on faith and politics

The Evangelicals now have a manifesto. I suppose it’s about time.

Conservative Christian leaders who believe the word “evangelical” has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars.

The statement, called “An Evangelical Manifesto,” condemns Christians on the right and left for “using faith” to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, [emphasis mine -ed.] according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

“That way faith loses its independence, Christians become `useful idiots’ for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology,” according to the draft.

It’s hard to argue against the statements above.  I wonder what else is in the draft, because not everybody is on board, including one of my favorites.

James Dobson, the influential founder of Focus on the Family, a Christian group in Colorado Springs, Colo., did not sign the document, said Gary Schneeberger, a Dobson spokesman. Schneeberger would not say whether Dobson had read the manifesto or had been asked to sign on.

Perhaps I should clarify.  That James Dobson hasn’t signed it, makes the “manifesto” even better in my book.  I can’t think of anyone who has more embodied the politicizing of Christian faith in the last several years.  I cringe every time he opens his mouth… though I know some people who hang on his every word.  (melo drops to her knees and cries out “why?  why?”)

Phil Burress, an Ohio activist who networks with national evangelical leaders, said that if high-profile evangelical leaders such as Dobson and Land don’t support the document, “it’s like throwing a pebble in the ocean” and will carry no weight.

But the drafters hope they can start a movement among evangelicals to reflect and act on the document. “We must find a new understanding of our place in public life,” the drafters wrote. [emphasis mine -ed.]

AP

Personally, I agree with the document drafters.  Christians must evaluate how to best represent the faith in public life.  It’s not something the community has been doing well of late.