"U Can't B a Christian and B ProChoice"

I read this bumper sticker this morning on a car as I walked to my bus stop. I've tried to preserve the spelling from memory. This really angered me as a believer. I am not going to comment on pro-choice or pro-life. What angers me is the association of being a Christian and a specific political point of view.

When I read explanations of the Gospel in the Bible, whether in John 3, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians 2, etc., the gospel is always pretty simple. The best known verse of the bible is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Paul puts it in Romans 10:9 as "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Interestingly, there is no reference made to one's political views in deciding who is a Christian, at least according to Jesus and Paul. Political views have no impact on one's salvation or standing before God. Politics is not part of the gospel!

If one puts one's faith in Jesus to save him or her, he or she is saved. So the conditions to be a Christian are

1. faith.
   

Stop! Hold it! Whoa! Go no further! End of list! That's it! Faith. Not faith and certain political views. Jesus did not say, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him, votes Republican, opposes abortion rights for women, and opposes gay marriage legalization shall not perish but have eternal life." Yet many brothers and sisters appear to believe that is what He said. They insist on adding conditions on being a Christian, as the author and presumably buyer of this bumper sticker is doing.

They go beyond what Jesus said. They effectively put words in Jesus' mouth. These brothers and sisters are following the well-worn path of the Pharisees, who insisted on adding rule upon rule to the rules God gave in the Law. The last time I checked, Jesus didn't seem overly impressed with the Pharisees, so why are these brothers and sisters following their example? To go beyond what Jesus said is to believe didn't fully understand what He was teaching. Do these people really think they have a better understanding of Christianity than Jesus? If we believe Jesus knew what He was talking about, then we must humble ourselves and accept what He said, and if He chose to not include political views in His definition of salvation, then why should anyone else?

Does faith impact one's political views? Certainly. I'm not saying there isn't a "right" view on some political issues from a Christian point of view. But holding a "wrong" view on some political question does not invalidate one's faith, and if one has faith one is a Christian plain and simple.

To those who would put words in Jesus' mouth and redefine Christianity and salvation for the sake of their political agenda, I quote these words of warning.

"But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say...must be put to death." (Deut 18:20, NIV)

"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book." (Rev 24:18, NIV)

God is not too pleased with people who put words in His mouth or add to what He has said.