• Author: art rogers
• Published: Jul 29th, 2009
• Category: Church, General Christian, Politics, Video
• Comments: 3

Gregory Boyd -The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church

Tags: Church, culture, leadership, ministry, missions, Politics

3 Responses to “Gregory Boyd -The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church”

1. 
   Mike Woodward
   on Jul 29th, 2009
   @ 12:43 pm: 

   While there might be an inclination to throw out anything he says due to his open theism, I gotta say I think he hits the nail on the head with why Christianity is so weak in the West.

   Following Christ is, or should be, inherently counter cultural. We’re ineffective when our idols do not look much different than those around us who are lost.

   I particularly liked his discussion of the title of his book, “The Myth of a Christian Nation”. We are a home schooling family, so we tend to run into a lot of Christian nation restorationists. I’ve held a contrarian view for some time, but my wife was somewhat neutral. One day after a good unit study of American history, she saw the emptiness of the argument that we are a Christian nation. The shallow “history” that glorifies every move our country has made has done us a disservice.

   I’ve always wondered what makes a Christian nation. Shouldn’t there be a covenant involved? When exactly did God meet our leaders and proclaim us to be His people?

   I liken it to someone just deciding one day that they are a Christian, without truly getting the input (read redemptive, life transforming power) of Christ.

2. 
   david
   on Jul 30th, 2009
   @ 10:02 am: 

   i have long struggled with the idea of america as a christian nation. i love the quesiton you pose – “shouldnt there be a covenant involved?”.

   in our fluffy almost laughable approach to being Christ followers in america, we find more comfort in the power of the flag than in the saving power of Christ. we find more motivation in the sacrifice represented on the flag than the redeeming sacrifice offered on the cross. i love america. i love the “troops” and the sacrifice that friends of mine have given to our country. it is, in my heart, heralded as a great nation, but it will in the end pass away.

   shane claiborne puts it this way (in regards to a seeker sensitive church that didnt want the cross to offend someone) “It is a dangerous day when we can take the cross out of the church more easily than the flag.” that has a special meaning for me. in many churches, i have seen the flags and americanism exalted high above the God i hold so dear.

   arent we aliens in this world any way…

3. 
   art rogers
   on Jul 30th, 2009
   @ 12:26 pm: 

   Mike,

   Good catch on the Open Theism. I almost commented on that in the post, but decided to see if anyone else caught it. David and I discussed it for half an hour yesterday morning. Obviously, I think you’re right. While I consider Open Theism to be heresy, it doesn’t change the truth he proclaims here about our tying national politics to God.

   I know that during the WWII era, many Lutheran churches in Germany hung Nazi flags in their Sanctuaries. The difference between Nazi Germany and America is significant, and I’m not comparing them. However, the similarity between those church’s approach and our own is sometimes frightening.

   I love America. I would die for my country.

   I love the Kingdom of God more. I would, and hopefully have already committed to, give everything for it.