Comments on: The Revolution Starts Now http://willdeuel.wordpress.com/2007/03/14/the-revolution-starts-now/ Every Sunday morning W.P. used to shake my hand and say, "How's it goin', Preach?" I liked it. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:12:44 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Roadtripray http://willdeuel.wordpress.com/2007/03/14/the-revolution-starts-now/#comment-103 Roadtripray Wed, 11 Apr 2007 22:17:02 +0000 http://willdeuel.wordpress.com/2007/03/14/the-revolution-starts-now/#comment-103 I loved your comments. I have been a conservative as long as I can remember. But I am agitated by liberals AND conservative Christians in the stances they take sometimes.<br/><br/>I think the UMC needs to extract itself from politics when there isn't an obvious Christian mandate to take one side or the other. One debate I had with a wonderful fellow Christian regarded the proposed minimum wage hike. She felt that as Christians we should support the minimum wage hike. Personally I'm against the minimum wage hike and would rather see those efforts go into job training and other educational encouragements.<br/><br/>My point is that I don't think either position is <i>morally</i> superior or "more Christian" than the other. Each is a different way to attack the issue of poverty and livable wages. <br/><br/>I don't like the United Methodist Church inserting itself in issues such as lobbying for a minimum wage hike. When there is a clear moral distinction between one side and another I think the church has a mandate to speak out. But I'd prefer the church transform the world through the gospel and winning people's hearts for Christ rather than forcing compliance through an alliance with Caeser.<br/><br/>I just used that issue as an example, but there are countless examples where the UMC has appeared more like a secular lobbying group than a church. I would feel the same about it if their position agreed with mine. Let's transform the people and then the people can worry about the details.<br/><br/>-- Ray I loved your comments. I have been a conservative as long as I can remember. But I am agitated by liberals AND conservative Christians in the stances they take sometimes.

I think the UMC needs to extract itself from politics when there isn’t an obvious Christian mandate to take one side or the other. One debate I had with a wonderful fellow Christian regarded the proposed minimum wage hike. She felt that as Christians we should support the minimum wage hike. Personally I’m against the minimum wage hike and would rather see those efforts go into job training and other educational encouragements.

My point is that I don’t think either position is morally superior or “more Christian” than the other. Each is a different way to attack the issue of poverty and livable wages.

I don’t like the United Methodist Church inserting itself in issues such as lobbying for a minimum wage hike. When there is a clear moral distinction between one side and another I think the church has a mandate to speak out. But I’d prefer the church transform the world through the gospel and winning people’s hearts for Christ rather than forcing compliance through an alliance with Caeser.

I just used that issue as an example, but there are countless examples where the UMC has appeared more like a secular lobbying group than a church. I would feel the same about it if their position agreed with mine. Let’s transform the people and then the people can worry about the details.

– Ray

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