Articles for tag: Church and State

April 28, 2020

Christian Standard

COVID-19: Guidelines for Closing and Reopening the Church

Editor’s Note: This article was written for and will appear in our July issue, which will deal with politics and the church. We’ve decided the article will most benefit our readers now, however. We hope it helps you wisely plan as you make significant decisions over the next several weeks and months. _ _ _ By Rusty Russell Should we have canceled church during the COVID-19 pandemic? What if churches reopen, the virus rebounds, and we are asked to cancel again? What if there’s a less serious pandemic in the future? Will we be asked to cancel the next time

October 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Patriotism, Idolatry, and Evangelism

By Rubel Shelly In my opinion, the United States of America is a wonderful, though imperfect, country. One could even call it exceptional in many ways among all the nations of the world, but I refuse the designation “American exceptionalist.” An American woman can love her country and be deeply patriotic because she appreciates its uniqueness and marvelous history. She might point to such things as its abundant natural resources and favorable climate. More likely, she would talk even more about the freedoms of speech, press, and religion. There is the protection under law its citizens enjoy. She could reference its

July 4, 2016

Christian Standard

Is There a Christian Nation?

By Robert F. Hull Jr. God of our fathers, known of old”” Lord of our far-flung battle line”” Beneath whose awful hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine”” Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget””lest we forget! This is the first stanza of the poem “Recessional,” written by Rudyard Kipling for Queen Victoria”s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Although British might was still so “far-flung” that it was said “the sun never sets on the British Empire,” in his poem Kipling worried that the nation might become “drunk with sight of power” and forget the God

September 24, 2014

Christian Standard

Living with the Tension

By Jim Tune Jesus Christ turned conventional views of power upside down. Jesus was remarkably indifferent to those who held political power. He had no desire to replace Caesar with his apostles. He gave civil authority its due, rebuking both the zealots and Peter for using the sword. This seems to have infuriated the religious right of his day. In an effort to discredit Jesus, the Herodians tried trapping him over the issue of allegiance to political authority. I am mystified by the Evangelical obsession with power and influence. A made-in-America Jesus seems more concerned with nationalism, patriotism, and power

June 29, 2012

Christian Standard

Immigration: What”s a Christian to Think?

By Alan F.H. Wisdom In spite of widespread advocacy for immigration reform by some Christian leaders, Christians remain divided on this crucial issue. Unfortunately, there are no simple answers. There is no biblical passage that lays out the details of a just immigration policy for 21st-century America. In spite of this, a chorus of voices from Christian leaders with many different groups has called for liberalized immigration measures. As a result, many Christians might be left to wonder how there could be any doubt on the issue. But there is doubt. Polls show church members deeply divided, or even inclined

July 12, 2009

Christian Standard

FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Seeing Ourselves as Others See Us

By LeRoy Lawson A. J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man”s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007). Robert Jewett, in collaboration with Ole Wangerin, Mission and Menace: Four Centuries of American Religious Zeal (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008). “O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!” So wrote the Scottish poet Robert Burns in his little poem, “To a Louse.” Who hasn”t at one time or another wished the same””for other pesky people in our lives whose reformation we most dearly desire?

January 13, 2008

Christian Standard

FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Not Your High School”s History

By LeRoy Lawson The problem with history is that it doesn”t sit still. The older I grow the more it changes. Many of my public school history lessons have flunked the tests of time. If you want to retain confidence in your high school grasp of the past, this one thing you must do: Stop reading. Or at least stop reading history. The Rest of the Story Here is the first book to put on your list of books not to read: James W. Loewen”s Lies My Teacher Told Me (Touchstone, 1996). As you can tell from the date, I

July 1, 2007

Christian Standard

The Problems with Christian Nationalism: A European Viewpoint

By Patrick Nullens I”ll never forget my first trip to America. After landing in Chicago, I thought, It”s like the movies. I took a cab to a huge hotel. As most tired travelers do, I switched on the cheap television set. That was when I experienced my first cultural shock. A well-dressed woman with giant artificial pink nails was resting her hands on a stack of postcards and praying for sick people. After reading each card, she prayed for each request, one by one. As she prayed eloquently and piously, a number for financial contributions flashed across the bottom of

May 20, 2007

Christian Standard

Professor Jack

By Joshua Graves Several of my friends (as in 100-plus) from both my church and college decided to be a part of a “love feast” for the poor and homeless persons who live in and around Cass Park in downtown Detroit. Cass Corridor is a notorious section of Detroit known for rampant prostitution, drugs, and destitution. The people who live there swear the police have given up on the place. The men and women who call it “home” welcomed us into their space with love, acceptance, and hospitality. Cass Park is within a stone”s throw of mighty Ford Field and

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