Many candidates for political office tell voters what church they're involved in. But they promise that once they're elected, they won't allow their church to have any influence on the way they conduct their political affairs. If you were an employer interviewing a prospective employee, would you be impressed if the candidate told you all about the church he attended, but then promised that the teachings of his church would have no impact on whether or not he would embezzle company funds or sell company secrets to competitors? Did anybody really vote for
Bill Clinton because he went to church and carried a big Bible?
I do not "attend church." But I promise that, if elected, my religious views will permeate, pervade, dominate, and control every political decision I make.
There are three things that voters should know about why I don't attend any church
First, I just don't like "church." As a fanatic Bible-Believing Christian, I find churches lacking in substance, Biblically speaking. They're more entertainment than "worship."
Second, no church likes me. Those churches that pride themselves on being Biblically substantive would not allow me to become a member of their church because they don't like radical libertarians. I believe Jesus is the Christ, with emphasis on the words "is" and "the." I know of no "church" that agrees with that claim.
Third, in answer to the objections of many, I don't believe it's a sin to not attend church. I don't believe the Bible requires Christians to attend the events that take place every Sunday morning in places we call "churches." Here is my answer to the question Is A Christian Biblically Required to "Attend Church"?
From time to time on "the campaign trail" I'm asked which church I go to. When I explain that no church wants me to attend, the voter might recommend a book on "The Doctrine of the Church," or ecclesiology. These books often argue about "church government": should we have presbyters or priests, voted on by the Congregation or selected by a prelacy, etc., etc. I once started writing a book of my own on ecclesiology. This was back in the days of the IBM Selectric, and
only parts have been converted into HTML and uploaded to the web. So here is an outline of my thinking on "the church."
- The Bible is the plumbline against which we measure the straightness of any book on "the church."
- The Institutional Church did not create the Bible, it merely recognized the Bible
- Laymen (like myself) can judge the decrees of the Institutional Church by comparing them with the Bible. We should follow the example of "the Bereans," who questioned even the Apostles in light of the Scriptures.
- The Bible does not require "attendance" at any particular meeting of any particular ecclesiastical institution on any particular day of the week.
- The "Church" which Christ built (Matthew 16:13ff.) is primarily the members of the Body of Christ, not any "institution," corporation, or ecclesiastical hierarchy.
- Note in that important passage (which has been used through the centuries to defend the concept of the "institutional church") these three things:
- The function of Christ's "church" is to attack "the gates of hell," and demonic forces will not withstand the attack (vv. 13-20). As David Chilton noted, Those who suggest that the only lot of Christ's people is persecution and suffering brutally mangle this verse. Instead of picturing an army attacking a fortress and breaking through its gates, they paint a picture of a defeated army, huddled and cowering together, being attacked by gates! How ridiculous! God is here promising victory for the church as
she spoils principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:15). ("postmillennialism," or "optimillennialism")
- The Church does not use carnal weapons to extend Christ's Kingdom, but follows in Christ's footsteps ("pacifism"). Peter and "the Twelve" did not understand this entire idea until after Christ's Resurrection and Ascension (vv. 21-26).
- Certain "sacraments" of the older priesthood, such as "Passover," were to be observed until Christ's "parousia" in AD 70 when He completely destroyed the temple and terminated the old priesthood ("preterism")(vs. 27-28).
- The Family
- Members of the Body of Christ (and all human beings) begin in a state of "Patriarchy" (patria, "family" - arche, "beginning")
- There were no institutions of "church" or "state" in the Garden of Eden, nor when Noah got off the ark. Noah "and his sons" engaged in priestly acts of animal sacrifice and the shedding of blood commonly called "capital
punishment."
- The creation of the enterprise called "the State" is a violation of God's Law. (This is a separate book!)
- Because of man's sinfulness, God created priests to mediate between sinners and God. These priesthoods are often the model for today's institutional churches.
- All such priesthoods have been abolished. Jesus Christ is now the only legitimate Priest ("Church"). He is also the only legitimate King ("State").
- All members of the Body of Christ (not just those who have been "ordained") are subordinately "priests" and "kings" (Revelation 1:6; 5:10), and there is
no legitimate place for monopolistic "priests" and "kings" (institutions of "church" and "state").
- Every legitimate (Biblical) function of today's institutional priesthoods are requirements for "patriarchs" (heads of households, indeed every member of the Body of Christ).
- The State: The goal of the Body of Christ is to build the Kingdom of Christ, which is a rival to all earthly governments.
- As Christians fulfill these duties, unbelievers will pretend to be Christians, and the Body of Christ will dominate human society and Christianize the globe.
- All legitimate functions of "the government" (or "the State") and "the Church" -- such as dispute resolution -- will be exercised by Christ's "priests" and "kings."
- "National Defense" is not a legitimate function of any human institution, corporation, or association.
- The goal of the Body of Christ ("priests" and "kings") is to abolish the institutions of "church" and "state" and create "patriagora" (patria, "family" - agora, "market") a family-centered market of human action, freed from statism and ecclesiasticism.
I Attend Bible Studies
As a "Berean," I love to get together with other folks to study the Bible. But sometimes a Bible Study will decide to become a "church," and that doesn't always bode well for me. Here's an example.
