2008-04-28

How Would Jesus Vote? Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright

I couldn't care less where Barack Obama goes to church, or who is pastor is. I do care what Obama thinks and believes...but they aren't necessarily the same as what Jeremiah Wright thinks and believes. (Speaking of that, check out this video. I think I'll keep a running diary of it and post here and on Twitter either tonight or tomorrow. Great, great stuff in this video, and another side of a man many of us only know from soundbites.)

My question is this: Did Jeremiah Wright really refuse to affirm Christ as the only way to God at today's meeting with the National Press Club in Washington? If so, it means Wright's beliefs are part of a troubling trend in the 21st century, post-modern church.

Wright, Brian McLaren and others of their ilk apply a rigid standard to Jesus' actual words when it comes to His stance on social justice. I applaud that. Further, I wholeheartedly agree that we, as Christians, have put far too little emphasis on that aspect of our faith, focusing instead on our own spiritual development at the expense of those outside the often country club-like atmosphere of white, suburban, middle-class congregations. Might I, however, submit that those more philsophically on the left are just as guilty as narrowly defining what Christ said and meant as those on the philosophical right?

Why can't those emergent, post-modern "evangelical" leaders apply that same standard to everything Jesus said?

Well, guess what...Jesus also said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT through ME." (emphasis mine)

It works both ways, folks.

I welcome all comments. E-mail feedback to CandidChristian@gmail.com.


0 comments: