I got in a discussion today online about Christianity and politics, and what kinds of awful politics are done in the name of Christianity, and was asked why the Christians don't speak out about the false prophets in their midst. Completely by chance, I found an example of what happens when they do - all the other Christians turn against them.
Martyn Joseph is a Christian protest singer, and a very good one at that. He sang a song recently about Pat Robertson - an evangelist who has called for the assassination of presidents, suggested that homosexuals persecution of Christians is comparable to Hitler's Nazism, called for the protection of minority whites in apartheid South Africa, and a lot else besides, all while claiming to have a hotline to God. And, as I believe is important to do when talking about Pat Robertson, he dropped the F-bomb.
Listen to this interview for what happened next, and for a brilliant example of why I prefer the company of liberal Christians to Evangelicals. While Martyn wants to talk about justice, love and denouncing those falsely who claim to speak for God, the Evangelical in the debate would really rather avoid those topics and instead talk about why Christians shouldn't get angry or swear. (Let us ignore the fact that Jesus did the first and Paul the second.) His insistence in shying away from substantive issues (doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly before God) and talking about superficial "personal holiness" (which of course refers more to Victorian values than anything Biblical) is absolutely typical, and puts me in mind of the Tony Campolo quote which Martyn also refers to:
The sad thing is that we're here at a holiness seminar while because of exploitation of the poor, a child dies in Africa every three seconds and none of us gives a shit. The really sad thing is that you're more upset that I said "shit" at a holiness seminar than about a child dying in Africa every three seconds.
What really irks me is knowing that that Evangelical probably went home smug and happy that he'd quoted a few Scriptures - you can hear him desparately trying to get in another one at the end of the broadcast - and that he'd been right about an issue of personal holiness, and that the whole love, justice and mercy thing really didn't cross his mind at all. He spoke the words of Jesus, so he must be in the right, yes? Thank God for people like him defending us against the excesses of liberalism.
See also Real Live Preacher for more on when only the f-bomb will do.
Now, this is a debate you really need to understand if you ever read the Old Testament prophets. They did some very freaky and socially obnoxious stuff, the ancient equivalent of dropping the F-bomb, as part of their role of keeping the people of God focussed on what matters.
Orthodoxy is correct belief. Orthopraxy is correct action. Through the prophets God calls the people of ancient Israel and Judah to a balance of right belief and action... The prophets can serve constantly as reminders to us of God's determination to enforce his covenant.- How to read the Bible for all its worth
Their particular task, however, was to take to task those who acted "religiously" but without concern for love, justice and mercy. Actually Jesus did exactly the same:
Woe to you scribes and hypocrite Pharisees, since you tithe mint and dill and cumin and neglect the more important parts of the law, justice and mercy and faith.
Superficial orthopraxy (tithing, not swearing) is considered less important to Jesus - although more important to our Evangelical friend in the interview - than pursuing the "liberal agenda".
Man, he has told you what is good and what the Lord is looking for from you: that you carry out justice, and love mercy, and be humble in your walk with God.
These people come before me and honour me with their mouth and lips but their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is based on commandments taught by men.
As you read the prophets, with their harsh words and crazy actions, think that they have more in common with the wonderfully foul-mouthed Martyn Joseph than the squeaky-clean Evangelical - and they want to remind you what God actually cares about.
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