Many speak on the influence, or lack thereof, of evangelical Christianity in
the United States today, but few have spoken with more insight than David P.
Gushee, the Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University, a Tennessee Baptist
university.
Many speak on the influence, or lack thereof, of evangelical Christianity in
the United States today, but few have spoken with more insight than David P.
Gushee, the Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University, a Tennessee Baptist
university. His piece published by the Religion News Service printed below should
be required reading for people concerned about the moral and ethical tone and
direction of our nation. Even for those who might not agree with Professor Gushee,
his piece will stimulate careful thinking.
Some readers will be angered because Professor Gushee claims that some of the
most hotly debated issues of Christian influence in the United States the last
few years are “symbols” of deeper issues. Professor Gushee implies
that we can spend our energies fighting battles over displaying symbols rather
than focusing the majority of our energies on the greater battles beneath the
symbols.
Symbols are important. Symbols represent greater issues and they garner tremendous
support and emotional reaction. For instance, the United States flag is a symbol
in that it represents far more than cloth with stars and stripes fixed upon
it. Many soldiers in Iraq will tell you they are fighting for the flag. Many
veterans tell you they fought for the flag and that significant numbers of their
comrades died fighting for the flag. It was not the actual flag for which they
fought, but for all that the flag symbolized. In many cases, Christians are
mobilized and strengthened by symbols such as Professor Gushee mentioned.
The strong point Professor Gushee makes is that we will not change what he
calls the nation’s soul by spending all our efforts battling over symbols
as if that will change our nation. To this editor, that means, without putting
words into Professor Gushee’s pen, we could have the ten commandments posted
in every courthouse in the nation and have prayer over the public address systems
of every public school in the land and these actions of and within themselves
would not transform the soul of our nation.
While strong disagreement continues even in the evangelical community about
posting the Ten Commandments in courthouses and having prayer over the public
address system of public schools, there can be little debate that the battle
for the soul of our nation is fought first and most importantly on local fronts
by local churches.
The major influence Christians can have on the nation is bringing its citizens
to a redeeming relationship with Jesus Christ and then discipling them to change
the soul of the nation. The problem is not that we do not have the ten commandments
posted in enough places, but that we do not have enough individuals striving
to live by them. Christians should be more upset that we do not have more “saved”
people living according to God’s revelation. Posting the ten commandments
in appropriate places is important, but that does not ensure any more people
living by them.
God uses saved people to save a nation. The way a nation’s soul is transformed
is by increasing the number of its people with transformed souls.
How encouraging to have a university professor make that clear and certain
call for the local church to assume its place in the battle.
The theme, or vision statement as it would now be called, of the Christian
Life Commission (formerly the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) used
to be “Helping Changed People Change the World.” That is biblical
and a good way to go about strengthening our influence upon our nation.