Russell Moore has something important to say as he assumes the leadership role in the Southern Baptist Convention. It is that Christianity is not and cannot be simply a political agenda. It is a deeper system of beliefs that is firmly rooted in the Gospel. He stresses a culture of acceptance and redemption, not of condemnation. This is the message that he wants to send to the youth who are growing up in an increasingly secular culture.
“If we don’t show that next generation how our involvement in the public square is rooted in the Gospel, then what’s going to happen is that they are going to check out and overreact,” Moore says. He goes on to say that, “The worst thing that we can do is assume that we are still living in 1950s America.”
He distinguishes between the nominal cultural Christians in America and those who truly follow and believe in the Gospel. “We have members of churches who don’t know Christ,” Moore says. He explains that as American society is becoming more secularized, these cultural Christians are falling off. He sees the need for Churches and congregations to take Christianity more seriously.
Moore also believes strongly in religious liberty, whether the people are Christians or not. He sees a need to fight for the ability for people to freely exercise their religion. He believes in voluntary prayer, even in government conviction. However, he is strongly against compulsive prayer. “I don’t want the government praying for us,” Moore says. “It does not harm me to hear a Jewish Rabbi to stand up and pray as a Jewish Rabbi”.
Podcast – Dr. Russell Moore Interview – The Adam Goldfein Show
Podcast – Changes in Christianity – The Adam Goldfein Show – Hour 1
Podcast – Changes in Christianity – The Adam Goldfein Show – Hour 2
Additional Resources
The Wall Street Journal, From Moral Majority to ‘Prophetic Minority’: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324769704579010743654111328
Christianity, A Prophetic Minority: Kingdom, Culture, and Mission in A New Era: http://www.christianity.com/blogs/russell-moore/a-prophetic-minority-kingdom-culture-and-mission-in-a-new-era.html
