The midterm elections of 2022 are over, and pollsters were wrong again. Instead of a “red wave” of renewed
GOP dominance, it was more of a red trickle. Once again, we are told that
conservatives are not talking to pollsters or just plain lying, thus skewing
their results. (it seems to me that if this is true, the skewed results would
favor the Democrats, but I am digressing here.)
So, the main question for me is why
are conservatives not talking to pollsters, or for that matter, not putting
candidate signs on their front lawns or political stickers on their vehicle
bumpers? I can immediately think of several reasons why.
First, it is being called foul names.
Whether you are a youth on a field trip in Washington DC being a called a racist
by media networks, a suburban white woman voting Republican being compared to a
cockroach by a national political commentator, Trump voters being placed in a basket of deplorables
by the opposing presidential candidate or concerned parents attending and
speaking at school board meetings being tagged as domestic terrorists, we
conservatives are always open to being labeled with disgusting descriptors.
Second, the doxing and canceling
can occur. Business owners may be boycotted and picketed if they are not
“woke.” Although unlawful, protesters gather at Supreme Court justice’s homes
attempting to influence their votes. Addresses of parents may be leaked to the public by school board members over political
differences.
Third, conservatives can be
physically attacked. And, of course, progressive liberals, also. Regardless of grievances, violence us unacceptable.
Therefore, during these hostile
political seasons we can take a few simple actions-
1.
Do not place political signs on our lawns.
2.
Do not place political bumper stickers on our
vehicles.
3.
Do not post political items on social media.
4.
Do not talk with pollsters.
5.
Do not share your political views with anyone you
do not know and trust.
6.
Do not wear political attire.
7.
Vote our consciences as often as possible.
8.
Everyone we meet or communicate with, regardless
of differences, is worthy of dignity,
courtesy, and respect.,
The above eight actions are good
for a short-term strategy, but conservatives need to possess a long-term
strategy for dealing with wokism and political correctness in a world gone crazy.
In this essay I am offering ideas for Christian conservatives to develop a
strategy for the long-term. I also share ideas from others.
First, develop a theological
perspective as a foundation for your active passive resistance. We are
strangers and sojourners on this planet. Earth is our temporary abode and
Heaven will be our permanent home. Only Jesus, not the Republican Party or any
other political movement, can save us. The tweet from actress Patricia Heaton following
the 2022 election is worthy of our consideration-
"For
those of you who are Christians and who feel disappointed or despairing of the election
results, it is a blessing to be reminded that our security does not rest in men
or governments, which are finite and will eventually crumble, but in God alone
who is ever sustaining.”
Second, do not take actions against
progressive liberals in kind if what you
feel is abhorrent when taken against you. Public name calling and violence of
any kind is not permissible for Christians. Defend yourself appropriately if
attacked verbally or physically but not reply in kind. Rebuke other believers
if they are reacting in non-Christlike actions.
Third, focus on your Christian
growth. Rick Warren, retired senior pastor of Saddleback Church in southern
California, lists six ways for us to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ which will radically alter politics and history as we currently know-
1.
Clean out the garbage in our lives. (James
1:20-21)
2.
Stay connected to Christ. (1 John 2:28)
3.
Use trouble to stay spiritually strong. (1
Thessalonians 5:23)
4.
Practice loving everyone. (James 2:8)
5.
Invest in the bank of Heaven. (Luke 12:33)
6.
Use the gifts God gave us to reach others. (2
Peter 2:15)
Fourth, if possible, find ways to
collaborate with progressives in your communities
on issues such as poverty, illiteracy, police misconduct, environment, etc. Be alert to insure both methods and results
are congruent to biblical beliefs and values.
Fifth, read to be aware of the resources
and options available to you.. To start, I recommend an article by Alexander
Solzhenitsyn, a book by John Howard
Yoder, a book by Eric Metaxas, a book coauthored by Stanley Hauerwas and William
Willimon and three books by Rod Dreher-
·
“Live Not By Lies” by Solzhenitsyn is a powerful
warning to the West that lies, or enforced ideologies, imposed on others is, as
a commentator states, “(gives an) illusion that human nature and society can be
reshaped to predetermined specifications. Solzhenitsyn was a Russian dissident
imprisoned in the former Soviet Union and eventually exiled to the West.
