Religion and politics

Fox News host Glenn Beck has been excoriated for urging Christians to flee churches that talk about "social justice."

I must confess that when I hear words like "social justice" or "structural sin" my spiritual radar go up and I tread cautiously lest I find more Marx than Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.

A Southern Baptist theologian R. Albert Mohler, Jr. has this to say, h/t LifeSiteNews.com:

“The urgency for any faithful Christian is this – flee any church that for any reason or in any form has abandoned the Gospel of Christ for any other gospel,” Mohler stated.

While Beck’s statements suggest that his primary concern is politics, Mohler said his concern is about the “primacy of the Gospel of Christ.”

“The church’s main message must be that Gospel,” he stated. “The New Testament is stunningly silent on any plan for governmental or social action. The apostles launched no social reform movement. Instead, they preached the Gospel of Christ and planted Gospel church.”

But in spite of the church not adopting a social reform agenda, Mohler believes that a church that is faithful to the Gospel will naturally reform society through the lives of its congregants.

“The Gospel is not a message of social salvation, but it does have social implications,” maintained Mohler.

Jerry Falwell, Jr., president of Liberty University and the son of the late Christian right leader the Rev. Jerry Falwell, also said Jesus taught that individuals, not governments, should help the poor.