The Christian Left E-Book

Lucas Miles

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 298

Beschreibung

The church has been invaded.   The Christian Left unveils how liberal thought has entered America's sanctuaries, exchanging the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the trinity of diversity, acceptance, and social justice. This in-depth look at church history, world politics, and pop culture masterfully exposes the rise and agenda of the Christian Left. Readers will learn how to: - identify and refute the lies of the Christian Left - uncover the meaning of love as Jesus defined it - navigate controversial subjects such as abortion, gender identity, and the doctrine of hell - gain confidence in upholding biblical values - come face-to-face with the person of Jesus, who is neither left nor right but the embodiment of truth and grace Equip yourself with a firm understanding of issues facing the church today and become empowered to elevate God's truth, justice, and wisdom. 

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The Christian Left: How Liberal Thought Has Hijacked the Church

Copyright © 2021 Good God, LLC

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978-1-4245-6215-2 (e-book)

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ENDORSEMENTS

The church is under siege at a doctrinal level. Leftists have invaded our sanctuaries and cathedrals, attempting to reframe the gospel to appease their distorted view of life and reality. The result is that many in the body of Christ are confused and ignorant of the truth. In The Christian Left, Lucas boldly addresses the problem head-on, calling out those in error and providing balance and love to help get us back on track. We need this book!

Abby Johnson

Former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director; Founder, And Then There

Were None and ProLove Ministries

While many have bravely addressed the disaster Marxism creates within the state, few have applied that same level of courage in calling out socialist dispositions dwelling in the pulpit. As a former pastor and conservative politician, I can attest that our nation’s churches need a voice like Pastor Lucas Miles’ to help cut through the sophistry of our clergy who have exchanged the gospel for an ideology that runs contrary to Christ. The Christian Left deftly captures the unique and subversive threat that Marxist thought poses to Christianity as well as to our great republic. Every Christian in America needs to read this book.

Mike Huckabee

Host, Huckabee on TBN; Former Governor of Arkansas

Christianity is in stark opposition to socialism, which is why the Left will never be satisfied until they have reduced the cross to kindling and the church to ashes. More than ever, believers need to be informed and fully persuaded. We need more books like The Christian Left to help us be just that.

Kevin Sorbo Actor; Director; Producer; Author

Lucas Miles is the humblest pastor I’ve ever met. His authenticity and genuine love for others is what elevates his ministry and this book beyond just being commentary on the condition of our culture. The Christian Left is a love letter to a wounded nation and to future generations whose knowledge of our history has been twisted! In these days of confusion and deep divide, Pastor Miles reminds us that only the truth of the gospel will bring us the clarity we so desperately need.

Stephen Baldwin Actor; Author; Evangelist

Lucas Miles masterfully explores the slow drip of theological malfeasance that can steadily seep into the hearts and souls of believers, many times without their knowledge. His exploration of this slow and steady erosion of truth—one that is brought about through a malignant eclipse of biblical orthodoxy by a tragically deficient ideology of the self—is an essential read for any believer attempting to understand what in the world is happening in our world.

Billy Hallowell Author & Journalist

As a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force (retired), I’ve seen firsthand how Leftist policies have endangered our soldiers and jeopardized our national security. But as Miles expertly points out, the fallout from the Left also extends into our houses of worship and ultimately into the moral fabric of the family. Filled with rich historical references, piercing truth, and faith-filled hope, The Christian Left is capable of illuminating the way out of the dark void of modern progressive culture.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert “Buzz” Patterson United States Air Force (Retired); White House Aide & Former Carrier of the Nuclear Football; Author, New York Times Bestseller Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America’s

National Security

The twilight of Christianity has taken most Christians by surprise, but the truth is, it’s been coming for a long time. The West has been living off the fumes of a vibrant Christian civilization for the last hundred years, and the tragedy is, the demise of the church has been an inside job. In his remarkable new book, The Christian Left: How Liberal Thought Has Hijacked the Church, Lucas Miles does a masterful job of diagnosing the problem and mapping out exactly how it happened. If you’re frustrated by the lack of influence of today’s church and unsure what to do about it, then this book is for you. The clock is ticking, and it’s time to act.

