What evangelist/songwriter Keith Green wrote years ago now comes to pass in the generation that bears the fruit of what he called self-centered Christianity. He believed that when someone becomes a Christian under the modern prosperity themed "bless me richly Lord" preaching, the kind that permeates so many fundamentalist churchs today, that person will seldom bring forth the true fruits of a real convert. "He will remain just as selfish as he always was, only now his selfishness will take on a religious form". Keith Green was talking primarily about the cheap fast track evangelical methods used to attract and get "numbers saved" and here the fruits of that method have been reaped with a definite self-centered fear-mongered church today that will preserve themselves whatever it takes whether it's supporting torture, supporting military invasion or pushing the purchasing of guns to defend oneself.
And since so much of today's preaching has taken believers away from depending on faith in God's protection exchanging it for a more fear based dependency on worldly channels of protection the politics have also followed suit. Green couldn't have been any more spot on about the fruits of prosperity themed preaching than what is written today in the following article:
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And since so much of today's preaching has taken believers away from depending on faith in God's protection exchanging it for a more fear based dependency on worldly channels of protection the politics have also followed suit. Green couldn't have been any more spot on about the fruits of prosperity themed preaching than what is written today in the following article:
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"Why Evangelicals Reject Jesus's Teachings"
The results from a recent poll published by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveal what social scientists have known for a long time: White Evangelical Christians are the group least likely to support politicians or policies that reflect the actual teachings of Jesus. It is perhaps one of the strangest, most dumb-founding ironies in contemporary American culture. Evangelical Christians, who most fiercely proclaim to have a personal relationship with Christ, who most confidently declare their belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, who go to church on a regular basis, pray daily, listen to Christian music, and place God and His Only Begotten Son at the center of their lives, are simultaneously the very people most likely to reject his teachings and despise his radical message.
Jesus unambiguously preached mercy and forgiveness. These are supposed to be cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian sentencing, punitive punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use of torture. Jesus exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And yet Evangelicals are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access weaponry, little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership, not to mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the world. Jesus was very clear that the pursuit of wealth was inimical to the Kingdom of God, that the rich are to be condemned, and that to be a follower of Him means to give one's money to the poor. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of corporate greed and capitalistic excess, and they are the most opposed to institutional help for the nation's poor -- especially poor children. They despise food stamp programs, subsidies for schools, hospitals, job training -- anything that might dare to help out those in need. Even though helping out those in need was exactly what Jesus urged humans to do. In short, Evangelicals are that segment of America which is the most pro-militaristic, pro-gun, and pro-corporate, while simultaneously claiming to be most ardent lovers of the Prince of Peace.
What's the deal?
Before attempting an answer, allow a quick clarification. Evangelicals do love Jesus dearly, but not because of what he tried to teach humanity. Rather, Evangelicals love Jesus for what He does for them. Through His heavenly grace, and by shedding His precious blood, Jesus saves Evangelicals from everlasting torture in hell, and guarantees them a premium, luxury villa in heaven. For this, and this only, they love Him. They can't stop thanking Him. And yet, as for Jesus himself -- His core values of peace, His core teachings of social justice, His core commandments of goodwill -- most Evangelicals seem to have nothing but disdain.
And this is nothing new. At the end of World War I, the more rabid, and often less educated Evangelicals decried the influence of the Social Gospel amongst liberal churches. According to these self-proclaimed torch-bearers of a religion born in the Middle East, progressive church-goers had been infected by foreign ideas such as German Rationalism, Soviet-style Communism, and, of course, atheistic Darwinism. In the 1950s, the anti-Social Gospel message piggybacked the rhetoric of anti-communism, which slashed and burned its way through the Old South and onward through the Sunbelt, turning liberal churches into vacant lots along the way. It was here that the spirit and the body collided, leaving us with a prototypical Christian nationalist, hell-bent on prosperity. Charity was thus rebranded as collectivism and self-denial gave way to the gospel of accumulation. Church-to-church, sermon-to-sermon, evangelical preachers grew less comfortable with the fish and loaves Jesus who lived on earth, and more committed to the angry Jesus of the future. By the 1990s, this divine Terminator gained "most-favored Jesus status" among America's mega churches; and with that, even the mention of the former "social justice" Messiah drove the socially conscious from their larger, meaner flock.
