Are Christians obsessed with gays and abortion? The Alliance Defense Fund’s David French answers this question by comparing the budgets of Christian “culture war organizations,” with Christian organizations whose main purpose is to fight poverty. The comparison shows that organizations fighting poverty receive much more money than the culture warriors.

I’m a Christian who, like David French, works to influence public policy. In my case, I focus more specifically on homosexuality and gender. I agree with him that only a small number of Christians are involved in the defensive struggles surrounding the issues of abortion and homosexuality.

He writes, “Historically, monetarily, and with our time and lives today, [our real obsession] is serving our fellow man.” That got me thinking about some of the ministries of individual Christians, local churches, denominations and para-church ministries – from liturgical to charismatic to evangelical, from non-denominational to interdenominational:

• Adoption and foster care
• Christian education – from day care to seminaries 
• Discipleship and training
• Evangelism
• Foreign missions
• Helping unwed mothers
• Homeless shelters
• Hospitals and health care
• Inner-city missions and soup kitchens
• Marriage and family support
• Pastoral counseling and congregational care
• Preaching and teaching
• Spiritual formation
• Starting new churches
• Worship and praise
• Youth programs and Sunday school

Granted, this is only a partial list – off the top of my head. (Okay, I did take the time to alphabetize and group similar activities together.) It’s not a scientific or economic comparison; it’s from my own experience of Christians and the Church.

Include the fact that most Christians don’t work for a church or a Christian ministry, and the fact that they have families and other interests. They have to choose what ministry to be involved in with their limited time. Except for a small number of us, it’s not homosexuality and abortion.

Print