WARNING: The following post may cause strong reaction due to the content or the length. If you find you are having such a strong reaction, please move to the last four paragraphs of this post before closing the post in anger or frustration.
Over the past week, many Christians have been shaken by the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court mandating the acceptance of homosexual marriage in all 50 states. One of the questions I have heard posed is, “Why?”. Not “why did the court make this decision?”. But, “Why are Christians so shaken by it?”. I think it is an excellent question. Why would those of us who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven be so overwhelmed by something done by a secular court? As we approach the nation’s celebration of its Independence Day, I believe the answer appears.
The reason so many Christians are so shaken by this decision is that they identify with the United States, and they see the United States as a Christian country.
I grew up being taught the same thing. I heard about the Christian foundations of this country: the Pilgrims seeking religious freedom; the faith of the founding fathers; the Christian underpinnings of the founding documents—including the Constitution of the United States; even the Christian underpinnings of the Revolution itself as the faithful sought freedom from tyranny. Because of these things we believe the U.S. was (and is) a Christian country—and therefore we are shaken by actions such as the Supreme Court’s decision last week because we feel it is an attack on Christianity and the Church itself.
This is why we need to understand that the U.S. is not, and never has been, Christian. (Please note: I am not slamming the U.S. I don’t hate the U.S. But truth is truth.)
What of those things we were taught? The Pilgrims’ search for religious tolerance for example. A careful look at history tells us the Pilgrims’ interest in religious freedom only extended to their freedom. They were not interested in others having that same freedom—and in fact systematically denied such freedom to others—sometimes violently.
What of the faith of the founding fathers? The problem Is many of the founding fathers were in fact NOT Christian—they were deists. They believed to one extent or another in the existence of a God or “Providence”, but did not own the truth of the gospel or the Lordship of Jesus in their lives. And what of the others (George Washington, for instance)? While I won’t presume to judge his eternal state, his life and actions certainly did not reflect the Lordship of Jesus.
What of the Christian foundation for the Constitution (something many alluded to in objection to the decision last week)? People who believe this fail to remember that the spirit and intent of the U.S. Constitution included an acceptance of the devaluation of any ethnic group other than European, slavery, and genocide. A fact those decrying the departure from the original intent of the founding fathers in writing the Constitution would do well to remember
But the Revolution itself—God clearly blessed it and this country in its aftermath didn’t he? After all, we are free because of this revolution! Christians celebrating the American Revolution this week might want to first check what the Bible says about how Christians should relate to secular rulers. The Bible clearly teaches we are not only NOT to rebel (1 Samuel 15:23), we are to obey and pray for them (Romans 13:3-5; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 3:1; and no, their tyrannical nature is not relevant—the Roman Emperors clearly outstripped George III in regard to tyranny). Rebellion was and is sin. (Be careful here. We can’t say to people today that homosexual behavior is sin because the Bible says it is, and at the same time ignore other things the Bible says are sin, such as rebellion).
PEOPLE RESPONDING TO THE WARNING AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS POST—START READING HERE
Why am I bringing all this up in the context of the Supreme Court Decision? Because many Christians are deeply disturbed not only by the decision, but by the fact that many who claim to follow Jesus are celebrating the decision—in our minds, celebrating sin. (I share this concern) But aren’t we doing the same thing when we celebrate the rebellious, violent overthrow of a ruler by people we claim were citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven? (I have heard the argument in response to this that, without this rebellion, we would never have the freedom we have today. The argument fails for two reasons: first, nowhere are we told in scripture that the end [freedom] justifies the means [rebellion]—in fact, I suspect we would all agree in principle this isn’t true! Second, every other country that was a colony of Great Britain has just as much freedom as the U.S. today—and none of them violently rebelled.)
So, how should Christians respond—to the Supreme Court decision, and to the July 4th holiday?
First, we should not be shaken by the decision—or surprised. A secular court making a decidedly ungodly decision is not surprising. God is not surprised, or overcome. We serve Him. We continue to serve Him. We can be secure in the fact that no one can make us do or not do anything against His will. It is possible they will persecute us for our faithfulness—and we aren’t used to that—but our faith and ability to be faithful are not threatened! If anything, this helps us clarify what it means to belong to Jesus, and will present more opportunities to share the gospel if we are looking for them!
Second, we should feel free to enjoy ourselves on the Fourth of July—but we should not celebrate sin! Many parents are asking how to teach their children in light of last week’s decision. A starting point is to make sure they understand that we who serve Jesus do not belong to the world, and do not celebrate when someone sins, even though we love them. We can teach them that the U.S. is a worldly government, filled with people Jesus has put us here to reach for him! As they grow up understanding this, they will be less confused by the apparent conflict between the Kingdom and the U.S. because they will understand why it exists.
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