Comments on: Election Year Musings

By: WALTER PRITZLAFF

WALTER PRITZLAFF — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 16:36:44 +0000

Wow! My prayer is that God will forgive me for the many ways I demonize those with whom I disagree, whether it be in political beliefs, philosophy, theology or even sports or food preferences.
Thank you Philip, for “The Jesus I never Knew.” Coming from a “christian” background that practiced hate and indifference in the name of “love,” it, along with Paul Young’s “The Shack,” has greatly influenced my attitude towards Jesus, the Christ.
As to the rest of you hypocritical, bigoted, awful, evil comment writers…God loves you too, even though I personally may sometimes have difficulty in doing so.

By: Elsa C

Elsa C — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 04:12:45 +0000

Hello Philip, 8 years ago when I was still living in China, I bought your book What is so amazing about Grace! Right now I am reading The Jesus I never knew. Thank you for sharing your journey with God with so many of us ! The reason for reading this book is because I feel from what has happened during this year, the Jesus I know for 13 years looks so different as some Christians represent Him. I never imagine to be a Christ follower is so complicated. Our last pastor came from South Africa. He never allowed us to talk about politics in church. So I was protected and very ignorant of the whole political situation in the Christian community. But this year our new pastor taught in church and on Facebook how Christians should vote: the three things: abortion, same sex marriage and Israel. Then there are posts on church’s Facebook about how dangerous Biden is because he supports abortion and LGBTQ. A brother in church who keeps calling COVID the China virus taught on Facebook how to vote in a biblical way. Of course you know what it means. Republicans are exalted in church. I am a Christian for 13 years. I never question God’s teaching on life, marriage and Israel. But the Bible also teaches not to lie, not to cheat on tax, to care for the well-being of the poor, take care the fatherless and widows, justice, social equality, love and respect, to unify not to divide, etc. Why those three things become the only standard to vote! ? Christians around say Democrats are evil, none of them shall go to heaven. All good Christians should vote republicans. As for those political leaders who claim to be Christians, I just want to ask I don’t see any fruits of the Holy Spirit in them. Jesus says we know the tree by it’s fruits. And what is in the heart comes out of the mouth. Where is love? Where is humility? where is justice? Where is kindness? Where is self control? Where is morality? I really wonder why those three things can be the only baseline for Christians to vote. I am also curious about those so called prophets who still say Trump will win. If Trump does lose, will the prophets come to repent before God for misleading and stumbling the people? If God was only about those three things and politics, I did not really want to follow a God like that. I believe our God is much much much much more! I have cried so much for this nation. We are going through such a difficult time with so many lives lost, families broken and people unemployed. God says if my people who are called by my name, pray and repent and turn away from their wicked ways, I will hear their prayer and heal this land. I hold on to God’s word. We should repent. Seems like we don’t like this word a lot. I ask myself because I need to repent first. As a Christian, which means little Christ, am I representing Jesus to others? At least to my husband and my son and those who think differently. I read some posts people said they lost their faith in God. I can understand it very well. But thank God we still have His word and the Holy Spirit who can reveal to us a true God. I used to watch a lot of sermons on line. Now I only read the Bible and do a small Bible study with a trustworthy friend and pray. Going back to God directly and individually instead of through anyone else is the right thing to do. In the last days there will be false teachers and prophets. So better to go back to truth Himself! May those who seek God earnestly hear from Him and be encouraged, strengthened and restored. May God use what has happened to test and refine our faith in Him! When man fails, God never! God bless!

By: Greta H

Greta H — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 17:33:28 +0000

A fellow Christian who shares my horror at “Evangelicals” supporting Trump sent me a link to this article. Thank you. I will never again call myself an Evangelical. Character of the person you vote for DOES matter–not just the political party views. My faith has been severely challenged by the hypocrisy of people calling themselves Christians & praising Trump. How are you opposed to all abortions & see nothing wrong with Trump calling Covid a hoax resulting in so many deaths that could have been avoided. How have so-called Christians come to believe America should only have policies that agree with their personal beliefs? Talk about elitist! The end does not justify the means. Now that’s been abandoned by so-called Christians. I started to read some comments & felt my blood pressure rising, so I stopped. At least I’m not the only one who hasn’t abandoned what it meant to be a Christian when I was saved. I can’t imagine non-believers looking at Evangelicals today & being drawn to the Gospel. I know those in my family are now completely turned away.

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 03:43:58 +0000

In reply to Dan Kraemer. Have you really read this article? I have no idea what you're referring to. Philip

By: Dan Kraemer

Dan Kraemer — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:17:59 +0000

In God’s view, on a scale of 1 to 10, how moral is Philip Yancey and Mark Galli? They make the claim that there are morally superior to President Trump. They sound like Pharisees to me. Hard to believe that some Christians don’t understand the basic tenant of Christianity that nobody is righteous, not even Philip and Mark. Please stop teaching your false perverted doctrine. Most Christians can spot false teachers a mile away. Anyway, you have your wish with an abortion-loving Biden as President. How moral is that?

By: Leora Winter

Leora Winter — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 17:58:48 +0000

It gives me comfort and hope to read your calm, non-partisan articles on the current political climate in the United States, and also to read several of the thoughtful comments your readers have left here.