Phil Cooke, PhD

Filmmaker; Media Consultant; Author, Maximize Your Influence: How to Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry, and You

We’ve all seen how quickly socialist philosophies have worked their way into our American culture. But what many Christians fail to see is how quietly these mindsets have taken root in the church. Pastor Lucas systematically exposes the prevailing church doctrines that have contributed to a near pandemic of Christians embracing socialist thought and guides us to biblical solutions that will restore the church and save our country.

David and Jason Benham Best-selling Authors & Entrepreneurs

In his new book, Lucas pulls back the curtain on the Left’s nefarious attempt to commandeer the church and to rewrite the very foundation of Christian faith. As a pastor, author, and Christian media personality, Lucas is taking a great risk in blowing the whistle on their attempts—I commend him for undertaking this task and standing strong as a defender of the faith.

Mike Lindell CEO, My Pillow, Inc.

Lucas Miles pulls no punches in The Christian Left. No matter what side of the aisle you hail from, he delivers coherent, well-documented gut punches that help distill what it truly means to be a follower of Christ today.

Jennifer Taylor Actress, God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness

Pastor Lucas’ well-researched book, The Christian Left, points a firm but loving finger of biblical truth at the fallacies of the Left and the failings of the Right as they both attempt to define Christianity. Bound to push everyone’s buttons, Lucas offers sound Scripture-based solutions to the challenges pointed out in this amazing book!

Edgar Struble

Producer, God Bless the Broken Road; Music Director, The Academy of

Country Music Awards

As the Left continues to fabricate seemingly endless division and chaos, patriots and believers are no longer able to enjoy the luxury of staying silent or sitting on the sidelines. We must rise up in love and arm ourselves with the truth. In The Christian Left, Lucas Miles tackles faulty mindsets head-on and supplies an ocean of wisdom. We need more voices like Pastor Lucas Miles, willing to stand up for what they believe in.

Brandon Tatum

Former Arizona Police Officer; CEO, The Officer Tatum; Founder, TatumReport.com; Christian Speaker & Social Media Influencer

It’s no secret that socialism has gained a significant foothold within the Democratic Party, but less noticeable, and perhaps even more concerning, is the silent rise of a social gospel among left-leaning pastors and Christian leaders. In The Christian Left, Miles unleashes a brave bright light of biblical truth upon the latent Marxist ideology present within the four walls of the church.

Kevin McCullough Syndicated Radio Talk Host; Columnist; Author

The Christian Left is a fascinating read, exposing what the Left has done to erode the truth of Christianity and the American way. Lucas is one of many Paul Reveres crying out in the night. He is not crying “the British are coming,” but instead “the Marxists are coming.” We would all be wise to listen.

Brian Gibson Pastor, HIS Church

DEDICATION

Dear Madison, Jeremy, Claire, Meg, Reid, Elijah, Griffin, Elsa, and Elleah, I wrote this book for each of you. While you may not all be old enough to appreciate it for what it is now, my hope is that it helps ensure, even if in just some small way, that you are able to always enjoy a world where the gospel is celebrated and freedom still rings. I love you all. Uncle Lucas

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Note from the Author

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Trojan Horse

Chapter 2: Anchored to the Truth

Chapter 3: The Misguided Love of the Leftist

Chapter 4: Sovereignty and the Socialist Mindset

Chapter 5: The Three Temptations of the Church

Chapter 6: The Christian Cabal

Chapter 7: Vain Imaginations

Chapter 8: Is the Right Right?

Chapter 9: Discerning the Truth

Chapter 10: The Sacrifice of Love

Epilogue

Ways to Get Involved

Is Your Church Part of the Christian Left?

About the Author

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

I once heard a man say that “to be a leader is to be misunderstood.” Personally, I think this applies to authors as well. In writing this book, despite feeling a deep sense of purpose throughout the entire process, I’ve also felt the very realistic probability that there will be those who read The Christian Left and immediately label me a bigot, religious zealot, or legalistic fundamentalist. Those who know me, and especially those who have read my previous book, Good God: The One We Want to Believe In but Are Afraid to Embrace, are well aware that while I am many things, none of those titles fit.

With that said, I have a deep sense of compassion toward believers today (Left and Right) as they navigate life amid all of the pressures (both personal and political) that seem determined to shipwreck their faith and pull them to one party or the other. To those on the right, I suppose that you will find this book both challenging and refreshing. For my readers on the left, I’m certain some ideas contained within, especially if read in the wrong order, will lead to frustration and much judgment toward me.

