T. B. Maston (1897-1988): "One-Issue Christians"

(from pp. 201-202 of Both-And: A Maston Reader; Selected Readings from the Writings of T. B. Maston, published by the T. B. Maston Foundation in 2011, edited by William M. Tillman, Jr., Rodney S. Taylor, and Lauren C. Brewer; this passage of Dr. Maston's originally appeared in the Baptist Standard, May 28, 1969)

One-Issue Christians

There are one-issue voters. There are also one-issue Christians. The former is unfortunate. The latter is more unfortunate.

The one-issue Christian may judge his own life on the basis of one particular issue. From his perspective, he is right on that issue; and, hence, he considers himself to be a good Christian.

More frequently, the one-issue Christian judges other Christians on the basis of one issue. This is usually a pet subject of his and one on which he considers himself to be right.

For some, the one issue will be in the area of personal morality. For others, it will be some phase of social morality. For all others, the one issue will be a particular theological doctrine or perspective. Regardless of other things, one is considered a good Christian if he is "right" on that doctrine or regarding the perspective.

Those who select an issue in the area of personal morality may be negative or positive in their approach but more frequently the former than the latter. If negative, the issue may be swearing, smoking, drinking, or some other comparable issue.

If one is free of that habit or "vice," he is good; if not, he is bad.

For others, the one issue may be in the area of positive personal morality. For example, if one is "honest in his business," a "man of integrity," "a good neighbor," "generous," "kind and considerate," he is judged to be a good man.

Whatever the virtue, it is a pet idea of the one-issue Christian. For him, if one is "right" regarding that issue or virtue, he is considered a good Christian. In the contemporary period, the one-issue Christian will frequently concentrate on some particular social issue. The goodness or badness of a Christian will be judged upon the basis of his attitude regarding this one issue.

The issue may be capital punishment, divorce, communism, foreign aid, poverty, race, Red China, unemployment, United Nations, or war.

The one-issue Christian judges other Christians on the basis of their position regarding a particular one of these issues. If they are wrong from his perspective on the issue, then they are wrong. If they agree with his position, then they are right and, hence, are good Christians.

It needs to be emphasized over and over again that there is no single issue that is an adequate test of the genuineness and vitality of one's Christian faith. The ultimate test is how much we are like the living Christ. This means, among other things, that a Christian's life should be judged by the totality of its impact. One may be right, at least from our perspective, on one issue and yet be entirely wrong on equally important issues. We need to remember that the same thing may be true of us. We all have our blind spots.

Let us in this area, as elsewhere, do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let us also remember that one may differ with us on what we consider to be the supreme issue or test of the Christian life, and yet over all he may be a better Christian than we are.

- T. B. Maston