Chronicle of the Damned, part 7

Christian Alliance for Progress

Committed to ignoring the Scriptures, orthodox theology, and history. Eager to celebrate the sins of those who for the moment, find the fashionable mores of progressive liberals on their side. Damned to the pit and reminded by Jesus, "better that a millstone were placed around their neck [and dropped into the sea]....than to lead [Christians] astray." A most UnChristian Alliance, in league not with the Son of God, but the Prince of Darkness.

"The members of the Christian Alliance for Progress believe we have an obligation to reclaim the vocabulary of Christianity from extremists and to restore the morals and values of Christianity. We bring together progressive Christians and other Americans who share our passion and convictions. We will use the collective power of our individual members to help shape the political realities in our country and to strive to build a more just and compassionate nation."

"We advance a renewed, progressive vision of Gospel values and help Americans express this moral vision in how we think, work, and vote."

Beware anytime a person or organization takes it upon themselves to offer a "progressive vision" of the Gospels or any other part of Scripture.

"Many of us feel pain about the way the name of Christianity has been hijacked. It is being used to promote beliefs and actions that violate the values Jesus lived and taught. This organization is determined to reclaim Christianity. That is why we are here. We stand for values that are basic to both the Christian tradition and the American tradition. You do not have to identify as a Christian to be a part of this movement. We welcome anyone who wants to defend these values from right-wing extremists."

Not historians, it appears. Nor particularly keen on actually looking at any Scriptures other than selected passages, often taken out of context, from the teachings of Jesus.

"First of all, we advocate the traditional American values of separation of Church and State. Secondly, Jesus stood outside the power structure of his day, and he spoke for the poor and powerless. That is what prophets do. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Desmond Tutu are examples of Christians acting in the prophetic tradition. Following Jesus obliges us to speak to the government in a prophetic voice and to stand for the values Jesus taught."

Interesting choices for secondary role models. I never found King, or Tutu, to be prophets. Is it worth noting that Christian Alliance did not turn to Elijah, or Isaiah, or any other Old Testament prophet for inspiration? Maybe because that would mean a message that entails more than holding hands, talkin' bout "love", forgetting the cross, and denying any need for salvation. A man's soul must be made right before his Maker. All else is secondary.

"Do you believe that through Jesus is the only way to heaven?
This movement is not about offering people salvation. We are not a church. Our purpose is not to make dogmas. We believe that we are called to follow Jesus. When he called the disciples, he didn’t say, "Come believe in me." He said, "Come follow me." Jesus calls us to act in the world here and now. And he tells us that we will be judged by "whatsoever you did to the least of these". People in this movement hold diverse views about religion and the Christian life. Some of us follow Jesus as part of an organized religion and some of us don’t. What we have in common is our commitment to stand for the values Jesus lived and taught like compassion and justice and the equality of all people."

Bad theology, or no theology has yet to lead anywhere good or worthy of further consideration.

Well, let us consider a couple of the specifics (there are many) which damn this organization:

Abortion
"Honoring the Sanctity of Childbearing Decisions"

What a mockery of decency. I wonder how far they would take this line of thinking. For example, "the sanctity of marital faithfulness decisions" or "the sanctity of end-of-life decisions" or maybe Christian Alliance is unable to think of where these creative phrasing might go?

"You know, under the abstinence-only education programs pushed by the radical right, the rate of abortions has actually increased. Plenty of studies show that the abortion rate goes down when accurate information about human reproduction and contraception is available. But the extremists are opposed to even a basic preventative measure like that."

No! Abortion rates go down when abstinence is practiced. No sex = no baby = no abortion! And they also go down when individuals find it morally reprehensible to compound a mistake of lust and the consequences, with murder.

Now what does that tell you? It tells me that what the extremists really want is to punish any woman who has an unintended pregnancy. Jesus taught compassion, responsibility, and equality.

Beyond the buzzwords, the tell-tale signs of an ill-defined position, what really are they saying?

"Over and over in the Gospels, Jesus is scathing in his dealings with hypocrites. We believe that Jesus would recognize the inherent hypocrisy in decreasing support for family planning or reducing access to contraception while simultaneously seeking to criminalize abortion. "

So in the name of not being hypocritical, Jesus would support the murder of a child. This seems highly unlikely, particularly when one remembers the extensive use of children as metaphors or examples in the Gospels.

"Recognizing that Jesus teaches us by his example, we hold that he would treat women as full and complete partners today, just as he did in his own time. Therefore, we assert that creating secular laws to give control of a woman's body to the state is unchristian. We assert that compulsory childbearing (if Roe v. Wade were overturned), compulsory abortion (as in China), and compulsory childbearing or abortion based on the state's decision (as in Nazi Germany) all deny a woman's essential humanity and are immoral."

Well, the purpose of government is not to protect innocent life. That, according to Christian Alliance, would be unchristian. Let's pull out the police from their tidy little communities, troops from our borders, remove completely the sword from the government. What exactly is government for? Cradle to grave welfare might hint at protecting life -- so they better not espouse that line of thinking.

It is not a question of compulsion (in child-bearing). A life is created, there is no choice of what to do with him. He must live.

The time for choosing was before sex. Again = no sex = no child = no abortion. (this has been discussed in the context of extra or pre-marital relations)

All the emotional distress, the physical pain, the worry, et cetera, do not even tip the balance when weighed against a life, created in the image of God. Every consideration pales before this one fact.

