The evangelical church faces a 'state of emergency' over the pandemic and politics, Andy Stanley say

[Eugene]

Source: CNN

The evangelical church faces a 'state of emergency' over the pandemic and politics, Andy Stanley says

By John Blake, CNN
Updated 1430 GMT (2230 HKT) June 4, 2022

(CNN) — Winning souls for Christ. Taking back America for God. Standing in the Gap.

Anyone who has spent time among white evangelical Christians has heard some of those phrases. The evangelical subculture is filled with militaristic rhetoric that depicts conservative Christians trying to "take back America" for God from the secular forces of evil.

But what happens when one of the nation's most famous evangelical leaders declares that "saving America is not the mission of the church?" When he says that loving people takes precedence over loving country? Or when he says that Christianity is not about winning, but "losing on purpose, with a purpose?"

Andy Stanley, pastor of one of the nation's largest megachurches, is about to find out. This is part of the message he shares in his provocative new book, "Not In It To Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines the Church." In the book, Stanley recounts what happened to him and his church when they confronted three recent challenges: the pandemic, the George Floyd protests and the 2020 presidential election.

-snip-

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/04/us/andy-stanley-evangelicals-book-blake-cec/index.html

[Tetrachloride]

1. State of emergency in evangelical churches? Charming

Not a popcorn moment.

[bronxiteforever]

2. Yet when I read this quote from Stanley,

I Know the evangelicals will never change.

“ When a cultural issue intersects with the teachings of Jesus, we definitely should say something. The problem is when we do that -- which we should -- we do that knowing that ... if I take a more left-leaning position on gun control -- which I wouldn't, because in my mind that's a very complicated issue -- but if I did, then I realize that the Republicans in my church are going to put me in the bucket of everything that the Democrats believe, because there's no middle ground now. There's no nuance. It's tricky.”

[Girard442]

4. Because letting 18-year-olds buy mass-murder machines is what Jesus wants.

[intheflow]

5. Gun rights *are* a very complicated issue.

The point here isn't that he he may or may not be a gun nut, it's that he recognizes that being a gun nut or anti-gun doesn't matter in God's eyes, so it shouldn't be a matter in evangelicalism. He recognizes Jesus never said dick about guns. He understands the difference between living a Christian life and living an American life is also very complicated, as they have to be held in tension with each other when they diverge. Faith is something for congregants to grapple with, not weaponize or politicize.

Not to mention, many, many Democrats and liberal Christians own guns. I'm not one of them but I 100% support this pastor for drawing boundaries and speaking truth.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Religions should "win hearts and minds" by moral suasion, not political dominance...

using the power of government to force people to your doctrine undermines the very concept of most religions. If their positions are not gladly chosen by their followers, but are forced onto unwilling subservients then God is not supreme, but the human organization of the church is. In fact, they are putting their church above God itself.

[Karadeniz]

6. Well, that's bound to happen when one doesn't have a clue as to one's religion's theology...

[Midnight Writer]

7. I wonder how many of their aging flock are gone because "God gave us an immune system"?

Or "God didn't intend for us to cover our faces"?