One of the most interesting evangelicals these days is Joel Hunter, senior pastor at Northland Church in Florida. He does not consider himself a part of the religious left. He's a registered Republican, strongly anti-abortion, author of A New Kind of Conservative, and even spent about ten minutes as president-elect of the Christian Coalition.
I was therefore a bit surprised when he mentioned during our chat this week that he's been asked by the Obama campaign to deliver the closing prayer at the Democratic convention. He said yes.
The next surprise was his suggestion that Democrats "could arguably steal the title of the pro life party."
Huh? How is that possible? Obama is just as pro-choice as any other Democratic nominee; critics say he's the most pro-choice candidate ever. Hunter makes a practical argument: providing women with economic help in carrying babies to term can actually reduce the number of abortions more, and more quickly, than focusing on overturning Roe v. Wade. "With eight years of Bush the abortion rates have not declined. Every indication is that with financial support and different forms of supporting pregnant mother and then some post birth help also we could come close to 50% reduction in abortions. That's huge. That's huge."
Continuing with the same culture war paradigm is therefore morally dubious. "If we insist on keeping this an ideological war we're literally not saving the babies we could save. The Democrats have a huge opportunity here to really steal the thunder from those who are seen as traditionally pro life."
He's pessimistic that the Democratic Party would go far enough to really take advantage of the opportunity, though he does think the new platform took a step in the right direction. He was consulted by the Obama campaign, and believes that on balance "philosophically this is a huge move" because it put the party on record supporting certain abortion reduction measures such as maternal health and adoption support. (For the case against the plank as being a substantial move, click here) But those advocating for a larger push to the center "had to go up against the status quo - very strong and well financed voices," meaning pro-choice feminists.
This is a shame for Obama, he says, because abortion is the number one issue keeping evangelicals from embracing him. They keep hearing he supports "infanticide" and partial birth abortion. If Obama came out forcefully for an abortion reduction agenda - even one that emphasizes support for women rather than legal restrictions -- that "would go a very long way in establishing trust with evangelicals. That would huge."
Democrats have an opportunity with evangelicals in part because these Christians feel they were "used" by Republicans. Interestingly, it wasn't Bush administration policies on abortion that first ruptured the trust between Christians and the Republican Party. It was Iraq. "People are saying wait a minute, what else did we think was going to go right that didn't go right? There's kind of a ripple effect of disillusionment." Anger over Iraq created a political opening on abortion.
The question is whether the pro-choice activists are so strong within the Democratic Party that Obama will not be able to seize the opportunity.
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I also attended Northland for several years. I too saw the lack of holiness and Biblical literacy in several people's lives. It's a part of the emergent church of compromise. I got tired of hearing about global warming in every sermon. I drew the line however when Joel preached that we as Americans need to give health care to illegal immigrant's children a comparison he drew from the passage in the book of Jonah where God chides Jonah for not caring about the Ninevite children...(those who don't know their right hand from their left...) Joel is practicing deceit when he referrs to Obama's pick Kansas Governor Sebelious in the Fox News article where he tells pro-lifers to stop picking on her (boo hoo!) and let her get on with the business of reducint abortions. James 3:1 is totally appropriate here. I do not know if Joel is saved or not. But I know that he is definitely leading people astray from the pure gospel.
It's a shame more people don't see the truth. But if you try and point it out to Joel, he just claims that he's being martyred for his stand. It's useless to try and reason with him. Just pray there's a church split big enough to get his attention and that the true believers will see the truth and leave Northland. Church splits aren't always a bad thing. We are called to be holy...to separate ourselves from the world. Leaving Northland is definitely doing that...
I am going to make an attempt here to take Joel out of it for a second. First and foremost, my pastor would have us look at Jesus first. His life began physically in the account in Luke when He was conceived. Jesus himself would want nothing less, only more for those that could be called 'less than human.' There is no second class of human being, not exiting the womb alive, or third class of never even entering the womb. These state-approved murders are reasons for which Christ died and having a mercy based approach in this will go a long way. We have to be clear that it is sin and hurtful to society to limit life. We can't dance around that fact, we have impoverished ourselves by our sin, God's will is not confounded by us, however we have been stifled by our vanity in not dealing head on with these issues as Christ would.
