But doesn't Jesus say to care for the poor? Repeatedly and insistently, but what he says goes far beyond politics and is of a different order. He declares that only one test will determine who will come into his reign: whether one has treated the poor, the hungry, the homeless and the imprisoned as one would Jesus himself. "Whenever you did these things to the lowliest of my brothers, you were doing it to me" (Matthew 25:40). No government can propose that as its program. Theocracy itself never went so far, nor could it.To challenge the intersection of one's religion and one's politics as being un-Christian is a mighty unfashionable suggestion these days, on the right and on the left (it might even call into question sites like this one?). To suggest that applying the Gospels for "humanitarian purposes" is "in defiance" of Christ goes further still. Under this view of Christ, is it even possible to keep the wall betwen church and state high enough, so long as our political discourse is infused with religion? What is the relationship between Christianity, ethics, and justice? And when we focus only on their intersection, what are we missing? I'm especially curious what bloggers and blog readers think on this challenging topic. The corner of sites devoted to various religious perspectives on government and politics is growing more and more heavily populated by the day. Wills would seem to be arguing against any effort to direct Christ's teaching to a political or governmental end. Do "humanitarian purposes" render us guilty of taming the Gospels? More specifically, while we recognize the importance of maintaining church-state separation in our laws, should we also seek a greater separation internally? In our hearts, motivations, and rhetoric? There are plenty of reasons, aside from religious ones, to strive for a just and fair and good country. Do the Gospels ask us to leave our religion out of the discussion? I've got more questions than answers....what do you think?
Taming the Gospels | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)
Taming the Gospels | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)
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