Are U.S. evangelicals losing their influence on America?
A new poll released Wednesday (June 22) from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life seems to say just that, with the vast majority””82 percent””of U.S. evangelical leaders saying their influence on the country is declining.
At the same time, their counterparts in Africa, Asia and Latin America are far more optimistic.
We do not need to seek political influence, but rather to win hearts and minds to values that reflect God’s values. If we seek political influence, we are likely to act like politicians – so that we are as wise as serpents, but far from innocent or loving. We need both wisdom and comassion, and a presentation of the values of Jesus (including his high moral standards) that will draw people to value things he values.
If Christianity is true, its values will have reasons that can be argued from natural law, rather than simply “the Bible says,” which is important for people who are not sure of what the Bible says, and who do not regard it as authoritive.