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Christianity Today, July (Web-only), 2007 |

Speaking Out

Bush's Heresy

His hope for Iraq is "more of a theological perspective," he says.

Ted Olsen | posted 7/19/2007 09:08AM

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We've seen similar statements from Bush throughout his presidency, and we've seen conservative Christians disagreeing. But it is new that people like Douthat, who supported the war, are declaring Bush's rationale heretical.

This hits on what I think is the biggest question for western Christians right now: Should Christians in democracies work to make governmental actions reflect biblical priorities? If God loves human "freedom," should we then get the government to act for "freedom" worldwide? If God loves the poor, should we get the government to enact polices aimed at reducing (or eliminating) poverty?

Touchstone provided an interesting answer in a recent editorial. "[W]e know abortion is murder but do not know what God would have us do about global warming," the magazine stated. The implication is that we know what God would have us do about abortion — but even prolife allies who agree that God wants his people to work for a governmental ban disagree on what the ban should look like and how to work for it.

Many evangelicals who agree with Douthat's criticism of Bush argue that it is their Christian obligation to work against the Iraq war because "God loves peace." Thus they employ the same logic as Bush. Are we all a bunch of heretics?

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July (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51

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lr howard

Posted: August 01, 2007 12:50 PM

the diversity of opinion re the spiritual/biblical/political/philosophical/practical understanding of what freedom just exactly is reflects the dilemma any president/preacher/christian/citizen/common-ordinary-commonsensical-thinker faces. It's an "on the one hand but then again on the other hand" quandry - which I don't think will find final resolution until He comes . . . but which doesn't mean we should quit chewing on this bone and doing the very best we can in view of the situation at hand.

Paul	Posted: July 30, 2007 7:22 PM

Kathleen, you were not attacked by Iraq. Saddam was a brutal dictator, but he was not an al-Qaeda supporter. The current war shows little sign of transforming Islam and its people with any love for the US version of freedom. I am not justifying Islamic abuse of women or of freedom, but this is not the way to change them. There may be just wars, but this one is a long way from fitting into the category. Freedom is a theological principle, and a gift from God, but it is not one that has ever been aquired under the auspices of global empires, or at the hands of breath-taking military expenditure.

Andrew

Posted: July 29, 2007 5:45 PM


if only we could become the Church Acts portrays....... http://andrewkreider.squarespace.com/

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