Counter-culturalism and politics

For years I assumed that being a Christian meant being a strict political conservative. All time spent in my car was devoted to listening to Rush, Hannity, Glenn Beck, and O'Reilly (I still kind of like O'Reilly). But recently I've come to some conclusions:

First of all, Jesus' approach wasn't political. He really didn't come to this earth to stop homosexual marriage in America or even abortion. He didn't lobby to promote religious views in the public forum and didn't desire to illegalize immorality. He came to seek and save the lost through personal interaction and through his own substitutionary work on the cross and in raising from the dead. Therefore, when Christians focus on keeping Christianity legal and illegalizing gay marriage and illegalizing abortion over and above our call to evangelize the lost, aren't we effectually missing the boat?

Say we succeed in illegalizing gay marriage in America. Then what? Are we any closer to reaching the lost? Say we illegalize abortion (which we won't). What have we won? The truth is, Jesus didn't die to stop gay marriage. He died to save people from their sin. So the answer to "Do you think gays should be allowed to get married," from the Christian perspective is, "I don't think gays should be gay." Homosexuality is immorality--sin. But we're not here to make sin illegal--we're here to save people from it!

The church has to work from the ground up. Christianity is a grass-roots, counter-cultural phenomenon. The evangelical attack that attempts to change culture from the top down reflects poor thinking. I think it is motivated by fear of persecution. But the Bible promises that we'll face persecution--we've got to accept that and work to change society individually through our relationships with people in the world. Evangelism is Christianity's tool, not Congress! We've got to start with the people, not the government. That's how it works.

Second, I've voted pro-life, anti-gay marriage since I was 18 (17 years ago) and I have yet to see the people I've helped to elect who promised to do something about these issues actually do anything about these issues. Therefore, I don't have any confidence that politicians with "Christian morals" have any more burden for these issues than those without. Of course, I'll still vote my values. But I'm not going to worry myself sick about it any more! I've even come to the conclusion that there are Christians who don't vote like I do! And that's ok.

I still haven't read Greg Boyd's new book, The Myth of a Christian Nation. One of my friends needs to just buy it for me so I can have it!