We’ve probably all seen stuff like this posted on Facebook:
You can’t claim to be a Christian and be pro-choice!
or
You can’t claim to be a Christian and vote Democrat!
or
You can’t claim to be a Christian and support gay marriage!
Now, even though I consider myself staunchly pro-life and have strong conservative values, I’m also a thinking person. For me, being a Christian does not mean that I have to check my brain in at the church doors when I enter. Instead, I like to mix my critical thinking skills with my belief in God. So far, it’s really worked well. But, apparently not everyone likes to bring these two together.
Let’s take a look at just one of the questions listed above. Can a person be a Christian and be pro-choice?
The answer to this question, I believe, hinges upon what it means to become Christian. Fortunately this is not too hard to figure out. Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, gives us insight. In Romans 10:9, Paul wrote that we would be saved (a Christian) if we confess the Lord Jesus with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. As you can see, there’s no mention of affiliation with any particular political group. Paul did not say, “confess with your mouth… believe in your heart … and vote Republican.” He did not order that the people in Rome join a pro-life organization in order to secure their salvation, or buy guns, or support the military, or any number of the things which are quite popular among many U.S. Christians today.
“But,” someone might argue, “how can a person follow Jesus and be involved in something that is doing non-Christian things?”
That’s a good question. I don’t know how that is possible. However, don’t you think it is possible that a person could be a Christian but still have some wrong beliefs about something? In other words, do you honestly believe that the only way for a person to be a Christian is for them to have the right opinion about everything? Would you be comfortable staking your own salvation on whether or not you have every right opinion about everything? I’m not.
The above arguments are not reserved for the conservative Christian only. I’ve heard Christians who hold differing social views say the same things about those with whom they disagree. Apparently it’s easier to discount a person’s Christianity, than it is to consider the possibility that our sacredly held opinions are not as important to God as they are to us.
Now, go follow Jesus.
peace,
dane
Dane Cramer is a backpacker, Christian blogger, jail chaplain, amateur filmmaker, and author of two books: Romancing the Trail and The Nephilim: A Monster Among Us