For this reason, in the spirit of understanding, I’ve come to the conclusion that if, as a contrarian reader, you’re truly willing to give this book a fair shake, it is perhaps best read in a slightly different progression. For those who identify with labels such as Democrat, Liberal, Christian Left, leftist, Socialist, Christian Socialist, or Democratic Socialist, I would suggest first reading the final three chapters of the book beginning with “Is the Right Right?,” followed by “Discerning the Truth,” and then “The Sacrifice of Love” before circling back to the start of the book.

While I’m not certain that this will provide for the most cohesive reading, I do believe that it will best show that the spirit of the work is not simply to insult the Left or to create additional division lines across parties but rather to unite the church of the West, regardless of the direction her ballot leans, with the teachings of Jesus and the eternal Word of God. In the end, you may not agree with everything presented herein, but I trust that this direction shall give you the best chance of at least seeing a true picture of my intention.

Beyond this, the best I could hope for with this book is that it empowers Christians to bravely follow the Word of God in the face of any and all opposition, whether from friend or foe, and to see the vast opportunity that we still have left as the body of Christ, not simply to win the kingdoms of this world, but more importantly to inherit the kingdom of our God.

Lucas Miles

PROLOGUE

“In the next half century or so, Christianity’s long reign as the world’s largest religion may come to an end,”1 warned a 2017 Pew Research Center article addressing the decline of Christianity. It is clear the gospel is under siege. And nothing illustrates that more than Islam replacing Christianity, communism being on the rise,2 and socialism gaining traction among the next generation.3 The fact that more than 245 million Christians across the globe are living under almost constant threat of persecution further compounds this picture.4

Here at home, the situation doesn’t look much better. Stories of violent attacks on churches and synagogues, school shootings, and religiously hostile legal battles over baked goods populate our news feeds. The divide grows further as hate crimes against minorities and people of color increase while politicians, surrounded by special interest groups, sit in what seems like a perpetual stalemate either unable (or unwilling) to act positively on behalf of the American people.

“The religious landscape of the United States continues to change at a rapid clip,”5 cautions PewForum.org, citing a nationwide survey indicating a 12 percent decline in Christian adults in America. Combine this statistic with the increase of the “religiously unaffiliated,” or “none,” demographic (a group now equal in population in the United States to practicing Catholics), and church bells should be ringing across the country alerting all Americans that the gospel is under threat.

So how did a nation built upon Judeo-Christian values, ratified by a Declaration of Independence signed by over twenty-nine members of the clergy, and later established in a motto of “In God We Trust” arrive at the place where the future of the church is at stake and faith in Christianity is in potential disrepair? Certainly we could blame external factors such as the false application of the separation of church and state or the removal of prayer in schools. But I’d like to start by looking at a less obvious culprit: the church itself.

In an attempt to reach the consumer-driven culture of the ’80s and early ’90s, churches around the country began shifting their ministries to accommodate visitors in new and exciting ways. Steeples and stained glass were knocked over and removed. Pews were replaced with theater-style chairs. Sermons were shortened, Bible readings limited, and hymns retired and replaced with rock-and-roll songs about God all in an attempt to make church more accessible and entertaining to seekers and unbelievers alike. The movement, known as the “seeker-sensitive” model of church, drew an explosive number of new converts and changed the landscape of churches across America. But all this growth came with an unforeseen cost.

One Christian writer called it an “ideological collision”6 in which this new consumer style of church clashed with the deep-seated desire for authenticity within a rising postmodern culture. The result? Although many got saved, few, it seems, got discipled. Of course, everyone should have expected this outcome. How can one expect to mature in faith on only limited or watered-down teachings of Jesus? Once they recognized the damage, churches began shifting the church model to a more action-oriented form of worship with an emphasis on being the hands and feet of Jesus. This would later become known as the “social justice” gospel.

Feeding programs were reinvigorated to reach a new generation of immigrants. Church leaders reimagined neighborhood outreaches to minister to marginalized people groups and formed new digital efforts of ministry through the birth of social media. But instead of maintaining the gospel’s core teachings of repentance and forgiveness of sins, Sunday morning services soon summarized the teachings of Jesus simply as “feed the hungry,” “clothe the poor,”7 and “accept people who are different than you.”

