If you were put on trial tomorrow, accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

When this question was asked of me, I did not have an easy answer. Sure, I said I was a Christian; I witnessed and attended church regularly, but was that really enough evidence to warrant a conviction? I would never be convicted of murder if I simply said I committed a murder; there must be hard evidence to warrant a conviction. Likewise, to be convicted of being a Christian, only actions would serve as admissible evidence.

We live in a curious time in American politics. We have a president who, if put on trial for being a Christian, would not be easy to convict. The nation is at war, government overspending runs unchecked, military programs receive ample funds while social services are receiving the ax. For all practical purposes, if actions alone were the only evidence allowed in such a trial, George Bush would likely be acquitted of being a true Christian.

Not only would a jury have difficulty convicting our president of being a Christian, but many prominent Christian leaders and Christians themselves might also be acquitted if faced with such a charge based solely on something as simple as their stance on foreign policy.

There is a mentality among too many Christians today similar to that of Jerry Falwell who suggested we “blow them [the terrorists] all away in the name of the Lord.” David Gushee, professor of moral philosophy at Union University, disagrees, saying that the war against terror “is a morally legitimate exercise of military force; however, it must be recognized that in the terms of Christian moral thought, even justified wars are not to be treated as if they are being fought in the name of the Lord.” Unfortunately, many American Christians would disagree with Professor Gushee.

Jesus said, “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39) Jesus was not mincing words when he said that. It was not merely advice; he actually meant it. Too many times, Christians like to think of themselves as leading a path of righteousness, but I would like to know how many of them could be approached at random on campus and struck in the face without fear of retaliation. I doubt there is a single Christian on campus who would take that challenge. In this sense, many Christians are hypocrites — no better than the Pharisees who pretended to live a holy life, but rarely practiced what they preached.

Similarly, our supposedly Christian leaders do not have the faith to do what Jesus commanded and turn the other cheek in light of situations like the Sept. 11 attacks. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44) They find this to be too impractical to put into practice or they simply pick and choose what beliefs they would like to follow while ignoring the rest of Jesus’ commands.

Jesus was very specific when he said, “…all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) It is not a great extrapolation to

suggest

then that a nation that lives by the sword will also fall by it.

Many Christians like to think of themselves as “soldiers of Christ” and “crusaders” fighting for Christendom, but nothing could be more faithless and self-serving for someone who claims to have faith in the power of an almighty God. Jesus set the example in the Garden of Gethsemane, putting his faith not in the force of arms but in the power of his father saying, “Do you think I cannot call upon my father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) Likewise, Christians who truly have faith do not rely on the arms of men, but on the power of God.