In most crucial areas of life, neutrality is a myth. It either does not exist, or seeking to remain neutral will just cause harm and hurt. We all must get involved, take a stand, and take sides. That certainly is the case with our eternal destiny. But it also matters in things like the culture wars. And as we read and study Scripture, we must admit that none of us are completely neutral and untainted by the ideas and input of others.

Can and should the Christian be neutral? Well, it depends on what we are talking about. Let me first deal with the term being used here. One online dictionary offers two senses of the word “neutrality”:
-The state of not supporting or helping either side in a conflict.
-The absence of decided views, expression, or strong feeling.

In some areas there can indeed be such neutrality, and it does not really matter if it is there. If a sporting event is on with two archrivals battling it out, and you are keen on that sport, and especially support (or hate) one of the teams, then you will not remain neutral. But if you are not into that particular sport, or have no favourite teams, then you can easily stay neutral, in the sense of not having strong feelings either way as to who wins or loses.

For the Christian, the idea of complete neutrality is quite questionable – at least in various key areas. Here I will offer three such areas, and show how taking sides is in fact what we are called to do, and refusing to take sides can be an indication of our lack of love for God and others.

The Myth of Spiritual Neutrality

In terms of the spiritual war that is taking place all around us, we have to go along with the words of Jesus: “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30a). There are only two sides in this cosmic conflict that we all find ourselves in: God’s side and the devil’s side.

The Bible makes it clear throughout that if we are not on God’s side, then we are on Satan’s side. This is especially the case when it has to do with those who are God’s children, and those who are not his children. You either is or you ain’t, to put it simply.

One way of putting this is to say that there are only two humanities: the redeemed and the unredeemed; the saved and the lost. And there are only two eternal destinies that people will find themselves in. So we all must choose, and choose carefully.

Sure, some people do not find such a black and white polarity to be to their liking. But repeatedly in Scripture we find this very thing. And I have written on this issue before, so have a look there for the numerous passages that make this so very clear: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2017/06/07/two-humanities-two-destinies/

Before moving on, let me say that some people are moving closer to God or further away. Conversion CAN be a process, something that may occur over time. So I am not saying all people MUST be able to pinpoint the exact moment that they passed over from death to life, from darkness to light.

The apostle Paul could certainly pinpoint the time and place, but for others, such as the apostle Peter, they may have been on a bit of a journey to get there. See more on this here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2022/07/17/on-becoming-a-christian/

The Myth of Cultural and Political Neutrality

My second area has to do with things like political involvement and the culture wars. These are matters I have of course written on quite frequently.

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