Christianity Revived In American Life

June 2009

For the last several months, I have received numerous emails, had phone calls, or had personal conversations in which friends expressed their concern about the future of religious freedom in the United States. There have been a number of conspiracy theories that have circulated since President Obama was sworn into office. The latest was concern that his administration was working to get all religious broadcasters off of television.

As many of you may know, Baptists have been at the forefront of the battle for religious freedom since the seventeenth century. We were instrumental in seeing that religious freedom was incorporated into the Constitution. We have consistently fought for the right of even cult type movements to have freedom of religious expression, knowing that oppressing them could eventually be turned against us as well.

Are we in danger of seeing our religious liberty being curtailed? It is very possible that we could see attempts made in that direction. Those of us who are conservative in our faith are the objects of disdain by the elitists in our culture. It is almost certain that the Obama administration will be less favorable toward conservative religious sentiments than more recent administrations. How far a liberal agenda will succeed during his presidency remains to be seen.

I want you to consider, however, that we should not panic or be frightened even if our worst imaginings should become a reality. The Kingdom of God will go on even if the United States turns away from religious freedom. In fact, being culturally sidelined or even persecuted might lead to an even greater work of God in our midst.

Let’s face it. We have become spoiled with our religious freedom. We have assumed that politicians and the leaders of our culture could somehow be made to yield to our interests. We have substituted political action for spiritual striving. We have trusted in our ability to move politicians more than we have trusted a God who can move mountains.

In teaching church history for a number of years, I have reminded my students that one of the worst things that happened for the spiritual dynamism of the church was the legalization of Christianity by Constantine. Do a little reading and you will see that a partnership between church and state always works to the disadvantage of the Kingdom of God.

What will happen if we move into disfavor in our culture? Perhaps, we will have to really get serious about living out our faith. Maybe we can escape the situation we are in now where lost people have difficulty seeing the difference between Christians and everyone else around us. Maybe we will be driven to living out our faith radically so that we can make a real difference in our culture.

I wonder if that is what it will really take for Christianity to be revived in American life.

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