This attempt to correct the religiosity and legalistic teaching of the previous generation once again exposed the church to additional injury: the adoption of left-leaning doctrines (such as universalism) and a deviation for the first time in recent history from the authority of Scripture. This plunge into leftist thinking didn’t happen overnight but incrementally gave way due to two critical factors. The first was a desire to depart from legalistic tendencies in order to mirror the inclusivity of Jesus’ gospel, and the second was born from a frustration in local evangelism efforts.

Most pastors wrongly concluded that they could accomplish a departure from legalism by introducing consumer-driven aspects of the seeker-sensitive model. They thought “make church more consumable and easier to digest, and more people can be saved.” But during the modernization of the form of the church, the function of the church also began to change, unintentionally distancing people from the value and purpose of core sacraments, such as the use of Scripture as the primary basis for understanding God, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

Arguably though, the church’s compassion and desire for results got it into the most trouble. Protests, community organizing, and government-sponsored initiatives were all evidence that the Christian Left identified a gap that existed between the needs of humanity and what the church currently offered. And they wanted to do something about it.

But instead of looking to Jesus and the Bible for answers, the emerging Christian Left began seeking a new bedfellow to increase the reach of its message: the state. Certainly this wasn’t the first time that the church and state interacted in America. Historically, the church in America has served as a shining light to the state. Prominent Christian leaders, like Billy Graham and Chuck Colson, counseled presidents and spoke to Congress. Local churches joined together to petition state leaders over issues like Roe v. Wade, and pastors throughout the centuries from Jonathan Edwards to Charles Spurgeon to Franklin Graham exhorted our country against sin and godlessness to ensure that America would remain “one nation under God.”

But as the state and the church became increasingly yoked together (as nonprofits like The Red Cross and The Salvation Army began seeking operational funds through the use of state grants), the former “one nation under God” quickly shifted into “one God under the nation.” Bare and lifeless nonprofit platforms, nearly antithetical in every way to Jesus’ instructions of making disciples, baptizing them, and “teaching them to obey everything [he has] commanded,”8 remained.

It was then that churches became increasingly fearful of accusations of intolerance and bigotry (or worse yet, the loss of their coveted 501c3 status) due to their biblical stances on emerging social issues. Teaching quickly steered away from the challenging words of Jesus like “repent” or “renew your mind” to more tolerable, positive, and easy to digest notions like “success” and “inclusivity.” Finally, like a piece of genetically engineered fruit, the new seedless church of the left became stripped of every ounce of offensive material—namely, the Word of God—leaving it completely incapable of reproducing life in the people it was meant to serve.

And with that, the church in America entered into the dark and divergent back alleys of postmodern doctrines like universalism, which offer no guide or direction, all while claiming, “Don’t worry. Pick any path you want. They all end up in the same place anyway.” Such thinking transforms the gospel from “believe, and you’ll belong” to “you belong, regardless of whether you believe.” And with that, the main goals of Christianity, evangelism and preaching the Word of God, become unnecessary and obsolete practices.

In a society where inclusion is the main objective, Christianity stands in stark contrast. For Jesus, relationship with God was never the choose-your-own-adventure story that the Christian Left would like for it to be. Instead, Jesus outlined a deliberate and solitary path that leads to righteousness.9 This only confirms the fears of the Christian Left regarding the message of Christianity: participation in the body of Christ (and, consequently, the church) is by nature exclusive; that is, it includes only those who have received the salvation that Jesus offers and have humbly submitted their lives to his lordship.

Ironically, however, the gospel (or good news) message Jesus preached is, and remains, extraordinarily inclusive; that is, Jesus’ offer of salvation extends to every person on the planet, regardless of race, gender, political party, or the sins of one’s past. As Paul so confidently affirmed, God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”10

So where does all of the confusion come from, and how is it that the Left is succeeding in convincing Christians that its postmodern (and in some cases post-Christian) message embodies the true teachings of Jesus? As we will come to see, this obfuscation of the gospel stems from the successful infiltration of leftist ideologies in the church, which if left unchecked will inevitably lead to the eventual radical takeover of Christian doctrine.

As the Left passively began challenging societal norms by moving away from commonly accepted Judeo-Christian values and substituting them with alternative progressive ideologies, it followed these activities up with an active silencing of Christian free speech and opinions in the marketplace. Then, by replacing previously held Christian viewpoints with pseudo-Christian speak and/or anti-gospel doctrines (i.e., salvation by works) this ultimately led to an aggressive, oftentimes legislated, and forced acceptance of a seemingly unified state “gospel.”

