Dr. Russell Moore is head of the ultra-"conservative" Southern Baptist Convention's "Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee." He was critical of candidate Trump.
He is currently under attack by "evangelicals" for his comments about post-election American Christians' situation. Mike Huckabee (himself a Southern Baptist) has said he is "...utterly stunned that Russell Moore is being paid by Southern Baptists to insult them." Some Baptist leaders and organizations have called for Moore to be fired, or defunded.
Moore's comments actually seem thoughful and conciliatory to me, urging that we act toward each other, and toward the president-elect, with gospel-righteousness. His essay is posted on his website:
http://www.russellmoore.com/2016/12/19/election-thoughts-christmastime/
The dispute seems to point up the blatant hypocrisy of much "evangelical" culture: which finds a violation of "religious liberty" in baking a cake for a gay wedding, but itself turns furiously on anyone who questions the "evangelical" politics.
I wrote Dr. Moore a letter of appreciation:
Dear Dr. Moore:
As a former Southern Baptist, I was encouraged to hear on
N.P.R. about your comments on American Christians' situation after this year's
election. I came to your website to read
your full blog.
The critical responses to your comments highlight a problem
among American "evangelicals."
Religious liberty is under attack in America less from a few
well-publicized government actions (many of which, in my opinion, are
over-blown and "spun" by political manipulators, for their own
purposes): religious liberty is under attack from within the
"evangelical" movement, when it deviates any whit from the
party-line.
More important than our religious liberty in civil law is
the attack on any Biblical criticism of "evangelical" politics. Criticism not only of the personal morals of
"evangelicals' " current political darling: criticism of his moral
formula, that the unrighteous policies he has promised will "make America
great again."
You rightly cite Romans 3:8's reference to the teaching of
"do[ing] evil that good may come."
That teaching is wholly contrary to the moral law guaranteed in God's
Own Character. It didn't work for Adam
and Eve. We must be skeptical it will
work to "make America great again."
Thank you for challenging American Christians to measure our
culture, including the political culture Christians themselves have so widely
embraced, by Jesus' righteousness and teachings. Without such challenges, our faith is
entirely a creature of our culture (including our "evangelical"
culture), and no good for anything except to be thrown out (Matthew 5:13).
blessings, ----- -----
