Christian Ducks

The Project Manager was looking at Christian message boards recently, and came upon a disturbing post, which is reprinted below. The attitude and opinion expressed in this short posting seems to be very commonplace among the Christian community; the Project Manager has, since August 2008, come across many people who feel this way. The goal of the Ecclesiastes Project is to educate the followers of Christ as to why thinking like this is sinful.

Here is the posting, unedited, in its entirety (it's short):
I believe it is our duty to stand up to what is right even in the voting polls. Jesus did not come to earth to change Rome but to die, but Paul did use his Roman citizenship for his own means, demanding an audience with the leader of Rome. I believe as Christians we should make our voices know to our leaders through calls and letters, standing up for what is right. It is not that we can change the world. We know that the world will not change until God sets up His kingdom on earth, but we should not be silent when injustice goes on every day. We should not be silent when Israel is being given away one plot of land at a time. David said that he would wish his right hand to not work and his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth rather than forget Jerusalem. American Christians have stood silently by for too long as our freedoms have been taking away. Who knows what would have happened had we stormed Washington when prayers were taken out of schools? Christians first, of course. Our allegiance is to Christ first, but don't be a silent American, watching our Country destroy itself without speaking out.

The Project Manager is always grateful to the Lord when provided with a teaching moment. It's always interesting to see a person refer to Scripture when they use it to make a point, without referencing book, chapter, and verse. This makes the PM suspicious as to whether they really know their Scripture. We will start at the beginning and examine the sinful attitudes and lack of Scriptural knowledge expressed in this little paragraph.

I believe it is our duty to stand up to what is right even in the voting polls. Sorry, but no; it is our duty to follow the Lord and fear Him; and keep His commandments (obey Him), listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him (Deuteronomy 13:4). Also, standing up TO something means to oppose it; are you opposed to what's "right"? Jesus did not come to earth to change Rome - True - but to die Why was that necessary? Because the Lord's people persisted in sin (disobedience), and the only way for the Father to restore His relationship with His children was to sacrifice His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in (obeys) Him may live (John 3:16).

But Paul did use his Roman citizenship for his own means, demanding an audience with the leader of Rome. FAIL: Paul used his Roman citizenship to fulfill the promise that the Lord made to him; namely, that Paul would preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in Rome (Acts 23:11). God used the sinful people who attacked Paul in Jerusalem, and Paul's Roman citizenship, as the conduit for fulfilling that promise.

I believe as Christians we should make our voices know to our leaders through calls and letters Let's pray for them instead of complaining to them. We are commanded to honor and respect those whom God has put in leadership over us (1Peter 2:13-15). Standing up for what is right Let's instead accept the Lord's will instead of trying to impose our will on Him. Self-sovereignty (believing that I know better than the Lord what is best for me) is a form of idolatry, and idolatry in any form is sin. It is not that we can change the world True; but you were just saying that it was your "duty" to try to change the world. Which is it? You can't have it both ways.

We know that the world will not change until God sets up His kingdom on earth Then why be so adamant about changing the world before God sets up His Kingdom? Do you fear the Lord's return? Just asking. But we should not be silent when injustice goes on every day. What does Scripture say about injustice? "There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it is done according to the deeds of the righteous" (Ecclesiastes 6:14). There is injustice on the earth, and yes, the Lord knows about it. Also; consider Jesus' reaction to the injustice done against Him (John 18:1 - 19:42).

We should not be silent when Israel is being given away one plot of land at a time. The PM thought that you were talking about our "rights" as American citizens; why the sudden swerve in focus? Are you trying to seem "religious"? David said that he would wish his right hand not to work and his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth rather than forget Jerusalem. FAIL: this was taken out of context! The correct context of Psalm 137:5-6 is that David is personifying the Israeli people's feelings for their homeland during a Babylonian exile.  David was never an exile in Babylon.

American Christians have stood silently by for too long as our freedoms have been taking away. There you are back on our "rights" as Americans; maybe the concern for Israel was just you trying to seem "religious" after all. Moving beyond that; as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom, we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and therefore we are "strangers and pilgrims" in our own country (Hebrews 11:13, 1Peter 2:11-12). As such, we give up our earthly "rights" in order to obey our Lord, and in obeying we secure our salvation in His Kingdom.

Who knows what would have happened had we stormed Washington when prayers were taken out of schools? This is it; this is the attitude that lands unthinking people on the wide road to hell. Christians are to "be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men" (Titus 3:1-2). If you don't like that people with whom you disagree are attacking your beliefs, you accept that God is in control of all things. Nothing happens on this earth that the Lord God did not already know about, and will use to His glory!

Espousing violence to forcibly cause change? That's the prevailing attitude of the anti-war and anti-capitalist protest groups and has been for the past forty years. They DO threaten violence in an attempt to make their cause prevail; they DO actually use violence in an attempt to make their cause prevail; and they firmly believe that they are on the right side of the issue! And now you, who call yourself a "Christian", are saying that we Christians should have used those same tactics ourselves?! The PM believes that when you think like your enemy, and you talk like your enemy, and you act like your enemy, then you are just like your enemy, regardless of your "moral" position. In other words, if it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, IT'S A DUCK! "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" (Luke 6:43-45).

Christians first, of course What about "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)? The PM believes that all Christians are to strive for that. Our allegiance is to Christ first But you just said your allegiance was to "Christians" first. Again, you can't have it both ways. But don't be a silent American Oh, so you want to petition the Lord's authorities that your will prevail upon them, and do not want to petition God that His will prevail upon you. In other words, practice idolatry. That is terrible advice for the diligent Christian. Watching our Country destroy itself without speaking out In other words, we want to keep our accustomed lifestyle, God; we don't want Your will to be done here on earth.

The Project Manager hopes that all who read this realize that whenever we as Christians attempt to assert our beliefs in the political arena, we enter into sin. Protesting, grumbling, complaining about the people whom the Lord has raised up to lead us is to complain against God Himself. When we try to take control of our own lives, we enter into self-determination. The Project Manager cannot emphasize enough that self-determination is a form of idolatry, and any form of idolatry is sin. Please join the Project Manager in prayer for the repentance of those who believe they are following Christ but still cling to that sinful mindset.