Steve Camp rebuttal

I hesitate to discuss this because I don't want to provide additional publicity for former CCM artist Steve Camp's recent essay against Justice Sunday. However, I've seen it mentioned on a couple of other blogs, so I guess it's out there.

Justice Sunday is an effort by Christian leaders to challenge people from various religious backgrounds to put pressure on the U.S. Congress to vote up or down on President Bush's judicial appointments, as the Constitution requires of them. This voting is something the Senate has done faithfully throughout our nation's history, until this current body of Democrats decided to lay their bodies in the road because they want the courts stacked with judges who make up law themselves rather than rule on the law given us by the Legislative and Executive branches, our representatives.

At it's crux, Camp's objection is that in this effort, Protestants are allying themselves with Catholics and other sects who teach false doctrine. He thinks our ability to work together on a political cause in spite of our theological differences represents an abandonment of "the Great Commission" (evangelism). He also claims this is a move of postmodernism within the church.

This is really misguided thinking.

For one thing, this has nothing to do with Postmodernism. (Read Francis Schaeffer, as equally against postmodern thinking as he was in favor of social action.)

Secondly, justice is really important to God, and it's appropriate and right that it be really important to us, too. If that sounds like a weird thing to say, read the prophets.

"Woe to you, scribes and parish's, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." - Jesus (Matthew 23:23)

Ironically, one of Steve Camp's albums was entitled JUSTICE.

We know from Scripture that governments are delegated authority from God to execute justice. Paul goes as far as to call the governing authorities "ministers of God." Government is God's institution. It is perfectly appropriate that Christians be involved in the process -- especially in governments "of the people." (In fact, if you aren't involved politically in the United States, you're really neglecting one of the ministries God has given you.)

But don't be confused. The ministry of governance is not the ministry of evangelism. They are not interchangeable, and one cannot substitute for the other. And contrary to popular belief, "the Great Commission" has never been the Christian's only commission. Jesus said, "teach them to obey all that I have commanded you." That implies there are other commands beyond just the command to evangelize.

Evangelism, contrary to what many Christians claim, is clearly not the solution on issues of justice. Evangelists don't incarcerate people. They don't protect the rights of citizens, or bear the sword to punish criminal acts. That's the ministry of government.

Also, when the government starts viewing good as evil and evil as good, it's not doing what God commissioned it to do. At that point, it is especially important that Christians step up to the plate and be "salt and light" in the situation. (If we refuse to, who do we suppose is going to?)

Be discerning! Don't lose sight of the big picture. We're trying to put pressure on the Senate to do what's right regarding justice. We're not pushing for a state church. We're not combining into a monolithic religion. We're not saying we agree with everyone on matters of faith. We're not abandoning the ministry of evangelism.

But what we are saying is, when it comes to something like abortion, if you're against judges stripping away all rights from a class of human beings based on age and location, we, as followers of Christ, will work with you on that, even if we think you're all wet doctrinally. And we'll do so with clear consciences. Such an action represents no lack of faithfulness to the Gospel on our part. It's a good work. (For Pete's sake, if we were forbidden from endeavors with people who are doctrinally wrong, most of us would have to quit our jobs!)

If we get just one more activist justice on the Supreme Court who doesn't limit himself to the meaning of the words of our Constitution and laws, prepare for a cultural earthquake from which we may never recover.

What Dobson and company are doing, in my estimation, is very God-honoring.

If you haven't done so already, call your Senators (phone numbers), regardless of their stated position, and tell them that you want them to adhere to our Constitution and have an up or down vote on all judicial nominees, as the Senate has always done.