Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention---America's largest Protestant denomination, says the Christian church "must recover the credibility of our witness post-Trump."
Moore's warning to the church is featured in the upcoming Feb. 1, 2021 issue of Time Magazine and carries the title: "Theologian Russell Moore Has a Message For Christians Who Still Worship Trump."
A closer look--In defense of the Church and our witness.
Be informed, not misled.
The Time article is more about Moore than Trump or the Church, because his position fits well with the positions of Time Magazine in regard to the biblical evangelical church.
They note that Moore has always been a never-Trumper, supports impeaching now-departed former President Trump, and supports charges of "insurrection" against him.
The entire Time Magazine storyline is built around the "fact" that the evangelicals who voted for and supported Trump "worshiped Donald Trump." And now leadership is calling them to task.
Moore's comments do nothing to undermine, clarify, or question that lie.
In a follow-up interview with the Christian Post, Moore said, "I don't know a single family that's not been divided over President Trump and politics. "
Well, I do. And I probably don't know as many people as he knows. For starters, my own family is not divided over President Trump and politics---because we apparently have a different view than "all" the Christians Moore knows.
I am fully aware that many families have been torn apart by the current political climate, but to suggest that all Christian families have been is simply not true.
I also don't know anyone who "worships" Donald Trump, although there probably are some who do---who would also worship Hollywood's celebrities.
Is he only listening to Jim Wallis and those who follow him in his religious left movement? He's certainly in agreement with much of what they believe, and their credibility and biblical authority are questioned by most biblical pastors and leaders.
Moore is being presented by the secular media as someone who generally speaks for Christianity, and more specifically, evangelical Christianity.
He advocates that the church is in a crisis now because "they [the secular community] don't believe that we believe what we say we believe"---therefore the hypocrisy of evangelicals who supported Trump is damaging our witness to the world.
Moore says, "There is an entire generation of people who are growing cynical that religion is just a means to some other end."
He's right, but it's his religious left that is fostering the cynicism. And it's his religious left that is making the accusations.
Let's take a sip from the cup of reality and truth and discover why millions of evangelicals voted for Trump---twice. But do not "worship" him.
President Biden vows to "codify" Roe v Wade on the 48th anniversary of the Abortion Ruling.
In a statement Friday, the president said,
"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to codifying Roe v Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe. In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack. We are deeply committed to making sure everyone has access to care---including reproductive health care---regardless of income, race, zip code, health insurance status, or immigration status."
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops reacted to Biden in the same way biblical evangelicals reacted.
The Bishops said, "We strongly urge the president to reject abortion and promote life-affirming aid to women and communities in need."
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City said,
"It's deeply disturbing and tragic that any president would praise and commit to codifying a Supreme Court ruling that denies unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life under the euphemistic disguise of a health service."
Last Thursday Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases---and now Biden's head Coronavirus guy, announced that "Biden will be rescinding his predecessor's pro-life policies."
Fauci told the board members of the World Health Organization that the administration will repeal the Mexico City Policy in the "coming days."
That opens the door for America to support abortion all over the world. And if you doubt that, that's the real intent of deeply religious Joe Biden. Listen to Fauci as he continued:
"It will be our policy to support women's and girls' sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in the United States, as well as globally."
Fauci said this is part of a larger vision--- "as part of his broader commitment to protect women's health and advance gender equality at home and around the world."
Evangelicals who supported Trump did not worship him, they supported him because he did the right thing when it came to the sanctity of life.
Will Russell Moore find any concern that the religious left anointed Joe Biden over a sinful Donald Trump?
Washington Post headline: "Biden's ambitious LGBT agenda poises him to be nation's most pro-equality president in history."
Intended to be a high compliment, the Post said, "Joe Biden became a fast friend of the LGBTQ community as vice-president in 2012 by stating his support for same-sex marriage in a television interview even before his boss, President Barack Obama did.''
The Post continues, "That same year...it was Biden's unexpected support for the transgender community that elevated his status from an LGBTQ ally to a champion."
The Washington Post tells the story of how Joe Biden whispered in the ear of the mother of a "transgender queen" that it would be the "civil rights issue of our time."
"Since then," the Post says, "Biden's views on the LGBTQ community have become clearer and louder."
Takeaway.
These are two important social issues in the minds and hearts of evangelical Christians. We supported the person whom we believed would stand for biblical truth on both issues. And he did.
How are those on the so-called Christian Left so willing to embrace a Biden agenda with no remorse, while calling for those who supported a man who, as president, stood with them on these---and many other---most basic fundamental moral beliefs.
How has our witness been damaged by standing for Scriptural instruction and voting for a president who promised to stand with us? And kept his promise?
Is Biden more religious than Trump? Or is Biden's hypocrisy more acceptable than Trump's alleged hypocrisy?
How do we so easily set aside the most fundamental teachings of Scripture? The sanctity of life and human sexuality, family and marriage.
Yesterday I was reading in the biblical book of Jeremiah. In chapter 36 there is a story of how God's people refused to hear the Word of the Lord.
Jeremiah had been, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, telling the people the message God wanted them to hear. In jail Jeremiah instructed Baruch, his secretary or scribe, to write the words of the Lord on the scroll, take it and read it to the people.
When they heard his message, they rejected it because it was not what they believed or wanted to hear, but said they would tell the king "of all these things." And suggested that Baruch and Jeremiah go into hiding and let no one know where they were.
Eventually, the scroll is read to the king in his palace by a person named Juhudi. As Juhudi began to read the Word of the Lord, the King, who was sitting in front of his fireplace, began cutting out the pages with which he disagreed and tossed them into the fire. He continued until all the scroll was consumed.
This is happening today in our culture. People like Russell Moore are holding the scroll so people like "devout" President Biden can cut out all the words with which he disagrees...And do so as a devout Catholic, which is preferred to an immoral Trump.
The church has not lost its credibility or power, because its power is derived from God, not man. But there is confusion in the ranks. People like Jim Wallis and Russell Moore are not helping matters with their double minded thinking.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful.