For many decades, Christianity Today has been recognized as the most prominent and influential magazine of the evangelical community. Therefore, it is surprising to find an article in the May edition entitled “Blessed are the Courageous,” which suggests that courage is one of the beatitudes, when it is not.
In fact, we need not look far to find unsavory characters that were courageous. Hitler, Stalin, and Moa Tse Tung, though all mass murderers, were courageous in that they embarked on endeavors that if lost, as in the case of Hitler, would cost their lives. Therefore, courage is not in and of itself blessed by God.
The central character in the Christianity Today story is portrayed as showing courage in a far more noble endeavor. Maria is a Guatemalan girl whose benign desire was to “work in the United States for only two years, then return home to her family.” In her attempts to cross the Mexican border, she suffered greatly, as the story describes in detail, to include mugging by bandito gangs, running out of food and water in the desert, apprehension by U.S. Border Patrol, and attempted rape.
The writer conveys that it is especially tragic that such hardship would fall on Maria since she is a very spiritual young lady. Asked what she would tell God if she could spend fifteen minutes with Him, she responds that she is not limited to fifteen minutes because God is with her all the time. However, if restricted to fifteen minutes, her interview would overflow with gratitude. We are put to shame by the spiritual depth of this young woman who has suffered so much and yet is so grateful.
The objective of the story is to frame Maria as a heroine for her efforts to enter the United States illegally. This explains the title: “Blessed are the Courageous,” which draws the reader to focus on Maria’s courage so that we might be distracted from one of the genuinely biblical beatitudes, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.”
The article never mentions that Maria suffered because she was attempting to commit a crime, cross the border illegally. And somehow her spirituality, her close walk with God, does not include this issue of a righteousness that would prevent her from breaking the law.
This brings us to a deeper reason why Christianity Today bent Scripture. Their tendency is toward exaggerating the biblical role of grace and ignoring the biblical teaching on righteousness. For them the fact that Maria’s actions were unrighteous matters not at all. Consequently, they have rewritten the beatitudes to fit their theology.
However, an even deeper motive is at work here. Christianity Today has a passion for presenting itself as respectable to the secular liberal intellectual community. Therefore, it must constantly distance itself from conservative causes.
Emphasizing grace at the expense of righteousness is one manifestation of this. Taking a liberal slant toward illegal immigration is another. Another article in the May edition is entitled, “The ACLU Is Not Evil.” The liberal intellectual community will be proud.
If Christianity Today would make its ultimate objectives to please God and to be biblical, this might begin an evangelical reformation.
Today the president of Venezuala was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd in good old London. Aside from the general villianization of the U.S. that would be expected, his main message to the apparently oppressed people of the west was that of their victimization by capitalism (is their a century old echo in here somewhere?).
It is absolutely incredible that one such as the gentleman from Venezuala would be tolerated at all by thinking people. Of course, this is another manifest example of how we simply do not learn from history.
The portrait of the oppressed, virtuous, but poor citizen of Central America that Christianity Today paints for Mr. Average Christian in America to ponder is that of the unfortunate circumstances that the big mean bully (U.S.A.)has forced upon our lowly brethren to the south (and all around the wide globe). The conclusion is that the “courageous” thing to do is to stand up and not allow oneself to be intimadated by the big bully’s oppressive laws (or anybody’s laws, for that matter). The truly spiritual will assert themselves against any thing that would stand as a roadblock to them getting a fair share of the pie.
Mr. Chavez is also lauding this wonderful virtue of courage that is being expressed by Iran in their bold stand against the West. We should not be surprised if C.T. takes up their cause as well since it really can be viewed as a related issue. Big, bad bully capitalism wants to stay on top and keep anybody from developing the power that gives them some of their advantage. Now, these Iranians, they have a little bit different form of Socialism than the secular form being resusitated in South America. But hey, that’s their thing, at least they’re making a heroic stand against the great Satan; they can’t be all bad! Perhaps if they should succeed and one day make the world one big happy (Muslim) family, there might some second thoughts (but that’s their thing…).
America: the villian of the world. This can have quite a humble and “spiritual” ring to it. Remember “liberation theology??” Let’s get out those old textbooks and posters and get back to seminary! What do you want to bet that any church that hopes to survive in Venezuala starts singing those old hymns?
As a Christian, let’s get real. The government is not in the role of God (except in places like Iran, but that’s a different God altogether). It’s not in place to be the great benefactor to the world and to “see the good in everyone…” The government is set up to protect and preserve the freedom of its own people. The reality of the global situation is one of insanity and corruption and absolute greed on the part of one people group against another. There has never been a more benevalent and gracious people in history than America and its representative government, not even anything close! Human nature is never satisfied and that goes for human nations, as well.
No one that has inferiority of advantage in relationship to us will ever be happy with the situation. But we better be able to maintain what is rightfully ours and defend against all threats, OR WE WILL LOOSE WHAT WE HAVE.
This reality isn’t Christianity, it is the tragedy of human existance. The best that our government can do for Christianity is to remain strong and free, let Christians live their faith throughout the world. The best that Christianity (Today) can do for our government
is to support its right to be the great nation that it is: a nation of law and order and freedom for all of its citizens.