The Religious Right and Me

Baptist fundamentalists are known for their Baptist distinctive called individual soul liberty. We must be careful not to violate what we believe when we point out error. Let’s remember that famous quotation "I do not believe a word that you are saying, but, I would die for your right to say it." However, we must speak out when others speak for us and by so doing they hinder the Gospel of Christ. When they misrepresent us, we must present our position. This ought to be done in love, hoping to free the Gospel from slander and misrepresentation. The Gospel must not be hid, we must proclaim Christ and Him crucified. When politics or politicians have an adverse effect on the climate for the preaching of the gospel, we must not be silent. 

We must ask ourselves; does the media have any inclination toward our mentality? Does the media speak for us through its famous evangelical voices? Does the media, through News Broadcasters, speak for us? Can you say that CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, speak from our position regarding religious issues, or regarding our political stance? Do they speak to our harm? Consider this, does the term The religious Right fit us? Is the term being used to make us look good to the world? What benefit or harm does the Gospel receive from this characterization, in light of their purpose? We have heard over and over again that we are part of "the religious Right.". Is that our understanding? Is that our role? Is that how we see ourselves? They insist that we are. Is it their belief that if they say it often enough we will accept it as truth. If we understand their intent, we won’t! 

The media continually pounds away on this phrase for a reason. It was almost impossible to watch a newscast during the primary elections and not hear the commentator speak of the religious Right. We are far from hearing the last of it. Be very sure that they say it with negative overtones, sometimes loudly enunciated, often with subtle implication. Is there such a title as the unreligious right? Maybe that term is reserved for the left. It is not to be expected that we will soon hear the term the unreligious left. That would cause an immediate outcry of "how dare you" "foul" "not true" "Politically incorrect" "not fair". For sure, you will not be hearing that term.

Assigning names to believers is not new. It all began back in the Middle of the first century. Acts 11:26 records that the disciples were sarcastically called "Christians" in Antioch. They grew to like the term, and began using it freely. Being called by various names doesn’t hurt when they have at least a measure of accuracy. If you want to call a born again Christian by a name here are a few suggestions; "So heavenly minded; no earthly good" "Bible believing Christian" "A believer in absolutes" "Fanatic" etc. These terms are not all good, but they have some measure of truth. The problem is that they don’t let up; no, not on Christians; no, not on big business; no, not on the virtues of big government; no, not on the environment. No they don’t and they won’t let up. 

One can not turn on the TV without hearing their side. We hear it in almost every TV movie, every sitcom, every newspaper. This is serious because they are teachers of the masses. They are the influences of the world. The frequency is overwhelming, overbearing. They speak with such intensity and authority that after a while one can almost think that maybe they have it right. They don’t. The media is leading men down the path of everlasting damnation. They are wizards of perversion and distortion. Some say that the greatest accomplishment of Satan is his ability to convince men that he does not exist. 

The media wants us to believe that they are not bias. That is a monumental task..

As born-again Christians we believe that God exists and that He is the center and the circumference of all things. He sustains, He upholds, He worketh all things, He is the very center of all things. Believing in Him therefore puts our position right in the center of His will. Not right nor left but center. 

As citizens, and thankful to God for that fact, we trust in the constitution of the United States. We see it as being the best in the world. We understand it represents the center, the core, of all that is America. Trusting that the constitution is just, puts our position smack in the center. Not left, nor right, but center. Would you consider us to be to the right or to the left when we teach what we believe, or would we be in the center as God is in the center, or are we as the world would say narrow-minded? 

We believe the Scriptures teach that man was created upright, in a state of innocence, under the law of his Creator with the potential for greatness, dignity, and nobility. By a deliberate transgression of God’s command Adam fell from his sinless state. Adam was the Federal head of all mankind. All men are related to Adam seminally. Therefore when Adam sinned all men sinned; in consequence of which all men fell from their sinless state and are totally depraved. All men are partakers of Adam's fallen nature, and are sinners by nature and they demonstrate it by their conduct. All men are therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. What would they make of this doctrine? 

We believe the Scriptures teach that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature, being without sin, and by His death made a full and vicarious propitiation sufficient for our sins and the sins of all mankind. His sacrifice was not as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. He is in every way qualified to be a suit-able, compassionate and all sufficient Savior and all that the Father gives Him shall come to Him and He will not cast them out. All true believers are washed from their sins in His blood. 

Would we be to the right or to the left when we teach what we believe, or would we be in the center as God is in the center or maybe we are just narrow-minded unsophisticated fools? Unlearned? We who believe the Bible are told that we are narrow-minded. They, in contrast, must be broad-minded. Think on that. I believe that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16) That is not the religious Right; that is the center of God’s truth. 

We must ask ourselves, what does the media want to accomplish by their constant use of their term the religious Right.. Do they want us, who proclaim Christ and Him crucified, to be seen as the enemy of the people? Yes. How will that aid in the spreading of the gospel? It won’t! What are we to do about it? Pray for them. Keep the name "Christian". Hold fast the faith. Don’t trade it in for a political name like the religious Right. Continue to preach and teach in season and out of season the things that are central to life.
Keith W. Rose 
KWR-Ministries

KWR-Ministries

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