Coercion can never achieve the kingdom of God. I do not believe it is ever God’s desire or plan that any one group of Christians should aspire to get its hands on the levers of coercive governmental power and use that coercive power to impose its will on its unwilling neighbors. Again, coercion cannot and will never achieve the kingdom of God.
Tag: social witness
Quote of Note #207: The Church & Governments
"If the church is to be the conscience of the state, it must begin with the courage to tell the truth." S. Bezner in _Your Jesus Is Too American_
Quote of Note #206: The Cultural Conformity of the Church
"Called to combat social evils, [the church] has remained silent behind stained-glass windows." M.L. King, Jr.
Bible Note #62: Compassion & the Anger of Jesus–Mark 3:1-6
They knew that Jesus was guided by compassion for the weak and broken and not by some hard-edged interpretation of the law.
Quote of Note #197: The Church and the State
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state and never the tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority."
Quote of Note #193: The True Defense against Communism
"We must not engage in negative anti-Communism but rather in a positive thrust for democracy, realizing that our greatest defense against Communism is to take offensive action in behalf of justice and righteousness. After our condemnation of the philosophy of Communism has been eloquently expressed, we must with positive action seek to remove those conditions … Continue reading Quote of Note #193: The True Defense against Communism
Quote of Note #186/Prayer Note #65: Prayer for Christlikeness
"Dear Father, for Christ's sake, I beseech thee to take from me and from all others for whom thou wouldest that we should pray, all envy, pride, arrogance, disdain, hatred, and all suspicion. Grant unto us mercy, humility, patience, meekness, long-suffering, gentleness, peace, charity, and love. Comfort the feeble. Relieve the poor. Help the fatherless. … Continue reading Quote of Note #186/Prayer Note #65: Prayer for Christlikeness
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 