Charles Colson
No Utter Collapse
Evangelicals find themselves in an unaccustomed role this marathon election season. Since evangelicals came out of fundamentalist isolation and hit the political scene in 1976, mobilizing behind the first "born again" presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter, through the era of the Moral Majority and the Christian Coalition, evangelicals have been riding high. We hit our peak in 2004 when, by most accounts, we had become the decisive voting bloc.
Not anymore, apparently. Many commentators are now saying evangelicals, whom they still mistakenly assume are all Republicans, are headed for a political crack-up. New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote our eulogy last fall: "Inauguration Day 2009 is at the very least Armageddon for the reigning ayatollahs of the American right."
Really? How did we go from being the most powerful voting bloc in America to utter collapse in four short years?
The answer is, we haven't. The press is merely up to its old tricks. When I worked in the Nixon White House, the press heralded me as the President's brilliant young political strategist. After having built me up, the press tore me apart, calling me the "White House hatchet man" and "evil genius." The press loves to promote people—it's good copy—and then tear them down—also good copy. They take credit for slaying monsters they helped create. We see this vicious cycle with so many public figures today.
Yes, there's a transition going on within the evangelical ranks. Aging leaders are fading, new leaders are emerging. But polls show that evangelicals are as strongly pro-life as ever, and continue to support traditional values. We are mightily concerned, as all Americans should be, with preventing terrorism. And new issues are emerging, ...
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Charles Colson
Charles Colson
Charles Colson was the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, an outreach to convicts, victims of crime, and justice officers. Colson, who converted to Christianity before he was indicted on Watergate-related charges, became one of evangelicalism's most influential voices. His books included Born Again and How Now Shall We Live? A Christianity Today columnist since 1985, Colson died in 2012.
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The Latest in Movie News, May 20, 2013
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Adalton Nascimento
I am not american. I am brazilian. I am evangelical. The way I see evangelicals in US still have a lot of work to do. I can not understand how americans ( and evangelical included) supports a war in Iraque and Afheganistan. How come this beautiful part of christian body that gave birth to organizations like YWAM and World Vision on the 60's and 50's, now looks so afraid. And because of this fear decides to give their leaders support to make wars. The way I see evangelical americans now is changing: not as a good people full of love and compassion, but as frighted folks who wants revenge and protection done by their leaders and soldiers. I hope american evangelicals remember that Jesus is the prince of peace.
frank
Colson is on to something I hope he is right.
Rick Nowlin
Sorry, but "blaming the secular media" doesn't fly here. If there's anyone to blame for the reputation that evangelical Christians are, as a rule, ideologically conservative, it's conservative Christians themselves, aided and abetted by conservative and Christian media and insulting anyone who doesn't think the way they do. Sider and Wallis, whose work predated the the "religious right" by over a decade, STILL undergo withering attacks from conservatives; indeed, a couple of years ago Colson himself went after Wallis. As an evangelical Christian who works in the secular media, I was actually offended because Colson subscribes to the false stereotype that reporters are specifically hostile to faith; rather, if Christians would engage us in a humble way perhaps we would be more understanding and sympathetic.