·
Yoder’s The Politics of Jesus is a
theologically rich book for Christians to learn from Jesus to lead apolitical
lives to effectively deal with power, status, and right relationships. Yoder
was a Mennonite theologian who taught at Notre Dame and Baylor, among other
schools.
·
In Letter to the American Church, Metaxas
describes disturbing parallels between the German Church of the 1930s and the Dietrich
Bonhoeffer as well as William Wilberforce. Metaxas is a leading biographer of
Bonhoeffer.
·
Resident Aliens is the first of two books
by Methodist theologians Hauerwas and Willimon who taught at Duke. As resident
aliens Christians live in a colony surrounded by a contemptuous secular
society. This first volume discloses the theological foundation for resident
aliens. The second book details practical ideas for believers to use.
·
That Where Resident Aliens Live is a
manual of practical ideas for Christians to live out their faith.
·
Crunchy Cons is the first of a trio of
books on this subject by Dreher, a journalist of the Orthodox faith tradition
who currently lives and works in Hungary, A conservative (con) eating granola
(crunchy) is Dreher’s metaphor for conservative Christians not wedded to the
Republican establishment but seek out allies, regardless of partisanship, to
deal with mutual concerns. The book is built around a Crunchy Con Manifesto-
o
We are conservatives who stand outside the
conservative mainstream
o
Modern conservatism has become too focused on money,
power, and the accumulation of stuff
o
Big business deserves as much skepticism as big
government
o
Culture is as important as politics and
economics
o
A conservatism that does not practice restraint,
humility, and stewardship- especially of the natural world- is not fundamentally
conservative
o
Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost
always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract
o
Beauty
is more important than efficiency
o
The relentlessness
of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and
wisdom
o
The
institution most essential to conserve is the family
·
The Benedict Option alerts American believers
that we now live in a Post-Christian nation. Dreher states that we will be entering a Dark Age that will plunge the
entirety of Western Civilization into decadence and dissolution. Thus, he calls
Christians to embrace the Benedictine Order as a strategy to combat the moral
chaos around us. Like Saint Benedict following the fall of Rome in the sixth
century we can retreat to form small monastic communities founded on order, hospitality,
stability, and prayer to save civilization.
·
Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents
is Dreher’s way of expanding upon Solzhenitsyn’s essay to add detail on the
characteristics of “soft” totalitarianism and how Christians can effectively
resist with the family as the primary resistance cell.
There are three models of living as
active passive resisters in our contemporary culture. Each model is an option for
believers based upon our unique personalities, the set of spiritual gifts God
has given us, and God’s calling upon our lives.
1.
Resident Aliens- This model has the most adherents. Christians are scattered throughout
the wider secular culture and are employed mainly in secular jobs and primarily send their
children to secular schools. Resident Aliens meet on Sundays for worship and
Bible study and perhaps attend other church activities throughout the week.
2.
Intentional communities- Some Christians intentionally
choose to live close together for mutual support while engaging with the wider
secular culture. More children in this model attend private religious schools
or are homeschooled. Historic examples of intentional communities include the Clapham
Sect of south London from 1790s- 1840s which included William Wilberforce and
fellow reformers and the Koinonia Farm founded in southwest Georgia in 1942 by
Clarence Jordan and associates.
3.
Monastic communities- A fewer number of Christians
will choose to almost completely withdraw from their culture and live together
for mutual support and worship and prayer throughout the week.. While Catholic
believers take holy orders to live in same-gender monasteries Protestant monasteries
can take various forms and shapes. Children in this model tend to be
homeschooled.
Deciding on which option to choose
can be a demanding and complex one for some believers and easy for other Christ
followers. God, in the end, grants us the freedom of choice in this regard. Let
us choose wisely.
No comments:
Post a Comment