With so much at stake, one can’t help but wonder if our current times are the beginning of what Jesus questioned prior to his departure: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”11 And as the Left firms up its position within America’s denominations and a new generation of Americans emerges as the “least religious generation”12 of all time, could it be that the gospel of Jesus in America is in danger of eradication?

1Michael Lipka and Conrad Hackett, “Why Muslims Are the World’s Fastest-growing Religious Group,” Pew Research Center, April 6, 2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/06/why-muslims-are-the-worlds-fastest-growing-religious-group.

2Lindsey Weedston, “Why More Young Americans Are Exploring Communism: Hint: It Has Something to Do with Capitalism’s Failures and a So-called ‘Trump Bump,’” The Establishment, May 31, 2018, https://theestablishment.co/why-more-young-americans-are-exploring-communism-f286c27da93b/index.html.

3John Cassidy, “Why Socialism Is Back,” The New Yorker, June 18, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/why-socialism-is-back.

4“Christian Persecution,” Open Doors USA, accessed on March 12, 2020, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution.

5“In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace,” Pew Research Center, October 17, 2019, https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace.

6Dorothy Greco, “How the Seeker-Sensitive, Consumer Church Is Failing a Generation,” Christianity Today, August 30, 2013, https://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2013/august/how-seeker-sensitive-consumer-church-is-failing-generation.html.

7The author is not criticizing outreach ministries but rather showing the shift within the church toward meeting temporal needs over spiritual transformation.

8Matthew 28:19–20.

9John 14:6.

101 Timothy 2:4.

11Luke 18:8.

12Christel J. Manning, “Gen Z Is the Least Religious Generation. Here’s Why That Could Be a Good Thing,” Understanding Gen Z, Pacific Standard, May 6, 2019, https://psmag.com/ideas/gen-z-is-the-least-religious-generation-heres-why-that-could-be-a-good-thing.

Chapter 1

THE TROJAN HORSE

Theological Warfare

A master carpenter, Epeius carved out his creation with the most superb craftsmanship. With its robust curvature and stately design, this monstrous piece of art would be his piece de resistance. After all, this was no ordinary sculpture; this was a gift for a king. Standing at over ten feet tall, this hol-lowed-out wooden statue was laced together by four types of timber—sawn fir, maple, oak, and pine.13 But it was neither the materials used in its construction nor the hollow inside that made this piece of art so impressive. It was what, or rather who, was hiding inside that made this equine-shaped peace offering so unique. This subversive “gift” to the king of Troy, which concealed a small but elite force of Greek warriors, was the greatest accomplishment of Epeius’ career. And once taken inside the walled city of Troy, the Trojan horse allowed the foreign army to gain access into the city, ultimately achieving an epic and immortalized Greek victory.

Much like the infamous tactical device of the Ancient Greeks, the devil has “gifted” our modern-day society with Trojan horses too: ideologies that appear to be valuable contributions to our faith but are instead full of morally subversive stratagems designed to unravel the very theological framework of the church. Slipping past the walls of Christian orthodoxy and sound doctrine, this barrage of intellectual and spiritual attacks has produced what is now being called “the Christian Left”—a growing constituency of “Christians” who have adopted (either knowingly or unknowingly) leftist, socialistic, and communistic thinking, ideals, values, and innovations.

In the past, these cloak-and-dagger doctrinal deconstructionists only existed in select intellectual circles or within liberal universities.14 But now it seems the Trojan horses of the Christian Left have been activated and even placed on display by mainline Christian institutions, faith-oriented content creators, and even the local church—in many cases without their knowledge.

Unlike the wooden horse that invaded Troy, this modern-day Trojan horse has been constructed with the deceptive lumber of superior morality, elevated knowledge, superior “love,” and holy language that calls into question anyone who disagrees with the Left’s proposed moral stances. After all, who can argue that the church shouldn’t be involved in caring for the poor, offering free healthcare for the sick, or welcoming the stranger from a foreign land? Sadly, though, these mantras are all a ruse, disguised as a gift of compassion to the church, all the while an ambush against true Christian values lies waiting inside.

