April 18th, 2007

"Today's misspent enthusiasm for political solutions to the moral problems of our culture arises from a distorted view of both politics and spirituality - too low a view of the power of a sovereign God and too high a view of the ability of man. The idea that human systems, reformed by a Christian influence, pave the road to the Kingdom - or at least, to revival - has the same utopian ring that one finds in Marxist literature. It also ignores the consistent lesson of history that shows that laws are most often reformed as a result of powerful spiritual movements. I know of no case where a spiritual movement was achieved by passing laws."
- Charles Colson "Kingdoms in Conflict" (p 304)

"It is ludicrous for any Christian to believe that he or she is the worthy object of public worship; it would be like the donkey carrying Jesus into Jerusalem believing the crowds were cheering and laying down their garments for him."
- Charles Colson "Kingdoms in Conflict" (p 271)

"The lure of power can separate the most resolute of Christians from the true nature of Christian leadership, which is service to others. It's difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below."
- Charles Colson "Kingdoms in Conflict" (p 272)

April 12th, 2007

"Collaboration with power, whether Communist or not, is always ruinous for the church. If the church exists, if it is to have legitimacy in the eyes of the people, it must always stand erect as a counter-power to a political power."
- Jacques Ellul, "Lech Walesa and the Social Force of Christianity" (p 5)

"The prevailing notion is that the state should be neutral as to religion, and furthermore, that the best way to be neutral about it is to avoid all mention of it. By this sort of logic, nudism is the best compromise among different styles of dress. The secularist version of "pluralism" amounts to theological nudism."
- Joseph Sobran "Pensees: Notes for the Reactionary of Tomorrow" National Review, Dec. 31, 1985 (p 48)