Christianity Today

I have to wonder what is really behind the churches aversion to allowing hormone tharapies to women while at the same time covering viagra for single men or even married men who's wives do not want sex. I wonder about the hipocracy of a church to delegate how an employee chooses to start a family while at the same time does not require and pay for a funeral and burial of any stillborn child or even miscarriage. If they truely believe in life at conception why do they not demand that death certificates be issued to any child who miscarries at any point after conception. Keep in mind this issue is only with the FOR PROFIT businesses the church runs not the actual church or charity orginazation.

The real problem here is the exemption the churches have that allows them to be self insured. Ordinary corporations are no longer able to do this because self insuring puts the employee in the position of having to share their private medical records with the employer. It is our constitutional right to have privacy in our medical treatments. More than 25yrs ago I was put in theis position when Frito-lay- a division of Pepsico was self insured. I started tearing muscles and tendons and ligaments at work. I had to see the company approved doctor who never told me I had a condition called psoriatic arthritis and would not be able to do physical work anymore. I was forced out of my job and never got the treatment that would have allowed me to have a normal life. Self insuring allows an employer to make life decisions and medical decisions based on how it will affect their bottom line. No employer including a church should ever have the right to choreograph anybodys personal decisions

In spite of the fact that as citizens we should take advantage of the opportunity to participate in government and influence its course, have I misunderstood the meaning of Grace? Haven't we been saved by God's Grace and not by our efforts to conform society to our way of thinking or to the conduct we expect of the transformed? Has the church gotten too involved in politics? Is that part of the idolatrous apostasy? Are we getting too caught up in the affairs of this world, forgetting the cross that is set before us? Are we now depending on the law? What ever happened to Grace? I feel the church has become too closely identified with politics once again. If the Catholic Church was the 1st Empire, Evangelicals are quickly becoming the Second. Do we still have a Christ centered church?

The issue is neither religion nor contraception. It is President Obama. Doesn't it seem as if he can't ever please the opposition? If the issue were freedom of religion, his concession would still not have been necessary. The fact is that Christian women use contraception and so do Christian men. As a labor issue, employers of all kinds are required to provide insurance and that insurance should cover contraception. In fact, it should also cover abortions. Why? Because abortions are sometimes necessary. More significant, however, is the fact that we live in a fallen and corrupt world that can't be forced to live the Christian life or be guided by a Christian conscience. More often than not Christian conduct will not prevail in society. We've had some influence, but will we bring about the perfect state by insisting on having everyone conform to our Christ-centered values? My concern is that even the church isn't living up to its values, so how can we legislate so others must?

I keep waiting to see opinions written by evangelicals bear the stamp that is truly christian, as defined by the Lord Jesus Himself. So much comment and contention is strictly politically inspired, rather than inspired by the vision and ideas that should be the hallmark of followers of Jesus Christ. I recently referred to ideas written in a book by Francis Schaefer named "The Church Before The Watching World" and I repeat that it would be relevant reading in this present climate. When will evangelicals focus on those things that relate to the spread of the good news rather than trying to get rules and regulations that restrict and limit other people? It is by a voluntary acceptance of the message of the gospel that redemption takes place, and spiritual growth is not the result of getting laws passed to prevent sin, but teaching followers of the Master that the weapons of the warfare waged by christians are not carnal but spiritual, making thoughts Christ-centred.