"In a world where men held all positions of institutional power and had social dominance over women and children, Jesus overturned firmly established taboos to clearly demonstrate the complete equality of women. Rather than "keeping women in their place," Jesus as we find him in the scriptures empowered women."

Ah, shades of Dan Brown and The DaVinci Code.

I think it's fairly clear that Christian Alliance will not hold the line. They excuse away murder, encourage it even, all in the name of tolerance and "compassion." I find nothing, not one line, that would suggest Jesus might sympathize or support abortion. Instead, I am convinced that he would welcome those who had abortions and tell them, "go, and sin no more." To the pregnant, perhaps a warning about harming "the little ones..." and a command to raise up the child in the fear of God, always trusting upon Him to see her through the difficulties of life. Or he might suggest an adoption. That the child is unwanted or unloved is irrelevant. The ends do not justify the means. The same with the extremely rare case of a child conceived out of rape or incest. The circumstances of a child's conception do not negate his worth in the eyes of God. And finally, for cases of a mother's life being in danger, well, as compassionate as it may seem on the surface, the philosophical implications are grave. For then one is choosing one life over another based on value. That is a road straight down.
Jesus would never suggest or condone the murdering a child. That is blasphemous.

Homosexuality

"There is only the community of humankind to which all of us belong - all God's children in all our beautiful variety." This includes the full gamut of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and any new variation blown in on the media winds.

"Currently, there is a stampede to pass laws and constitutional amendments to "defend marriage and traditional values" from gay and lesbian people by denying legal protection for their basic civil rights as Americans. We predict these laws will be viewed by generations to come as the Jim Crow laws of the 21st Century, and great will be our shame in the eyes of those generations."

The point must be simply stated. Civil rights based on gender or race, both unchosen, is in no way comparable to a sexual deviation or practice. Indeed it is neither in the same category, nor is it relevant.

"The sad fact is that, in every age and culture where a group of 'unclean, sinful others' has been identified, those outsiders become objects of fear and oppression. For example, in Jesus' day, lepers had to travel in packs, beg for food, and shout the warning 'Unclean! Unclean!' as they moved about, so no one would get near them. Today, extremists have identified gays and lesbians as the 'dangerous others' we must fear. It is said that they have an agenda to "attack the family" and that a committed relationship between a gay or lesbian couple is an 'attack on marriage.'"

Strange. I always thought lepers were unclean. Have we forgotten the medical values of quarantine. It is for the good of everyone. Jesus ministered to them, but he did not tell them to blend with the general population unless he healed them and they submitted to an examination by the priests. The isolation of inflicted individuals was an Old Testament law. One ought to fear those who by their actions knowingly or not, undermine the social structure and break down the marriage institution as ordained by God. It does not follow that gays or lesbians should be quarantined, but as long as they persist in their sin, they cannot enter fully into the fellowship of other Christians nor can they contribute to the greater good of society.

"Murder. Rape. Bestiality. The destruction of the nation. It's terrible to even think about these things, and civil rights for gay and lesbian people are in the very same list of evils. It's enough to frighten anyone - until the rhetoric is exposed under the revealing light of truth."

Sodomy. Deviation. Perversion. The destruction of the nation. Look at Greece. Look at Rome. Look at America. "until the rhetoric is exposed.....truth." Well, what is the revealing light of truth??? Christian Alliance does not say. Because there is nothing to say.

Christian Alliance strongly believes that sexual perversion and sin are gifts. God's uniqueness working itself out in the lives of those who practice such things. No theological evidence, no Scriptural teaching, nothing in the Bible supports this. It is, a lie of the devil, embraced by those who would not call sin, sin. Damnation awaits.

Stated goal

"We believe all these values were central to the life and wisdom of Jesus. He came to teach us and show us how to live in a way that would bring the beloved community, the kingdom of God here on earth. The beloved community was so important to Jesus that he worked to establish it despite the clear risk to his own life. Living these values requires hard work. But it is in living values out that the beloved community, the kingdom of God, is established. The result of it is called Shalom, the well-being and wholeness of all. This is what the word "Peace" means. And, it is our most closely held dream and hope for the world."

This seems at odds with "my kingdom is not of this world" and "I come to bring a sword" and "take up your cross" and "the world will hate you for My name's sake." Christian Alliance has fallen into the oldest lie, "you can become like gods" that is, you can create a heaven on earth. The Enlightenment tried this. Revolutions and regimes tried this to the cost of hundreds of millions of lives. Social Darwinists, social gospel, scientific methods of regulating society, and so on tried. All failed. What happened to the Christian acting as salt and light on this earth but seeking to advance the kingdom of heaven?

A strong and bitter dose of Biblical theology, orthodox teaching, and discipline might improve their vision. But one is tempted to remember the words found in Romans 1:18-28. Verse 32 offers their end: "Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Destination:

Being an organization, Christian Alliance for Progress has their corporate headquarters in Circle Six, reserved for heretics. In seeking a kingdom on earth, they pay no heed to the soul's eternal destination. This hints at a denial of immortality. "Who make the soul die with the body," Dante places in this circle.

Branch offices and individuals affiliated with this organization will reside in Circle Seven, reserved for the blasphemers, murderers, and sodomites, and Circle Eight, reserved for falsifiers, sowers of division, and those practicing fraudulent rhetoric.