An article which appeared this morning reaffirms for me why I am not a “conservative” Christian. The article reports the mildly shocking news that Episcopal Bishops have halted their gay agenda (for now) in an effort to appease conservative Christians in the U.S. Conservative Christians in the U.S. had planned to join Bishop Peter Akinola and the Nigerian diocese because of the liberal agenda of ordaining openly gay clergy. In the sense that the Episcopal communion is moving in a more conservative direction, I applaud these recent developments. However, reading the article makes me more than a little uneasy, as it pits “conservative” Christians against “liberal” Christians and speaks of how each has had to learn from the other’s perspective. My response to this is, “What? Has Christ been divided? May it never be.” As Paul instructed the Corinthians, there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Either we are Christian, or we are not. That question will not be settled by how we view the gay agenda. Neither is that question answered by how well we negotiate so-called “controversial” issues.
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Gregory C. Cochran 
I agree with what you say here that Christ is not divided and I will add that neither is He devisive.
I did not understand, however, your beginning statement. It sounds as if you are saying that if you are a ‘conservative’ Christian, then you are against something that Christ ordained. I have yet to find any issue on which conservatives have taken a different position than the one taught in scripture. That is why I am labeled “conservative” by the left.
Christ is the authority and He speaks through the Bible. That is what I believe. More here… http://jlue.wordpress.com/
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Thanks for the reply. My point is not to take issue with any conservative position. I, too, happen to agree with conservative positions. However, the title itself–anything alongside of Christ–is at least dangerous. We ought always to keep our guards up and frame issues biblically. Paul said that he sees no man according to the flesh any longer. Christ never used the category “conservative” to describe himself (though he most likely had occasion to as in Matthew 19). We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, not the conservative movement; this is how we will best serve both the conservative movement and the world. And, above that, this is our service to the church, which is the pillar and support of truth.
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I agree with you completely on that. I think that is a very wise suggestion and one that I am going to remember. I am praying that we will have a true revival in this country before the Lord returns to take us out. I am praying that many who would not be ready to go today, if He came, will be ready on that great day when he breaks the eastern sky!.
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