Theological Animosity

In an article for Touchstone magazine, retired US Army Chaplain and Dean of Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary Alexander F. C. Webster discussed the disorientation of the Orthodox Church. He insightfully drew attention to the “increasing tendency of Orthodox leftists to mimic Hilary Clinton’s infamous ‘basket of deplorables’ insult … against half of her opponent’s supporters.”15 Although Webster was focused on the infringements of leftist thinking on the Orthodox faith, the Christian Left is also responsible for creating animosity toward Bible-believing Christians of all denominations.

This Trojan horse tactic has largely succeeded by creating a dualistic “Us vs. Them” culture within society and even within the church. The Left has weaponized terms like fundamentalist, right, and traditional in order to paint a very specific picture of their opposition. Bible-believing, church-going Christians, who society once viewed as the moral backbone of our great republic, are now viewed by many as close cousins to other extreme fundamentalist groups and “Christian” cults, such as the Westboro Baptist Church or, even worse, the Ku Klux Klan.

Recently, I, too, fell victim to this type of nonsensical accusation. After posting on social media a public rejection of the February 2019 epidemic of pro late-term abortion bills, one of my liberal followers hatefully suggested, “Next thing we know, Lucas, you and your cult are going to show up on our doorsteps with pitchforks.” In her mind, real love wouldn’t restrict a woman’s right to choose, and because I rejected this premise, from her viewpoint I was failing to act in love and, thus, was one step away from being a Ku Klux Klan member. Oh, the irony. With people hurling such allegations at me, one would think I was the one suggesting the dismembering of children.

Only in the new world order of the Christian Left are those who desire to protect the lives of the unborn, hold a Biblical view of marriage, and support border security labeled bigoted, misogynistic, and racist. Regardless of whether the labels are logical or true, the Christian Left needs this type of rhetoric to ignite and keep the flame of enmity burning between itself and the Right.

Because of the Left’s incessant and broad-stroked use of words like racism and bigotry, mainstream media and popular culture have easily dismissed biblical Christianity and subsequently despise believers who hold to biblical teachings. This strong moral division within the church might lead one to wonder whether the church has moved left or if the Left has moved into the church. Regardless, I fear this is just the beginning of the persecution of the American church.

But in order for the Christian Left to garner a stronger foothold among the masses and effectively propagate theological and spiritual enmity within the mainstream church, it must do two things:

1.It must create animosity toward conservatives and traditionalists who hold to biblical ideas regarding social issues.

2.It must create a sense of moral superiority among an elite group of people.

These goals are often accomplished by the Left’s use of spiritual-sounding language and references to its good deeds plagiarized from true believers and adopted by the Left.

See if you recognize these common lines of thought from the Christian Left:

•Jesus accepts everyone.

•Jesus would never get in the way of the love between two people.

•Jesus was a refugee.

•Jesus accepts foreigners and strangers.

•God doesn’t create walls that prevent us from coming to him.

•People need to live their truth.

•Some people are just born gay (or bi or transgender).

•A real Christian accepts everyone.

By using arguments like this the Left has systematically hijacked Christian and conservative themes in order to validate the libertinism and moral erosion that the Left not only embraces but also desires to force en masse.

In typical progressive fashion, traditional doctrines must be redefined in order to align with changing cultural “norms,” regardless of whether Scripture must be twisted in order to accomplish its agenda or compassion be elevated over truth. “Progressivism is attractive to formerly biblical Christians because it offers a sort of ‘halfway house’ that allows them to remain largely religious and socially responsible, but relieves them from the responsibility of holding to what they consider antiquated biblical teachings such as miracles, the authority of Scripture, sexual holiness or the sinfulness of humanity,”16 a staff writer at the Christian Chronicle wrote.

Consider the 2019 Grammy Awards during which Michelle Obama uttered “Amen” twice to Jada Pinkett Smith’s inclusionist assertion that “every voice we hear deserves to be honored and respected.” The reference was subtle during a politically charged awards show, but one couldn’t help assume this was a dig toward conservatives and their traditional views on gender identity and illegal immigration.

Obama’s use of holy language, as does all language originating from spiritual leftists, serves to confuse the masses by clouding the division between leftist ideals and Christian thought. By using familiar terms to a mainstream Christian audience, it becomes easier for them to accept the Left as pious guardians of the truth, protecting the world from the hate-filled, bigoted, Bible-thumping of the Right.

