standing sin and that he attempted to hide it while proposing to be a holy man. But I'm very specifically talking about his (and many other like-minded folk's) assumption that the way to "fix" or "change" America is through some sort of perverse pseudo-religious politics.
The fact is you can ban everything I don't like and subsidize everything I do, but that won't change men's hearts. If two men want to engage in homosexual behavior -- regardless of the rightness or wrongness of it ... see Mr. Haggard's own story for proof -- they will find a way. In fact, Romans chapter one tells us that this sort of perversion is to be expected ... we should be surprised if we don't see more of it.
Of course, we do have to have law and order; I'm not suggesting anarchy here. But I am saying that passing legislation or supporting candidates "in the name of God" and as a way to "save the world" is as (if not more ... because they should know better!) blasphemous as the infanticide and mockery of human marriage that these folks are proposing to stop.
I Corinthians 1:21 says "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
Paul is telling us in that passage that the real key to social change is through men's hearts. When a man puts his trust in the death, shed blood, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then he has access to the mind of God (through the Spirit, preaching and the Scriptures) and then he can make right choices (I Corinthians 2:9-16).
That doesn't replace good government, but it does throw this mock-religious politics of churches draped in American flags out the window. Good Christians make good citizens who run good government that can attempt to keep evil at bay (that is, keep them from killing, raping and otherwise hurting me). But where wickedness and sin abound, it is only the grace of Jesus Christ that create effective, lasting change.
Please don't take my thoughts as a recommendation not to vote your values. You are one person whose world view does (and should!) color everything you look at from politics to religion to your job. But I am very specifically pooh-poohing this notion that Republican Right-Wing Politics will save the world and return our nation to God. If this nation is to be saved, it must be done through the foolishness of preaching. Preachers -- those who stick to the Bible as their source of authority and are more concerned with their obediance to God than their position on the world or political stage -- will change the world, not politicians.
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