Why I am a Theologically Evangelical, Liberal, but Conservative Pentecostal Christian
I believe in the love of God. And I believe in God’s justice and mercy.
I do not support the white Christian nationalism prevalent in my country and elsewhere. I am against white nationalism and white supremacists. I am ashamed of the Christians in my country who support Trump in any way. They are blinded by fear, hate, and anger. Too many innocents are led astray by their leaders. Even so, their hearts should tell them the truth.
I tell people when they ask me what am I as a preacher, I am a theologically evangelical liberal and conservative Pentecostal biblicist who follows a brown-skinned Palestinian Jew who was crucified for being a radical and a revolutionary. Dr William Barber II
I believe that God is saddened by the so-called Christian leaders of today. Too many of them have been bought with money and influence. They are wrong. And because they are leaders, they will pay a price for their misleading God’s people.
I used to be a Republican but years ago I had to change. When I listened to the candidates talk, I didn’t agree with anything they said. I heard them espouse ideals of humanism based in greed and selfishness. They want money and they want power. Poor people are the enemy. Rich people are the only good ones. I turned away from the party before the GW Bush.
I turned to the Democrats because they were the only other ones. But I am much more liberal than most of the Democrats I know. I believe in the Bible and the truths of the God’s word. I believe that God wants us to help the poor, the strangers, and the foreigners in our lands.
I believe we should give to the poor and sick. We should help them find ways to help themselves. And we should change our system to help them become contributing members of our society. That includes a livable wage, affordable health care and prescriptions, infrastructure that works, and controlling climate change. It also would allow them a work visa while they wait for their hearing instead of detainment. Give them what they need: jobs, dignity, and respect. Allow immigrants in the U.S. a chance to work for citizenship. Remove so many barriers.
My views also require working together with other countries to provide safety and peace for all. Taking in immigrants, helping broken countries fix themselves, and protecting world trade should be our priorities. This requires facts, truth, and integrity which is lacking in our world and politics.
What they discovered is that many of today’s youth view religion and Christianity under the following set of core beliefs:
God wants people to be nice and fair to one another.
The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.
God doesn’t need to be involved in your life, unless something is going wrong and you need it resolved
Good people go to heaven when they die
My views on Christianity appear to be different than some mainline churches today. I believe that Jesus is the son of God. He is the way, the truth, and the life. God is love and He is just. And what does He want from us? He wants us to live justly, spread kindness, and walk humbly before Him. What does this mean in practical everyday life?
Micah 6:8 No. He has told you, mortals, what is good in His sight. What else does the Eternal ask of you But to live justly and to love kindness and to walk with your True God in all humility?
My God cares for the poor and oppressed. He wants the widows and orphans provided with homes and food. Each person, each child, is precious to Him. And therefore, they are precious to me. Our governments should be a reflection of our faith in God. We should be protecting each living being no matter who, no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other difference from us. This is so we have a chance to bring them closer to God by our love.
God wants to be involved in every part of our lives. He wants to be invited into our homes and our relationships. Each person must look into their hearts and let God judge them. The revival for our nation is not dependent on changing laws but on changing our hearts. We are fearful instead of faithful, we are angry instead of peaceful, we hate anyone difference from us instead of loving each other. Let us pray on our knees for repentance in our hearts. And pray for faith, peace, and love to fill our lives and our actions.
The prophets are filled with warnings from God. We can see throughout their visions and words what God hates and what He loves. Currently, many Christians have focused on issues instead of people, laws instead of love, and God is not pleased. Over and over in many verses both old testament and new testament, God tells us what He loves. Let us truly live daily showing mercy and grace instead of judgment and punishment.
I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I have been forgiven. He is my Savior and my refuge. And through His sacrifice, I can enter the presence of God full of confidence. I am a child of God.
Because of this confidence, I can reach out to others with the love God shares through me. I pray for them and their safety. My goal is to share my life where God leads me.
This is what it means to be a Christian. I follow the Bible, not man. Jesus leads me, not traditions. In this world, I am a Democrat because I cannot be Republican. But I am mostly a Christian who fights corruption and injustice.
