Thou Shalt Not Reinvent Truth

LETTER: THOU SHALT NOT REINVENT TRUTH [Excerpts]

Approximately 50 evangelical leaders have co-signed a letter calling on their liberal counterparts to recognize their misguided, unbiblical beliefs. 

According to Christian apologist Kelly Kullberg, who authored the letter, so-called progressive evangelical leaders are coopting the Christian faith to promote someone else's political agenda.

They use biblically sounding terms like "creation care" for climate change, "free will" for the right to choose an abortion, and "love" to justify homosexual marriage.

A casual search of liberal denominations finds church websites sprinkled with words such as "social justice" and "inclusive," with little or no mention of the gospel message of sin, redemption, and salvation.The letter from the American Association of Evangelicals calls out Jim Wallis of Sojourners, and Richard Cizik of the New Evangelical Partnership, by name, alleging that people who actually hate Christianity are manipulating the Church to push their causes. 

"They need to stop using Bible words to fool us," Kullberg says of her left-wing brethren, "and they need to stop taking dark money from wicked men like George Soros."

Kullberg writes that many "social justice" campaigns are politically crafted and not true Gospel. She knows, she says, because she was part of it.

Farther west, down in the Bible Belt, University Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, Miss. made headlines last year when it was booted from a Baptist association for welcoming open homosexuals as members.

The church's website, meanwhile, states that it seeks to "proclaim the gospel of Christ," to "love and encourage one another," and "live in peace."

Bishop Harry Jackson signed the letter. He says some are being deceived.

"It's very easy to feel as though you're being salt and light," he warns, "when actually you're being coopted."

But he says some of the leaders know they are leaving the orthodox faith behind when they mix liberal politics with conservative Christianity.

"The progressive movement has really mixed and mingled some of these absolutes," says Jackson, "with some of the gray areas, and they come out with a murky theology."

(Steve Jordahl, "Letter: Thou shalt not reinvent Truth," OneNewsNow Online, 9/29/16)

[TBC: See also "The Shameful Social Gospel" from the September 2008 newsletter]