The Gospel of Cal Thomas

Thomas claims that Hillary Clinton's Methodist faith is a form of "works salvation."

Apparently, there's something wrong with people who connect faith and social responsibility.

The new
willingness of faithful Democrats to speak up about their faith
continues to work miracles: Cal Thomas has become a theologian. The
one-time leading activist of the Christian right now explains to
readers that Hillary Clinton's Methodist faith is a form of "works salvation."
Apparently, people who connect faith and social responsibility believe
that "one can do enough good deeds to earn God's approval and enter
heaven."

There was a serious argument on this point between St. Augustine and a monk named Pelagius in the 5^th
century. Ever since then, "works salvation" has been something to
accuse other people of believing when you don't like the works they are
doing. If you can't argue with their actions, you can always question
their motives.

What
Christians have believed ever since the Epistle of James told us that
"faith without works is dead" (James 2:20) is that the good we do for
others in this life is a response to God's love for us.  Because we
already have God's love, we don't have to earn it, but God's love works
in us and through us in ways that become visible in our concern for the
physical and spiritual well-being of others, and in our work for
justice in all human relationships. Certainly, that is what John Wesley
believed, when he started the Methodist movement that preached the
gospel, fed the poor, cared for the sick, founded schools, and argued
against slavery. People accused Wesley of believing in "works
salvation," too, when his concern for the poor began to raise
uncomfortable questions for the rich.

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);
//–>

Christians
who are serious about relating faith to life will ask themselves what
they can do to show God's love through their own actions and through
the programs, causes, parties, and candidates they support. Those who
want to do a little theology instead will look around for programs,
causes, parties, and candidates they don't like and accuse them of
belieiving in "works salvation."