I am agnostic, but grew up in the evangelical church, and this year it has disheartened me greatly to see several of my friends and family members (and even entire churches) go either “full woke” or completely jump aboard “train Trump” (both for equally well-intentioned reasons) in some cases to the point where they are openly demonizing and scapegoating those on the opposite side, even though it seems clear to me all Christians are motivated by essentially the same values.

But while I do find it maddening, I have come to recognize that I cannot judge them. Living in the most powerful empire the world has ever known, Americans are also facing the most sophisticated propaganda machines the world has ever known:

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2020/10/07/us-politics-isnt-polarized-its-in-almost-universal-agreement/

Anyway, as an anarchist, I so resonate with what you have said here:

“We were not put on earth to be part of the power structure. We were put on earth to demonstrate how God wants us to live. If people judge us, or we are persecuted for our stance—well, that too is the Jesus way. He was persecuted, indeed he was executed for not kowtowing to the religious or governmental authorities.”

Thanks again for your articles.

By: Brenda Russell

Brenda Russell — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:29:14 +0000

I hope it’s not too late to comment here. My church is considering your book for a January Bible study, so I’m researching Mr. Yancey’s writings when I came across this comment section. For what it’s worth, Christianity in America has been a useful tool for political manifestos since before the US became a country. The idea that you were your father’s child was an English proposition, but in America, the children followed the mother. This became quite useful when slaveowners impregnated their slaves so they could literally procreate their economic base. Then slaveowners used the Bible to ‘encourage’ their slaves to be obedient, casting Biblical references about slaves into the lexicon of American economic structure. That was followed by allowing for slaves to have churches, but not allowing people to sit together. When Richard Allen and others tried to pray in Philadelphia, the white church leaders demanded they get off their knees and leave the church, which led to the AME church founding. When lynchings were held throughout this country, they were held after church as picnics, so whites could attend and partake with their friends and family. When MLK was imprisoned in Birmingham and wrote a letter to his church leader brethren, they (all white) took him to task for not being humble enough. He was not going about this the right way, even though he had never condoned a moment of violence and all the violence was directed against him. So 5 months later when 4 little girls were killed on a Sunday morning at a Birmingham church bombing, the silence continued. When a half-black, half-white man who came to Christ as a young adult, married in the church and fathered two children rose to become a political leader and seek the highest position in the country, his name—chosen by his parents–signaled that he was Muslim. When 9 churchgoers in SC prayed with a white man who joined them for prayer who later turned his gun on them and killed them, this political leader attended the funeral of the church leader whom he actually knew. At that funeral, he sang a full throated Amazing Grace acapella without a note and tears flowed for the loss of life. Healing began because he shared that he felt our pain.
Nevertheless, the person who eventually succeeded him continues to posit that he was un-American, not Christian and did not espouse American values to protect ‘our American way of life’.

So, today, on the eve of an election to decide whether “Christians” will vote for a 4-year extension of the current president or choose what’s behind door number 2, we have to ask ourselves the real question.

Who does Christ say that we are?

By: Roy Stafford

Roy Stafford — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 13:45:05 +0000

When I was young my hero’s in history were, Muir, Thoreau, and Henry Beston, Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey
In todays crumbling American society my overriding concern now is for truth and justice and if the next few years do not see a change in this country and other world governments this planet will be finished. The climate crisis is being totally ignored in this election by this president who has fought against all scientific fact. Science is telling us that this pandemic has its roots in environmental changes. How many deaths do you think we will see from the future of fires, floods, and storms?

By: Carla Vornheder

Carla Vornheder — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 04:51:47 +0000

I stand against most of the things one of our candidates supports. Then, I look at the other candidate, and I can’t convince myself that he would be much better. So, I prayed and asked God to tell me how to vote. I won’t tell you what the answer was, but it surprised me. I did this once before a couple of years ago, concerning a race for sheriff. The answer then also surprised me. All my family were alarmed that I would vote this way. I don’t know that it’s the best way, but the sheriff that I voted for has performed rather admirably in that office for many years now. I have to get in a neutral place before I pray about this, a place in my heart where I am willing to believe whatever God’s answer might seem to be.

By: Frank Gannon

Frank Gannon — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:21:56 +0000

I do not know who wrote this, but it is so beautifully written and true, people need to hear it…

I am not voting for a man. I am voting for the principles for which this country has stood since its founding. I am voting for Constitutional government. I am voting for a strong and viable military. I am voting for a vibrant economy. I am voting for the right to keep and bear arms. I am voting for the freedom to worship. I am voting for a national recognition of the founding of our nation on Biblical principles. I am voting for the ability for anyone to rise above their circumstances and become successful. I am voting for my children and grandchildren to be able to choose their own path in life, including how and where their children are educated. I am voting for our borders to be open to everyone who enters under our law and closed to everyone who would circumvent or ignore the law. I am voting for the Electoral College to remain in place, so that a few heavily populated liberal centers do not control the elections. I am voting for a Supreme Court that interprets the Constitution rather than rewrites it. I am voting to teach history, with all its warts, not erase it or revise it. I am voting for the sanctity of life from conception to birth and after.
Now, my comments-
However, I will be voting against those who tried to subvert our last election and staged a coup to get rid of our duly elected President.
Our Presidents are not perfect. They are not Messiahs. If we were electing a Messiah, I would vote for Jesus.
Until then, I will vote for the person/group whom I think will keep our country intact until there arises that perfect person your readers desire. I see many well meaning people in these comments who will vote for a Marxist/leftist group who have historically murdered and oppressed these same believers.
I find that hard to understand.