Theology and Politics
Jonah Goldberg's recent column cites this eschatological interpretation:
To be honest, I've never heard this particular interpretation of Revelation before. That's not too surprising, as there are so many interpretations of Revelation that I doubt anyone's heard all of them. Although the actual numbers are new to me, the hope for the salvation of the Jews is not, and is quite apparent, although less in Revelation than, say, Paul's letter to the Romans. In any case, that's hardly the central point of Jonah's column, which is instead about the role of theology in American politics, leading to the bottom line:
This came about on account of Romney's Mormonism, of course, and it's a legitimate question how someone's religion may or may not influence their governing. But it's also true that it's better to judge people by their actions than their politics.
So what do I think? Well, I consider Mormonism a heresy, in the literal sense: a belief at odds with orthodox Christianity. That doesn't mean that I consider Mormons evil. People can believe wrong things without being evil. I'm reluctant even to say that Mormons aren't Christians--they believe themselves to be followers of Christ. It's not for me to say that their incorrect doctrine excludes them entirely from his call. That said, I still see heresies as dangerous, and it is important to correct those who have fallen into them. In this context, that correction doesn't look that much different from evangelizing.
All that doesn't answer the question of what to do with Romney. Here, I'm reluctant to give advice to other Christians, but I'm willing to vote for him. As Jonah said, it's what he does that matters, and if given a choice between Romney and Clinton, I'd rather choose him.
For example, many Christian conservatives support Israel and look kindly on Jews because they believe they have a holy duty to do so. The Messiah will not return, according to the book of Revelation, until the Jews restore the Kingdom of Israel.
Evangelical Christians believe that when the Messiah returns, things won’t go too well for the Jews — two thirds die, one third convert. Gershom Gorenberg, author of The End of Days, once complained to 60 Minutes, “As a Jew, I can’t feel very comfortable with the affections of somebody who looks forward to that scenario.”
Well, boohoo. In the horrible annals of Jewish problems, the fact that a whole bunch of Christians love Jews for the “wrong” reasons has got to rank pretty low. Besides, since presumably Jews don’t believe in Christian prophecy, what’s the problem? If it’s not true, then no harm, no foul. If it is true, well, who are we to argue with God? My guess is God’s response to the morally decent Jew who gets really worked up about this would be something akin to “Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.”
To be honest, I've never heard this particular interpretation of Revelation before. That's not too surprising, as there are so many interpretations of Revelation that I doubt anyone's heard all of them. Although the actual numbers are new to me, the hope for the salvation of the Jews is not, and is quite apparent, although less in Revelation than, say, Paul's letter to the Romans. In any case, that's hardly the central point of Jonah's column, which is instead about the role of theology in American politics, leading to the bottom line:
Irving Kristol has cited the fight over Utah’s statehood as a quintessential expression of how America practices theological pluralism while insisting on moral conformity. It is the American way to care about what people do, not about what they think. Every religion’s theology has some wacky stuff in it, not only from the atheist’s perspective but from the perspective of pretty much every other religion. It’s impossible to know how much this or that theological tenet guides a person’s actions. All we can judge is the person’s actions.
This came about on account of Romney's Mormonism, of course, and it's a legitimate question how someone's religion may or may not influence their governing. But it's also true that it's better to judge people by their actions than their politics.
So what do I think? Well, I consider Mormonism a heresy, in the literal sense: a belief at odds with orthodox Christianity. That doesn't mean that I consider Mormons evil. People can believe wrong things without being evil. I'm reluctant even to say that Mormons aren't Christians--they believe themselves to be followers of Christ. It's not for me to say that their incorrect doctrine excludes them entirely from his call. That said, I still see heresies as dangerous, and it is important to correct those who have fallen into them. In this context, that correction doesn't look that much different from evangelizing.
All that doesn't answer the question of what to do with Romney. Here, I'm reluctant to give advice to other Christians, but I'm willing to vote for him. As Jonah said, it's what he does that matters, and if given a choice between Romney and Clinton, I'd rather choose him.
