This post is part 21 of a series on Christian citizenship, and why I believe mixing Christian identity with American identity is bad for both. I hope to give you little bite-sized thoughts, which represent themes you'll find throughout the Bible and historic Christian teachings.
I hope they make you think.
Here's today's reason I want to live as a Christian in a multi-faith nation.
The first of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses (1517) states, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,' he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Luther believed, based on his reading of the Bible, that Jesus wanted people to turn to God out of a sincere inward faith.
Having an external human system “forcing” people to do religious activities, whether it be through religious groups, laws, or social pressure, actually makes it harder to have genuine faith and turn to God. We’ll never know if we’re doing it to satisfy others, or because of faith.
When Christians think back to some "golden age" when "everyone went to church", what we don't often take into account is that they did so under duress. There were negative social consequences for not participating in the Christian faith, so people did it whether they felt a sincere inward faith or not.
With the "end of Christendom," we see the Christian faith no longer operating hand in glove with secular powers. While this may be frustrating for Christians accustomed to being listened to and respected in the public sphere, it does come with an advantage: authenticity. Finally, you can participate in your faith tradition because you want to, not because you feel you have to. Nobody's forcing you to repent. If you do it now, it's because you truly feel Christ's call. This is the dream of many Christians throughout the years, including Luther: following Jesus as we feel called, because it's our own choice.
For more background information read this statement from the ELCA's presiding bishop, or learn about Christians Against Christian Nationalism.
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