Can a Christian Politician Campaign as a Christian?

By the title of this post I am not asking whether a Christian can campaign for office on some kind of Christian platform (though I think that is doubtful). The nature of my inquiry instead is given the rough and tumble and even nasty nature of the world of politics, can a politician who embraces Christian faith run a campaign that looks Christian in character?

Many years ago, a parishioner of a church I was serving at the time asked me if I ever considered running for political office. I responded in somewhat glib fashion, “I deal with enough politics in the church as it is. Why would I want to intentionally set foot directly into the fray?”

The Apologists #4: Justin Martyr, c. 100-165, part 2

In his so-called Second Apology, Justin focuses his attention on the relationship between Christianity and philosophy. Here Justin argues that Christianity is better than Platonism or Stoicism because Christ revealed directly and in ordinary ways what the philosophers had only glimpsed and expressed in a convoluted manner (10).

One thing we see in the Second Apology is that the Apologists often challenged the current pantheon of deities by reminding their listeners that the great philosophers, whom they esteemed so highly, rejected such polytheism, just as did the Christians. Justin uses Socrates as his example (10).

Protests and Riots and Murder in Colonial America: A Little History Is Good for the Soul

As I begin this post let me say as clearly as I can-- I do not condone vandalism and violence for any reason whether committed by the oppressors or the oppressed, those in power or those without. I reject such action because I am a Christian who is convinced that one cannot make sense of Jesus' ministry presented to us in the four canonical gospels apart from his insistence on nonviolence.

With that out of the way I would like to address the matter of ignorance displayed as knowledge, particularly on social media. All of us face and at times have succumbed to the temptation of speaking in ignorance about something we think we know about only to be embarrassed by somebody who is truly within the know. I can say from experience that it is really embarrassing.

How Likely Are You To be Killed By a Terrorist? By a Refugee Terrorist?

The Libertarian Cato Institute has recently published a risk analysis report (much like the analysis insurance companies engage in when writing policies) assessing the likelihood of an American citizen being killed on native soil by someone who has come to the United States with terrorist intentions (legally and illegally). (The full report is here.) Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy analyst for Cato looked "at every single terrorist attack committed on U.S. soil by an immigrant or tourist from 1975 to the end of 2015" and applied some basic risk analysis.

Here are the findings:

Scriptures and Prayer for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Old Testament: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 or Amos 6:1a, 4-7

Psalter: Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 or Psalm 146

Epistle: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31
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God Eternal, you inspired Jeremiah to buy a piece of land when no one could see a future in it. Grant us such commitment to the future of your people, that you will always have workers for your vineyard and harvesters for your fields. Amen.

Saturday at the Cinema: A Snapshot of First Church Jerusalem

Bishop William Willimon offers the Word.

Simon Peter Finds his Faith on Solid Ground

Copyright © 2015 HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

Living Life Out of Control

I was involved in an interesting discussion recently on the idea that we human beings forge our own destinies and how that squares with the Bible's affirmation that our lives are in the hands of God. In the course of the discussion we began to talk about forgiveness and how it is easier to forgive than to be forgiven, because to be forgiven means we must let go of our fate and put our destiny in the hands of another. How true it is that we human beings like being in control of our lives. "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul;" so goes the poem that so many learn in school and recite as if in fact it were true. Falsehoods sound so believable when they are stated poetically.

The Apologists #3: Justin Martyr, c. 100-165, part 1

It was Justin, who was martyred around AD 165, that presented Christianity as the best of the philosophies of the day. He told of how he studied many different philosophers without finding any satisfaction, until one day, a mysterious old man taught him about the Christian faith (Dialogue with Trypho, 8). Justin emphasized philosophy's continuity with Christianity and its Jewish roots. He taught that the philosophers received their best ideas by reading the Jewish Scriptures (First Apology, 44).

It is important to remember that since the apologists sought to defend Christianity against rumors and misunderstandings, one task that they inherited was to argue that Christians should not be persecuted by the authorities. In the First Apology, Justin states that it is reasonable to abandon these traditions which are not good. This is true because we should only love truth. Of course, Justin will argue that the authorities should abandon the persecution of Christians once they understand the truth concerning Christianity.

Justin urges those who will read The Apology to examine Christianity in the search for truth. Justin claims that his readers are wise philosophers. They should know that justice requires Christians not be condemned simply because of their name. The authorities must take into account what the name "Christian" means before condemning it (First Apology, 2, 4). Justin takes several chapters to refute the charge of atheism against Christians, since they worshiped a deity without human form. He does so by explaining what Christians believe about God and by challenging the Roman temple system of gods and goddesses (First Apology, 6, 9, 10).
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Previous Posts:

The Apologists #1: Introduction

The Apologists #2: Pagan Culture and Judaism