Here are some terms commonly stolen by the Christian Left:

•God bless you

•Hallelujah

•Amen

•Inclusive

•God’s plan

•Unconditional love

•Social justice

•Acceptance

•Spiritual (but not religious)

•Moral obligation

By using pseudo-Christian speech as a means to introduce liberal agendas, the Christian Left is able to piously advance its cause and look like a saint while doing it. The result is a self-righteous finger pointing and claiming of the moral high road, dividing the church into two sects: the spiritual elite and bigoted fundamentalists. If we are to unite the church in the face of such theological animosity, we must return to the basic principles of the Word, leaving behind both elitism and hate.

Doctrinal Deconstructionism

The Christian Left’s posturing around their Trojan-horse version of the Bible reveals not only their leftist tendencies but more importantly the little value they place on the Scripture. For many of the Christian Left, the Bible is no longer the Word of God and not something to take as an authoritative work in a person’s life. The Christian Left has academically downgraded the Bible to merely the story of God, or a narrative of man’s writings about God.

However, the true gospel, as we’ve already discussed, is unapologetically exclusive. Membership and belonging are never a given—faith is always required to get in. And not just any faith but specifically a faith that believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection proved his exclusive identity and granted us divine redemption. Such a historic view of the Bible is capable of offering (and does, in fact, offer) unconditional love without the acceptance of alternative lifestyles.17

This exclusivity (and the Left’s inability to understand the Bible’s definition of love) is offensive to the Christian Left, as it creates friction against every tenet of liberalism, socialism, and communism in which they believe. They feel the need to stamp out even a hint of exclusivity in the church, no matter the reason. Therefore, they must debunk troublesome verses, revise church history, and silence any opposition in order to protect the self-gratification of their itching-ear theology.

If I’m honest, I, too, was once obliviously lured by the sirens’ call of liberal theology. As I began understanding the depths of God’s goodness and grace, I began using phrases such as, “That person is saved. They just don’t know it yet,” or “The foundation of the gospel is belong, believe, behave.” Sadly, I was mistaken.18 Such ideas deny the richness of the cross of Christ and the transformative work of the new birth. I was in danger of adopting a liberal philosophy that claims that anyone can access the Father, even while bypassing the Son. As I’ve come to discover, denying God’s Word is no different than denying Christ himself.

This pressure to deny the authoritative characteristic of the Bible and the Christian Left’s need to abandon biblical truths are perhaps nowhere more obvious than in the arena of gender and sexuality. The leftist opposition to biblical teaching won’t be satisfied until the universal doctrine of the church undergoes complete secularization and adopts the twisted hedonistic practices and distorted views of gender aggrandized by the Left with a hearty “amen.”

Normalized through incrementally increasing exposure over the years through television and other media, sexually deviant preferences that were once too scandalous to mention are now en vogue, not just in secular arenas but also in the church. We can see examples of such philosophical and behavioral acceptance spreading among mainline denominations, such as Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopalian, and even throughout some nondenominational churches that have abandoned traditional views on marriage and gender.

One pastor I know personally established this ideology among his Left-leaning, largely millennial ecclesia by saying, “As long as I’m the pastor … this has to be a place where anybody who identifies as L or G or B or T or Q will not be disqualified from any level of belonging, serving, or leadership on the sole basis of that identity.” These words were part of an hour-long “academic” diatribe he gave entitled A Sacred Conversation, in which he concluded, “It is always better to include,” without offering any biblical evidence for his newly declared position.19 Like so many, he mistakenly confused the church’s role as the hospital for the sick by inviting patients who should be cared for in a spiritual ICU to become its doctors. But what more can we expect when the church willingly exchanges the lordship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the trinity of diversity, acceptance, and social justice?

Just ask actor and philanthropist Chris Pratt.

Known as one of the most down-to-earth Hollywood figures, Pratt recently came under scrutiny from actress Ellen Page for attending a church that “hates” homosexuals. Page launched a Twitter war tweeting that Pratt’s church is “infamously anti LGBTQ.”

Continuing on, she posted:

If you are a famous actor and you belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone simply wonders why it’s not addressed. Being anti LGBTQ is wrong, there aren’t two sides. The damage it causes is severe. Full stop. Sending love to all.20