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Evangelical Christians Should Respect The Rights Of Others To Make Choices About How They Apply Their Faith

3/08/2008   

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” (Acts 8:35)

Each year, I receive a couple of invitations from the graduate program in Public Administration Program at the University of North Carolina to lecture about the daily life of professional local government manager. These students are provided with considerable background information about me. Some even “Google” me. Consequently, all of them know that I am devout Christian who writes about my Christian faith by posting devotions on my website and in religion columns in three newspapers. They have also read some newspaper accounts where my beliefs about Jesus, creation, homosexuality, abortion – just to mention a few - have been challenged in Durham.

Needless to say, they are interested in how I strike a balance between what I believe and how I behave when I am on duty as the CEO of a county government with 1,900 employees, a $750 million budget, and located in a diverse community with many different beliefs.

Last week, I lectured to second-year graduate students who are about to embark on their careers in public administration. One student asked me how I felt about other faiths and their rights to exercise it in the workplace consistent with federal law.

“I respect their right to make their own choice about what they believe,” I stated. “I don’t agree with them, and I worry about where they will end up when they die, but I have no right to insist that I be allowed to practice my faith in the workplace and not be willing to permit others to do the same.”

“Would you be willing to make accommodations for them?” another student asked.

“Yes,” I responded, “As long as federal law does not prohibit it.”

I have reflected on that exchange in terms of how those who describe themselves as evangelical Christians might feel about my answers. I have long considered myself an evangelical Christian and still do; however, many evangelicals would likely not agree with my point of view.

I don’t disagree with all of the views expressed by mainline evangelicals either and I don’t think all of them would disagree with my responses to the student’s questions. My point is we need to be very careful with the labels we use. Evangelicals are painted with a very broad brush, and there is room in the movement for opposing points of view. If not, the movement will likely fade in our country as many young Christians do not embrace the “in your face” evangelical that is often associated with the movement.

We are called to evangelize, or spread the Gospel. Jesus did it, and at Matthew 28:19-20 said to all of us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”

The bottom line is we are to make the Gospel known to others. I, for one, happen to believe that making the Gospel known has more to do with my actions than it does with my words. In my case, I was drawn to Christianity by what I saw in my wife - how she lived out her life. I still believe our greatest chance to win others to Christ is to show them how much Jesus has transformed us.

The evangelical movement has room for everyone. To those who lead it, be careful painting the movement in a narrow-minded way. Otherwise, there might not be room for the next Billy Graham.

posted by Mike Ruffin on 3/08/2008