Should We Bring the Bible into the Argument?

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We as Christians sometimes shy away from using Scripture in discussions about social and political issues, for fear that we may be seen as foolish, irrational, or "bible thumpers".  However, we need to ask ourselves if what is behind these fears is a belief that the Bible doesn't speak to the current political and social issues of our day!  The Bible is the word of the true and living God, and the fact that it is not accepted by many people in our culture does not negate its truth or applicability.

Rick Phillips has written a great article at Reformation 21, which I'd encourage you to read.  In it he states that Christians would do better to be more "militantly biblical" than to shy away from using biblical arguments in their discussions.   This needs to be done with gentleness and love, remembering that the message of the Bible is one of hope and redemption - for individuals and for nations.

This quote, from the above article, shows us the dangerous ground North American nations are treading on as we remove the Bible and Christianity from more and more areas of the culture:

It is precisely because the Bible has been excluded from public discourse that our nation is so aggressively pursuing a debauchery like that of the ancient Canaanites and is suffering a societal breakdown of, well, biblical proportions.  The only way to reverse this trend is to reassert the Bible's validity for both private and public moral standards.

In our Sunday School class yesterday, an interesting contrast was shown.  Alexis de Tocqueville, in his "Democracy in America", stated that in the 1800s before someone was allowed to serve on jury duty in the Unites States, they had to acknowledge a belief that Jesus was raised from the dead. You can see how far we've fallen when you consider that in 2005, a jury's decision on a rape and murder trial was thrown out because it was discovered that they considered Bible verses when discussing their decision.

There is often much compelling evidence to support the stances of Scripture, and we can use that as well.  But we must be sure that we are not making Scripture a secondary, or lesser supporting argument.

So today we want to encourage you to be bold.  Know what the Bible says regarding the political and social issues of our time, especially the topics that come up often in your circles, and then don't be afraid to share how those truths shape your thinking!

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20)

Linked up at A Mama's Story, The Modest Mom, What Joy Is Mine,  Growing Home, Above Rubies,  Deep Roots At Home, Raising Homemakers, We Are That Family, Walking Redeemed, Graced Simplicity, Raising Mighty Arrows