tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post3653554094475016236..comments2024-03-24T07:56:33.811-05:00Comments on Allan R. Bevere: Once Again, The Civil Religion of the Religious Right AND the Religious LeftAllan R. Beverehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07903011101108437513noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post-26346167464830245292015-05-19T10:14:20.937-05:002015-05-19T10:14:20.937-05:00Steven,
Thanks so much for your comments.
Whethe...Steven,<br /><br />Thanks so much for your comments.<br /><br />Whether or not Israel can rightfully be called a theocracy during the monarchy is a good question. In any case, I would say that regardless they were still God's people, so it seems to me that secularism doesn't work here.<br /><br />I don't disagree with you about the marketplace of ideas. I have no problems with Christians of all political stripes bearing witness to the nation what God expects. I just think that the primary way the people of God influence the state is through its own witness of being the people of God. In other words, the primary political action for the church is what the church does, not influence legislation.Allan R. Beverehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07903011101108437513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post-62867196885264309622015-05-18T15:00:29.396-05:002015-05-18T15:00:29.396-05:00Allan, I'm wondering if Israel under the kings...Allan, I'm wondering if Israel under the kings can properly be called a theocracy. When Samuel appointed Saul it was with the understanding that God would no longer be Israel's king. I see the role of the prophets as reminding the secular kings what God would want for the nation, often with a denunciation of their status. What God wanted for Israel is what God wanted for all nations, Assyria included (see Jonah), an I believe the USA. <br /><br />Additionally, as in a democracy, the issue is to compete in the marketplace of ideas in order to affect outcomes. This is how I interpret my role as one from the Left. I know many on the Right feel the same way about their involvement in the public square. Steve Kindlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16634130965524334750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post-42230920756892961672015-05-18T08:37:14.366-05:002015-05-18T08:37:14.366-05:00Donald,
Thanks for your comments.
I certainly wo...Donald,<br /><br />Thanks for your comments.<br /><br />I certainly won't take issue with you on sports and entertainment. We human beings are polytheists, to be sure.<br /><br />I would disagree though on the civil religion of Americans generally. If you ask the majority in the pews whether or not America is a Christian nation, the majority would say yes.Allan R. Beverehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07903011101108437513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post-47903435603810118002015-05-18T08:34:50.780-05:002015-05-18T08:34:50.780-05:00Drew,
It's an uphill battle. On this issue th...Drew,<br /><br />It's an uphill battle. On this issue the left is in sincere denial.Allan R. Beverehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07903011101108437513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post-48806878681167013292015-05-17T06:39:26.394-05:002015-05-17T06:39:26.394-05:00No argument with the post. Understand, though, tha...No argument with the post. Understand, though, that the civil religion of both Left and Right is the religion of a definite minority of all church people of any political stripe.<br /><br />The civil religion of Americans generally, and of the majority of church people, is the same: sports and entertainment. <br /><br />Besides them, the religious arguments of the Left and of the Right pale in significance.Donald Sensinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01395472322281027191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19733180.post-26133608843531460772015-05-16T13:08:06.704-05:002015-05-16T13:08:06.704-05:00Allan, thanks for this. The ignorance of the relig...Allan, thanks for this. The ignorance of the religious left on this point is shocking to me, though like you I have tried to point it out numerous times.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com