Two weeks ago, CPC’s daily radio program The Commonwealth Minute featured a story on Mark Pope, the new Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Kentucky. Our commentary was intended to be a positive reflection on the moral framework Pope will bring to the program. As a player and coach at other universities, and in recent days as he has begun his new role, Pope has demonstrated a strong and selfless character. The Minute was intended to highlight those achievements and express optimism about the future of Kentucky Basketball, one of the most prominent institutions in our commonwealth.
The program also made mention of the fact that, while Pope’s character is based in his faith, that faith is not a Christian one, as Pope is a member of the Mormon church. We were surprised by the response, which was largely negative about our claim that a member of the Mormon church is not an orthodox Christian.
Our goal wasn’t be be accusatory or hurtful. And again, our aim was to praise Pope for the moral framework he brings to his new job. People from different faith traditions can largely share a moral framework. But as an organization that is committed to Biblical principles, we also thought it appropriate to distinguish the theological frameworks behind our separate faiths, even as we admire Pope’s character.
CPC wants to point to the ultimate source of that moral framework: Jesus Christ, the second person of the one Triune God. Christ’s person and work orders our ethics differently and gives us a solid framework for faithfulness in a fallen world. We will only have true peace when we come to faith in him.
In our political context, it’s easy to be divisive or label our ‘enemies’. At CPC, we want to eschew this behavior and lovingly and truthfully point to Christ. When we have a chance to do that, we will. We believe that Biblical principles lead to human flourishing, and we call on society to embrace those principles. And we believe that the only true hope for humanity is salvation through faith in who Christ truly is and what he has done.