UPDATE: Welcome visitors from Peter Lumpkins. Thanks for the link, Peter.

I find this article on religion and politics by shallow, trendy metrosexual pop star pastor Mark Driscoll to be extremely disturbing.

Excerpt:

People are longing for Jesus, and tragically left voting for mere presidential candidates. For those whose candidate wins today there will be some months of groundless euphoric faith in that candidate and the atoning salvation that their kingdom will bring. But, in time, their supporters will see that no matter who wins the presidency, they are mere mortals prone to sin, folly, and self-interest just like all the other sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. To help extend naïve false hope as long as possible, a great enemy will be named and demonized as the one who is hindering all of the progress to atone for our sins and usher in our kingdom. If the Democrats win it will be the rich, and if the Republicans win it will be the terrorists. This diversionary trick is as old as Eve who blamed her sin on Satan rather than repenting. The lie is that it’s always someone else’s fault and we’re always the victim of sinners and never the sinner. Speaking of repentance, sadly, no matter who wins there will be no call to personal repentance of our own personal sins which contributes to cultural suffering and decline such as our pride, gluttony, covetousness, greed, indebtedness, self-righteousness, perversion, and laziness.

And, in four years we’ll do it all again and pretend that this time things will be different. Four years after that, we’ll do it yet again. And, we’ll continue driving around this cul de sac until Jesus returns, sets up his throne, and puts an end to folly once and for all.

From this regrettable post, I understand that Mark Driscoll thinks that Christians should not try to assess which party best promotes policies that will promote liberty and goodness in the world. And that they should not take seriously their duty to vote, and to convince others to inform themselves and vote. Instead, I understand that he thinks that it doesn’t really matter who wins. Democrats, Republicans – who cares?

What does it mean when someone says that it doesn’t matter who wins elections?

• It means that the pro-life and pro-abortion positions are equivalent
• It means that traditional marriage and same-sex marriage are equivalent
• It means that intact families and single-mother families are equivalent
• It means that Iran and Israel are equally threatening to world peace
• It means that North Korea and the United States are equally free
• It means that Zimbabwe and Canada are equally prosperous
• It means that sex education and abstinence education are equivalent
• It means that public schools and homeschooling are equivalent
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether Darwinism is taught as dogma or taught critically in schools
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether there is another terrorist attack and millions of Americans are killed
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether people have jobs or enough money left over after taxes
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether tax dollars go to fund abortion, ESCR, IVF or sex changes
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether religious liberty is limited by repressive fascist policies
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether Iran nukes Israel back to the stone age
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether poor children have the choice to go to a better school
• It means that it doesn’t matter whether people die while waiting in line for health care
• and so on…

Back in the days of slavery, it wouldn’t have mattered to such a person whether the slavers or the abolitionists won the election.

Avoid Mark Driscoll at all costs on these political and economic issues – stick with Wayne Grudem on politics/economics. Grudem actually knows about how reality functions. He studies the Bible and then he studies how the world actually works. Unlike Driscoll. Driscoll needs to spend less time on his hair and clothes, and more time reading actual books on economics, social policy and military affairs.

Here is my previous article about how Mark Driscoll minimizes women’s responsibility for their own poor choices.