Jesse A. Schroeder

...then I'm not sure I can consider myself an evangelical anymore. Tony Jones posted today that Rich Cizik, the vice president of governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals, was asked to resign after he admitted to voting for Obama in the primaries, and stating that he favors same sex civil unions (but not same sex marriage).

Jones states, "Cizik is a loss for all progressive evangelicals who still think the
NAE is a potentially potent force.  But he's a gain for those of us who
are post-evangelical, post-religious right, post-moral majority,
post-polarized politics, post-discrimination, and post-closedmindedness."

I don't really like to think about "losses" and "gains" in the sense of who is on whose side, and I don't think that was Jones' intent. What is striking to me is that I would agree with Cizik on these matters, as well as his position on caring for the environment as a Christian duty. I'm somewhat amazed that, in my opinion, such moderate political positions would result in resignation.

Before today, I think I would have defined myself, if at all, as an evangelical Christian. But I'm realizing more and more that as Jones describes, I am "post-evangelical," or like how I answered my students when they asked what denomination I was, I told them I was "post-denominational." In my understanding, this means that I don't align myself with any one denomination, nor do I think I have to. Furthermore, I am free to serve and work alongside any of the beautiful Christian denominations.

I guess the question is, will they have me?