Marginal Christianity

Ballot box image via Shutterstock.com John C. Nugent 07/19/16 Evangelicals are rapidly endorsing Donald Trump, who seemed anathema to them only months ago. In their mind, he represents the “lesser of two evils.” Sure, he’s not vey moral, he’s politically inexperienced and he routinely alienates minority groups and women, but “crooked Hillary,” to use Trump’s words, is considered much worse. I wonder whether Christians have any business resorting to lesser evil calculations. Would God authorize us to choose evil at all? Those without hope have been conditioned to think that a life without a vote is hardly worth living. But are Christians so obligated to participate in national elections that we must do so even if we believe that both viable candidates represent evil in one form or another? Read more at https://thinkchristian.reframemedia.com/the-pretense-of-lesser-evil-voting

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2012/11/election-2012-im-so-bored-can-i-vote-for-a-candidate-to-be-named-later/ November 2, 2012 By peteenns Leave a Comment “What would Jesus do in the voting booth?” A well-intended adult Sunday School teacher said that years ago, his final summary point intended to drive home the biblical mandate to vote Republican.  My friend leaned over and quipped, “He’d probably rend the curtain.” (This is an allusion to the Gospel story where the curtain of the Jewish Temple was rent in two at Jesus’ crucifixion, thus signifying the end of the Jewish sacrificial system. I think this was the last time I got in trouble for giggling in church.) Anyway: Bad question. Good answer. I am not going to vote–not that you asked (but it’s my blog). Despite how the candidates are demonized as hybrids of Gordon Gekko and Stalin, I’m sure they’re both decent people I could have a beer with. But, once again, our system has ...

 A Christian is a person who 1.     cannot pledge unconditional allegiance to a nation/serves YHWH alone and the work of his people in the world. 2.     cannot privilege or promote the interests of one people over those of others/privileges and promotes the needs and interests of the poor and needy everywhere. 3.     cannot use violence to settle disputes or retaliate to attacks/loves enemies, seeks reconciliation and friendship. 4.     cannot “push the button” and send the world into nuclear “winter”/works for the healing and nurture of creation. 5.     cannot support an economy based on unending consumption/promotes saying “enough” and treats creation according to its own integrity rather than as a quarry to take from whatever and as much as we want to satisfy ourselves. Can such a person fulfill the duties of President without compromising who they are and what they are called t...

1. Maintain a vigilant silence about our candidate or favorite issues. 2. Estimate time spent on FB weekly (add two hours since we inevitably minimize how much time we spend there) and do something for someone else for that amount of time each week. 3. In our prayers, be sure to include our political "enemies." 4. Set up at our churches or find churches to celebrate the Eucharist with on election day or evening. 5. Sometime election day read the lectionary texts for Christ the King Sunday and give thanks for his exaltation and installation as this world's true and rightful king!