This might make some people upset, but I feel I need to say it. I received a link by e-mail to a website in which the author of the painting above gave his thoughts on his work. While it is a very beautiful work, is extremely well done, full of historical references and figures, the subject of the painting sends a very bad theological message. As you can no doubt see, the figure in the center is Jesus, holding up a copy of the United States constitution. To the right are politicians, judges, and college professors holding their heads in shame for bringing the country toward socialism, as the author explains on his website. To the left, are farmers, school teachers, doctors, and an immigrant (The alarming thing about that is the artist adds some strange commentary explaining that the immigrant may not be a Christian. He does not call into question the faith of the mother, the farmer, or the doctor, however.). Behind Jesus stands countless historical American figures such as George Washington, Ulysses Grant, General Eisenhower, Thomas Jefferson, etc. Each of them invaluable assets to our country's history. So where is the problem? The problem is that the author is sending the message that God is an American, Republican, capitalist. The author believes our constitution was inspired by God and that America is God's chosen country. This is incredibly wrong. While God may have blessed America over the years in allowing us to experience unprecedented prosperity, that does not mean we are a special people. While we may have a high concentration of Christians in our country, we still should not assume that what is best for us is God's will.
When our country was founded, our founding fathers, like the rest of the European world, held a predominantly Christian sense of ethics. While most of our ethics were in line with Christian teaching, the founding fathers themselves were of dubious spiritual state. A few were devout Christians, to be sure, and I thank God for them, but most were Enlightenment secularists who were influenced by the philosophies of Renaissance philosophers. The separation of church and state was there from the beginning; they never wanted a theocracy. They knew that for religion to thrive and remain pure, it must not have any governmental influence. The way the country was expanded was definitely not in line with Christian morality. I find it hard to accept, the way our forefathers treated the Indians: conquering, taking away their land, putting them on reservations, breaking their promises to them. That is not what Christ would have us do.
The way the painting portrays us as being God's special people, is not in line at all with scripture (the Jews are God's people, actually). God is not an American, nor is he a Republican or Democrat. God is not a socialist or a capitalist. God is the one "who gives and takes away." Read the Old Testament and see that God raises up nations and brings them down. God even blesses and uses pagan nations like Assyria and Babylon. Just because we are materially wealthy, should we assume that means God is on our side. Most of us sit comfortably in our easy chairs, watching tv, driving our expensive cars, going to our churches that resemble rock concerts, considering ourselves persecuted when people laugh at our Christian t-shirts while the rest of the world lives in poverty, dying of AIDS, never hearing the gospel of Christ. America is a great country that has undoubtedly been blessed, but if we are blessed, we should bless the other nations. As a Christian, I cannot divide people into categories. We cannot try to fit God into our political agendas. Why? Because the desires of men are sinful. Political agendas serve selected interests. My job as a Christian is to reach the world with the message that Christ came to save sinners. I cannot attach myself to a political ideology. God loves the people in Iraq, Kenya, Cambodia, Ecuador, and Germany just as much as he loves us Americans. To connect Christianity to being an American is wrong. If we do that, we shall no doubt see Americans continue to trust in their nationality, rather than Christ.
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