31 July 2008

Guess who said it: best thing for America = "winning people to the Lord one at a time"

by Dan Phillips

Well, I did. But more significantly, this comes from Tony Perkins, president of an organization whose work I appreciate: Family Research Council.

What's more, Perkins
took the unusual step of telling his staff members not to come to work [Monday] in Washington, but rather to take part in a day of prayer and fasting for the nation. The pro-family leader says many Evangelicals and "values voters" are discouraged because there is not one presidential candidate who clearly lines up with their values and beliefs.

"While we need to be involved in shaping public policy, just as we need to be involved in education or entertainment or any other realm of society, I think we have oftentimes placed our hopes on a political candidate in hopes of being able to turn the nation back into the right direction," Perkins contends. "I think we're left only with the choice of returning to God and to Jesus Christ."
I'm trying to see how someone would find fault with that, and not succeeding. (Has he been reading Pyromaniacs?)

Dan Phillips's signature
PS: We don't see many things on "Out of Ur" that we can link to with hearty agreement, but here's an exceptional one, and it's right in line with Dan's post.
--PJ

8 comments:

CR said...

FRC is one of my favorite organizations to info. It's great that Perkins also appears to have the right mindset of priorities.

Solameanie said...

Back in the days when I was a radio news director and the Christian Coalition was new and forceful, I used to raise the caution of not forgetting our primary purpose — the Gospel. I said at the time that I was getting concerned about Christians spending so much time on politics that the proclamation of the Gospel seemed in danger of becoming an afterthought.

I got chided for it.

FX Turk said...

I don't want to gloat or anything, but, um, yeah.

When all else fails we try the Gospel? Doesn't this bother anyone?

I mean, yeah: he's right, and it's what I've been saying (and what I think Phil has been saying) for a while -- but his reasoning is that since nothing else worked, we have to go back to the beginning.

I don't thing the Gospel is the last thing we hould try. It's the first thing we should try on the sociological level.

Man, I have to get that series finished.

DJP said...

Only you and Phil have been saying that the Gospel is America's most fundamental need? Hm. /c:

I guess you could take it that way -- that he's saying nothing else works, so I guess we're stuck with the Gospel. Or you could take it that he's realizing that nothing else is as fundamental as the Gospel. Or you could take it that this isn't a new position for him, but he's taking the opportunity to stress it to everyone.

Or you could just say, "I totally agree, brother. Amen, preach it!"

FX Turk said...

yeah, but if I agreed I wouldn;t get to apparently gloat.

I have so few real pleasures in life, DJP. Please don;t rob me of this one.

DJP said...

I completely understand. My bad.

The jury will disregard my last comment.

donsands said...

It can be difficult to not lean on a decent candidate, who may work on getting decent judges, and so have a better supreme court, etc. etc.

People need to talk about how sin is sin, and people need Christ's cleansing blood, and the Holy Spirit's quickening.
And so then we have the privilege of worshipping the Father in Spirit and truth, which is what He demands.

Jared said...

Tony Perkins is a great guy who comes form a fantastic family. I grew up in Sunday School with his younger sister. I have seen him campaign here in Baton Rouge for Senator and, unfortunately, lose. I think he would be the first to affirm with DJP that he meant that the gospel is primary and that we should not feel like all is lost because the candidates all stink.

The candidates all stink every year. If we could get someone to stand up and say what many--Dan, Frank, Phil, Tony Perkins, and I even heard Alistair Begg on this recently--know is correct, that the gospel is the only means by which we can make a difference, that candidate would likely be hated by the heathens and the "religious Right" who hope to legislate morality.

How dare we believe that the simple preaching of the gospel and the living out of our faith will bring glory to God and be the best thing we can possibly do for our country.