Pastors: Christian government not Jesus’ cause

By Heidi Cenac, The Independent-Mail, (Anderson, South Carolina), February 10, 2007

Some people read the Bible and some people use the Bible.

Local ministers and religious experts are concerned that Christian Exodus might be the latter. Despite its name’s connotation, Christian Exodus identifies itself as a massive voter-mobilization effort.

The group says it wants to move thousands of Christian conservatives to South Carolina to reestablish constitutionally limited government founded on Christian principles. So far, Christian Exodus has moved less than 20 families to the Upstate.

Tom Ritchie, pastor at Young Memorial Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, said he has difficulty finding scripture that suggests Christians should take over government. The marriage between fundamentalist religion and political parties is nothing new, but few movements are as overt about their plans as Christian Exodus, Mr. Ritchie said.

"I think it’s pretty tragic and pretty frightening stuff," he said. "If the people of Anderson allow it to happen, we probably get what we deserve."

Christian Exodus expects members to agree with a statement of faith, but says it is not planning to create a theocracy.

According to its Web site, the group shares the basic tenants of the Christian faith: the belief in one God that exists in three entities as God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit; recognition of Jesus as the son of God; and salvation by faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Their religious and political views combine in that Christian Exodus believes human rights are God-given and government’s sole purpose is to secure those rights.

Those in conservative Christian circles are worried about Christian Exodus’ implication that the church should use the power of the state to enforce biblical morality, said Dan Olinger, a professor in the seminary at Bob Jones University in Greenville.

"We want to be good citizens and participants, but we’re not really interested in using the iron fist of the law to compel people to everything Christians should do," Mr. Olinger said.

Theological conservatives would say that people can’t be good unless God is working in their lives. Enforcing morality might have some social benefits, but it doesn’t change the person, Mr. Olinger said.

Christian Exodus also reminds some people of post-millenialism, a philosophy that says Jesus’ second coming will happen when the church takes over the world and runs it.

Most Christians instead believe that God alone is in charge of the second coming, Mr. Olinger said.

The Middle Ages were proof enough that even Christian ruling groups are almost always corrupted by power, said Bob Marcaurelle, interim pastor at Mountain Springs Baptist Church in Piedmont.

"When Christianity becomes the government, the question is whose Christianity?" the Rev. Marcaurelle asked.

He says the best approach to changing government is encouraging individual Christians to stand up for their rights under the constitution the same as anyone else.

After all, they are followers of the ultimate revolutionary.

Both the Old and New Testaments teach Christians about creating a counter-culture within society, Mr. Ritchie said.

'There have been many efforts to claim Christ as the champion of our political efforts," Mr. Ritchie said.

"My hunch is that Jesus is more interested in how we take care of the poor, the hungry, those without health care, those left out of so much of the abundance of our culture," he said.

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