The American Christian and Politics

Kirk E. Miller
Is Americanism Christian?

Was America founded on Christian principles? This is a question of much debate today, and in Christian circles we often run to our answer “yes” as if it will work as some sort of trump card, winning all moral issues in politics.

When the Articles of Confederation were tossed aside and the Constitution was being formed, our founding fathers established for us a Democratic Republic. In addition, America has tended to be very capitalistic. Our founding fathers also established for our nation various rights such as the right to bear arms and religious freedom.

Are any of these things inherently Christian? No. They are not. They are political ideologies. Our founding fathers may have been influence by Christianity, may have been Christians, and/or may have had Christian values, but that doesn’t make the political system Christian any more than Tony Dungy’s (a Christian NFL coach) football playbook a “Christian” playbook. Capitalism is no more Christian than Marxism, or vice versa; republic is no more Christian than a dictatorship, etc. So, when we say that out nation was founded on Christian principles, we cannot be speaking anything of government or political ideologies, for God does not describe any type of Christian government. He only describes one type of government—the God-given type (Rom 13:1).
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Age of Accountability

Kirk E. Miller

What is “Age of Accountability”

This concept holds that infants, rather young children, and the mentally handicap are under grace and will inherit eternal life if they were to die. (The age and mental capabilities determining this point are thus subjective and indeterminable–although some will supply an objective age).

False or Inadequate Explanations
These false views are not really involved in the purpose of this article, thus, I am not going to much time on their claims nor why they are incorrect views. I am simply going to list these alternative ideas so to give a better understanding of the true view as by comparison with these false views.

A rather popular idea among sacramentalists is that original sin is wiped away by the sacrament of baptism. Thus if a baby dies before being baptized the child will go to hell, but if baptized before death he, the child will go to heaven as a result of baptism. This is a false, man-made tradition that is nowhere taught in the Bible. Baptism is that which believers do in obedience to God’s commandment. It is done after salvation and is a symbol of our baptism in death and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:4).
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What Fundamentalism Must Do to Survive: Fundamentalism’s Great Red Herring

Kirk E. Miller

In order for Fundamentalism to survive as true historic Fundamentalism, the belief in and defense of fundamental doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith, we have noted so far that Fundamentalism must embrace criticism, recognize it is in a fight for survival against internal problems, and become willing to positively critique itself for the purpose of improvement. With that said, my second “must do” for Fundamentalism is really just a branch off of that first criticism.

Fundamentalism has grown accustom to what I like to call “Fundamentalism’s great red herring”–Evangelicalism.[1] Oh, it doesn’t take too much time in many Fundamentalist camps before you hear the call against Evangelicalism. But let me say one note of caution, for the most part, Fundamentalists critique evangelicalism fairly accurately. The accuracy of their critique is, therefore, not my critique. Further, the existence of their critique is not my critique (for we ought to identify problems). My critique is that evangelicalism has become many Fundamentalists’ red herring.
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“Renewing Your Mind” Podcast and Radio Broadcast by Dr. R.C. Sproul

Kirk E. Miller

Dr. R.C. Sproul is founder and president of Ligonier ministries, founder and president of the Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies, and the teaching pastor at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida. Sproul is a well equipped theologian, philosopher, and apologist. Each podcast is 26 minutes and 25 seconds, making it not excessively long or too short, and typically covers areas of theology and philosophy from an apologetic perspective. Sproul gets somewhat deep in his discussions yet still communicates in such a way that is understandable by most.
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God and Hell

Kirk E. Miller

Hell for many is an uncomfortable topic. We typically focus on attributes of God such as His love and mercy, but less and less on His holiness, justice, and yes, I’ll say it, wrath. The issue I would like to discuss here is God’s relationship to hell.

I often feel that contemporary Christianity has a distorted view on hell in relation to God. Allow me to lay out some basic truths regarding God’s relation to hell and the damned.

First off, God does not delight in the damnation of souls. He does not enjoy condemning individuals to hell. This is one truth that most do accept and hardly any misunderstand.
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