I’m now two chapters into your well-written book, and I already have real concerns, which I will be writing you about. For the moment though I will confine my comments to this post of yours.
Cards on the table, I’m a politically conservative Christian who rejects the specific principles and agenda espoused by self-identified Christian Nationalists.
But even from my first encounters with your work, I had the fear that you were of the species Evangelicalus Leftofus and were using genuinely worthy opposition to Christian Nationalism as a Trojan horse to smuggle in your own politically liberal convictions, in the mode of, “since we know it’s not THAT, it therefore must be THIS.” (Sorry I’m not very eloquent at this hour).
You have since tried to reassure me that you do in fact distinguish ordinary Christian conservatism from Christian Nationalism, which you define in terms of your “three I’s.” You say CN is simultaneously maintaining a Political Ideology, a Tribal Identity, and a Spiritual Idolatry.
But I think I see you condemning conservative Christian ideas all the time, again, under the worthy banner of condemning CN.
Here in this post you write about a set of “voting priorities” found online, which you believe involve “proof texting,” illegitimately quoting Scripture out of context.
Accordingly you write that the statement, “I will vote for the most pro-life candidate because God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17)” only has “the illusion of biblical endorsement.”
Really?
You’re free to say that abortion was not the original context, but you therefore hold that our unborn sisters and brothers shredded in abortion in your own city do not qualify, do not constitute innocent blood, but are somehow guilty of crimes warranting beheading and dismemberment?
Then you object about the list’s omissions, writing that “There is no mention of biblical commands to care for the poor, the immigrant, the widow, the prisoner, or the orphan.”
Of course these are voting priorities, not claims upon the consciences of individual believers, churches or parachurch support ministries.
So here without offering any argument in support of your apparent position, you are inserting the insinuation and/or assumption that obeying these “biblical commands” is the job of government to care for widows, orphans and disadvantaged others.
Of course from here that looks like a rhetorical trick, hermeneutical magic ( ! ) but it is actually worse than that, for if you hold that this task belongs to government, merely on the basis of Scriptures commending the care of “the poor, the immigrant, the widow, the prisoner, or the orphan,” then you yourself are now implying that the U.S. (or state, or local) government is in or should assume the same role before God as ancient Israel, in other words, Pastor Caleb Campbell seems to be something of a Christian Nationalist! 🤦♂️
I love the list of their voting verses what is missing. I have said that for years but never considered doing a list of comparisons.
My message is KINGDOM FIRST - COUNTRY SECOND on my publication so I get a lot of CNs disputING me, I always respond with multiple scriptures and they ignore and still say they are right. One time someone said my using scripture is prideful and “leading people astray” 🤦♂️
Pastor Campbell ~
Good morning! ☀️
I’m now two chapters into your well-written book, and I already have real concerns, which I will be writing you about. For the moment though I will confine my comments to this post of yours.
Cards on the table, I’m a politically conservative Christian who rejects the specific principles and agenda espoused by self-identified Christian Nationalists.
But even from my first encounters with your work, I had the fear that you were of the species Evangelicalus Leftofus and were using genuinely worthy opposition to Christian Nationalism as a Trojan horse to smuggle in your own politically liberal convictions, in the mode of, “since we know it’s not THAT, it therefore must be THIS.” (Sorry I’m not very eloquent at this hour).
You have since tried to reassure me that you do in fact distinguish ordinary Christian conservatism from Christian Nationalism, which you define in terms of your “three I’s.” You say CN is simultaneously maintaining a Political Ideology, a Tribal Identity, and a Spiritual Idolatry.
But I think I see you condemning conservative Christian ideas all the time, again, under the worthy banner of condemning CN.
Here in this post you write about a set of “voting priorities” found online, which you believe involve “proof texting,” illegitimately quoting Scripture out of context.
Accordingly you write that the statement, “I will vote for the most pro-life candidate because God hates the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17)” only has “the illusion of biblical endorsement.”
Really?
You’re free to say that abortion was not the original context, but you therefore hold that our unborn sisters and brothers shredded in abortion in your own city do not qualify, do not constitute innocent blood, but are somehow guilty of crimes warranting beheading and dismemberment?
Then you object about the list’s omissions, writing that “There is no mention of biblical commands to care for the poor, the immigrant, the widow, the prisoner, or the orphan.”
Of course these are voting priorities, not claims upon the consciences of individual believers, churches or parachurch support ministries.
So here without offering any argument in support of your apparent position, you are inserting the insinuation and/or assumption that obeying these “biblical commands” is the job of government to care for widows, orphans and disadvantaged others.
Of course from here that looks like a rhetorical trick, hermeneutical magic ( ! ) but it is actually worse than that, for if you hold that this task belongs to government, merely on the basis of Scriptures commending the care of “the poor, the immigrant, the widow, the prisoner, or the orphan,” then you yourself are now implying that the U.S. (or state, or local) government is in or should assume the same role before God as ancient Israel, in other words, Pastor Caleb Campbell seems to be something of a Christian Nationalist! 🤦♂️
So you voted for Kamala.
At the end of your note you write, “When God’s Word..”. Perhaps I’m wrong, but isn’t that where the “Hermeneutical Magic” begins?
I love the list of their voting verses what is missing. I have said that for years but never considered doing a list of comparisons.
My message is KINGDOM FIRST - COUNTRY SECOND on my publication so I get a lot of CNs disputING me, I always respond with multiple scriptures and they ignore and still say they are right. One time someone said my using scripture is prideful and “leading people astray” 🤦♂️