Tell the truth, reveal the heart of those with error, work with those that turn, if persecuted, accept it and make a statement. If Joel fails to preach the whole Gospel of Christ, I will bring it to him personally. So far, I have not seen evidence of that and he is compassionately engaged in every issue he feels lead to. I do not agree with the left leaning economic policy and I do believe that the Church should not pull government funds on any level. This disturbs me greatly, and I am watching. While we are a pluralistic society, our message is that of permeating truth and we must be clear. This is something Joel has taught all of us. As he says, 'I know where my bread is buttered.' the 'la-de-da' of being wooed politically and glad-handed by BHO disturbs me. BHO is disingenuous. I pray that Dr. Hunter doesn't leverage the Church under the bus of the next big issue, unilateral Gay acceptance. While I have gay friends, I risk my relationship to tell them what Jesus has done for them... they ought not lead in the Church in any way. I believe they can be 'born-again' however, the scripture is clear that inheriting the Kingdom in this life looking forward will be difficult for anyone caught up in a carnal, sin producing lifestyle. Ultimately, the Gospel has to be our first and constant operating system and I know Joel knows that message through and through. I trust him although I do not trust IN him. There is a difference. I believe he is making some 'grave errors' that if left unchecked could produce some un-intended consequences for the Church and a reduction of liberty for the American citizen. The Lord is working in all of this for our betterment. I resent the attitude of our leaders in the Church that shun us learning for ourselves and encouraging us to 'cast off' ideological views. It is in understanding views that help us know revealed human weakness, and for the spiritually astute, know how we are being lead. May the Grace of God be on us as we endeavor to bring an answer of our true Hope, Christ Jesus.
I grew up in a conservative Christian church in Kansas.
I am an evangelical, I love Jesus, embrace my faith more than anything else, and have learned- after many international travels to Europe and East Asia, as well as marrying a Swiss national- how politicized Christian Faith in this country is. My wife is constantly amazed at how taken with the Republican platform evangelicals are in the U.S...She has often commented at how it appears to her that Republican politicians leverage an issue that they have no intent on actually changing (i.e. Roe vs. Wade) to win popular support from Christian evangelicals. I am pro-life, and I love, absolutely LOVE that this pastor, Joel Hunter, cares more about saving the lives of babies then towing the party line on Roe vs. Wade. For those of you who are arguing that Roe vs. Wade must be overturned to save the babies, I understand what you are saying, but unfortunately you have believed a lie. Either you have not spent time researching the causes of abortion (thus not understanding how to best eliminate abortions), or you are not spending enough time praying for God to guide you in this issue rather than your peers...likely both. As for my wife and I and my young child...we are moving to Longwood for business reasons, and are tremendously excited to begin attending Northland. A pastor who is willing to risk losing some of his financial base to stand for his convictions is inspiring! We will give our tithe and service to this church. It is clear that Northland will spread the worship of Jesus in our country by reaching the next generation, and that Joel Hunter has made his allegiance to Jesus Christ, and not the Republican or Democratic party.
"Missions exist because worship doesn't."
-John Piper
The Democrats will never be a pro life party. If Joel Hunter believes that, he is living in a world of fantasy. His president voted twice while in state of Ill. as a legislator to allow late term abortions. His first act upon being elected was to mandate not only gov. paid abortions for our country but world wide. The democratic party will always be the abortion party. The Bible tells us "We should not be unequally yoked. To be "a conservative Republican, and tie ones self so closely with a man who sat 20 years under a "spiritual leader", who ask God to DAMN AMERICA, must be caught up in a form of denial.
After several years at Northland, our family decided to leave as well. There was a struggle with the wonderful worship (band/media), the way Joel delivered the message and Joel's politics. We tried desperately to stay and stomach what was going on with Joel, but we believed God wanted us elsewhere. We had to come to grips with what God wanted, not the professional worship (band/media) that we wanted.
It was very apparent that Joel was caught up in the political spotlight....and basked in it. I still cannot understand (after listening to his rationalization for nearly a year) even to this day how Joel could support one of the most liberal politicians this country has seen.
Joel, please refocus on the Cross and refrain from politics. Please get back to your local church and out of the national limelight.
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