Friday, June 13, 2008

Friday...

Being on vacation and rather busy over the last little while, I haven't had/taken the time to write much about spiritual matters. I will definitely have more to talk about next week, but for now, here's a thought: in much of the news media coverage of the election (which I know will bring up issues of its own, but let's leave that alone for now), I'm seeing some talk about how "younger evangelicals" are not using abortion and gay marriage as the benchmarks by which they judge candidates or even their own politics. In fact, they are looking at issues like poverty relief and environmentalism/"creation care" and other such issues that have been more associated with "liberalism."

Is this something others of you are seeing in your local congregations? What do you think the implications of it are?
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6 comments:

Tony Arnold said...

I'm seeing some talk about how "younger evangelicals" are not using abortion and gay marriage, for issues like poverty relief and environmentalism/"creation care" and other such issues that have been more associated with "liberalism."

I am not clear on what question you are asking?

6/13/2008 12:27 PM
Phil said...

Yeah, I edited that whole part to help it actually make sense, or some semblance of sense.

6/13/2008 12:33 PM
Anonymous said...

I have limited contact with the younger group at church but I certainly hope they are not jumping on the bandwagon of extreme environmentalism. While I believe in caring for the environment, if the extreme environmentalists have their way, our taxes will go through the roof and our way of life will be severely affected, which of course will not affect the very rich who want us to do as they say and not as they do. Extreme environmentalism is the new home of the communist party. And just don't get me started on gay marriage and killing millions of babies. I wonder why environmentalists think the spotted owl is more important than a human life?

6/13/2008 3:31 PM
Tony Arnold said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
6/13/2008 3:42 PM
Tony Arnold said...

Phil, I think your assessment is true. I am not sure there are implications. The reasons? It may be related to gravitating toward those issues that affect the greater numbers first then move on down the list from there.

Example, poverty: it afflicts more people in the world than does abortion or gay marriage. It is not that the latter are necessarily less of an issue, but maybe they are not the most pressing on the greatest number of people.

I can't say that younger people don't see abortion as a major concern, but certainly they may take a more pragmatic view on issues such as gay marriage. They may ask, "what real impact am I fearing? Is it going to change my opinion on homosexuality? No. Am I likely to change a homosexual's lifestyle by executing my opinion with my vote? No. Is it the most pressing problem facing humanity at the moment? No."

Or it could be cynicism of or backlash toward the hypocritical and hollow rhetoric of the more conservative, Christian right. "You have used abortion, homosexuality, etc. as a warning bell against candidates, but when we have had the candidates you wanted, they have failed us. The same old rhetoric has lost credibility with us."

Just some thoughts.

6/13/2008 3:43 PM
Tony Arnold said...

Another theory Phil, is maybe younger Christians are more concerned of how they appear to the world as a Christian. Maybe they are more focused on trying to live out a ministry of love rather than sounding harsh thus alienating people who need Christ.

6/13/2008 3:56 PM

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