After the president's recent press conference, one of the primary criticisms leveled against him was for his belief in God. Now many people in today's society will claim a belief in God, but they reserve the right to define God and the extent of their belief. According to them, one of the most dangerous forces in today's society is somebody who not only believes in God, but also incorporates that belief into their daily actions.
Pundits claim it is fine for the president to acknowledge God, but to pray daily and seek guidance is fanatical and dangerous. Critics and Journalists such as Andy Rooney from CBS' 60 Minutes, Tom Shales of the Washington Post, and Frank Rich of the New York Times have all denouced as lunatics someone that believes they can know God personally.
Tonight, PBS' Frontline -- NY TImes review will air a documentary called "The Jesus Factor" ( I will try to watch some of this. If you see it, let me know what you thought) which it claims will show how religion affects President Bush's decisions. I have not seen it, so I don't know how it will portray the topic, but I am concerned at the overall message from the media -- "Religion is fine as long as it doesn't affect your life."
The overwhelming criticism of "The Passion of the Christ" by most mainstream movie critics was that it was too faithful to Scripture.
John Kerry assures us that he is religous (Roman Catholic) but that he does not allow religion to affect his daily life (abortion policies).
What can we do in the public debate on this issue? We can stop withdrawing from the debate entirely. We can tell the world what we believe and why. Don't be afraid to write a letter to the editor or an article detailing a Christian's thoughts or beliefs on a topic. Be positive instead of negative. In other words, instead of simply attacking issues or people for how wrong or bad they are, point out what Scripture says and why it is important. Christians are know for what we are against, but can't we tell people what we stand for and why we believe?
Continuing to withdraw from the public discourse or even the world does not protect or shelter us from the evil, it also shelters people from the truth that we know.