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Christianity Today, October (Web-only), 2008 |

SOULWORK

When Cowardice Meets Passion

Why I admire but sometimes don't follow single-issue activists.

Mark Galli | posted 10/30/2008 09:09AM

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Yes, I still often find single-issue activists annoying and their arguments sometimes manipulative. But I also recognize that my reluctance to sign up often has little to do with overblown rhetoric or pushy personalities. Sometimes it can be chalked up to an unwillingness to risk all, to actually live a Jesus-life of sacrifice. I call it living a balanced life, or good stewardship of time and resources, or the pursuit of contemplative spirituality! It may be such for others. I suspect for me, it's sometimes just cowardice.

Mark Galli is senior managing editor of Christianity Today. He will reply to comments here and on his blog, where this column has been cross-posted.

Related Elsewhere:

Previous SoulWork columns are available on our site.

Christianity Today editorialized on single-issue voting in 2004.

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October (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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Lois	Posted: November 04, 2008 5:00 PM

Good points. Somehow I've gotten on mailing lists of a number of single-issue activists, and if I were to take part in everything they ask me to, i.e., boycotts, letter writing, e-mailing, phoning, and don't forget donating, -- for they just aren't going to be able to continue without your/my largest possible contribution-- there would be no time or energy or money for anything else. And there seems to be a lot of bitterness and judgmentalism. I guess it's good that different people have different passions so that various issues can be addressed. Sometimes I wonder if I'm cowardly, but sometimes "methinks [they] doth protest too much." We can't all do it all. We just each must consider what our own participation must be, and not feel guilty about deleting the other requests.

Chuck

Posted: October 31, 2008 11:34 AM


I agree with Alison - sometimes one issue is a deal-breaker. For me, that issue is the sanctity of life. How a politician votes on this issue speaks volumes about that person's worldview, which speaks to their character, priorities, etc.

DFM	Posted: October 31, 2008 9:26 AM

"The Poor" amongst us. Jesus says in Matthew 26 that we will always have the poor amongst us. It is only fitting and proper and decent that Christians help the poor. But to let, say, the emergent church's notion of Justice for The Poor trump righteousness is not sound doctrine. I'll say it another way: Justice for The Poor does not trump Righteousness. Regarding the GOP and The Poor: George W. Bush tripled U.S. aid to Africa during his tenure in office. Africa. Now there's The Poor. Babies dying in the dirt. Rampant AIDS, malaria, scabies, worms, leprosy, starvation, spiritual darkness----witchcraft, Islam, animism. The Poor in the U.S. have housing, food stamps, medical care, access to free education---they also have liberal theologians whose cowardice will not allow them to stand up and say, for example, "A baby needs to live in a home with his father and his mother. Get yourself right with God, clean up your life and many of your troubles will disappear."

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