In addition to such historical developments, there may very well simply be an underlying, all-too-human social-psychological process at root, one that probably plays itself out among all religious individuals: they see in their religion what they want to see, and deny or despise the rest. That is, religion is one big Rorschach test. People look at the content of their religious tradition -- its teachings, its creeds, its prophet's proclamations -- and they basically pick and choose what suits their own secular outlook. They see in their faith what they want to see as they live their daily lives, and simultaneously ignore the rest. And as is the case for most White Evangelical Christians, what they are ignoring is actually the very heart and soul of Jesus's message -- a message that emphasizes sharing, not greed. Peace-making, not war-mongering. Love, not violence.
Of course, conservative Americans have every right to support corporate greed, militarism, gun possession, and the death penalty, and to oppose welfare, food stamps, health care for those in need, etc. -- it is just strange and contradictory when they claim these positions as somehow "Christian." They aren't.
- Phil Zuckerman and Dan Cody
____________________________
Jesus unambiguously preached mercy and forgiveness. These are supposed to be cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian sentencing, punitive punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use of torture. Jesus exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And yet Evangelicals are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access weaponry, little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership, not to mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the world. Jesus was very clear that the pursuit of wealth was inimical to the Kingdom of God, that the rich are to be condemned, and that to be a follower of Him means to give one's money to the poor. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of corporate greed and capitalistic excess, and they are the most opposed to institutional help for the nation's poor -- especially poor children. They despise food stamp programs, subsidies for schools, hospitals, job training -- anything that might dare to help out those in need. Even though helping out those in need was exactly what Jesus urged humans to do. In short, Evangelicals are that segment of America which is the most pro-militaristic, pro-gun, and pro-corporate, while simultaneously claiming to be most ardent lovers of the Prince of Peace.
What's the deal?
Before attempting an answer, allow a quick clarification. Evangelicals do love Jesus dearly, but not because of what he tried to teach humanity. Rather, Evangelicals love Jesus for what He does for them. Through His heavenly grace, and by shedding His precious blood, Jesus saves Evangelicals from everlasting torture in hell, and guarantees them a premium, luxury villa in heaven. For this, and this only, they love Him. They can't stop thanking Him. And yet, as for Jesus himself -- His core values of peace, His core teachings of social justice, His core commandments of goodwill -- most Evangelicals seem to have nothing but disdain.
And this is nothing new. At the end of World War I, the more rabid, and often less educated Evangelicals decried the influence of the Social Gospel amongst liberal churches. According to these self-proclaimed torch-bearers of a religion born in the Middle East, progressive church-goers had been infected by foreign ideas such as German Rationalism, Soviet-style Communism, and, of course, atheistic Darwinism. In the 1950s, the anti-Social Gospel message piggybacked the rhetoric of anti-communism, which slashed and burned its way through the Old South and onward through the Sunbelt, turning liberal churches into vacant lots along the way. It was here that the spirit and the body collided, leaving us with a prototypical Christian nationalist, hell-bent on prosperity. Charity was thus rebranded as collectivism and self-denial gave way to the gospel of accumulation. Church-to-church, sermon-to-sermon, evangelical preachers grew less comfortable with the fish and loaves Jesus who lived on earth, and more committed to the angry Jesus of the future. By the 1990s, this divine Terminator gained "most-favored Jesus status" among America's mega churches; and with that, even the mention of the former "social justice" Messiah drove the socially conscious from their larger, meaner flock.
In addition to such historical developments, there may very well simply be an underlying, all-too-human social-psychological process at root, one that probably plays itself out among all religious individuals: they see in their religion what they want to see, and deny or despise the rest. That is, religion is one big Rorschach test. People look at the content of their religious tradition -- its teachings, its creeds, its prophet's proclamations -- and they basically pick and choose what suits their own secular outlook. They see in their faith what they want to see as they live their daily lives, and simultaneously ignore the rest. And as is the case for most White Evangelical Christians, what they are ignoring is actually the very heart and soul of Jesus's message -- a message that emphasizes sharing, not greed. Peace-making, not war-mongering. Love, not violence.
Of course, conservative Americans have every right to support corporate greed, militarism, gun possession, and the death penalty, and to oppose welfare, food stamps, health care for those in need, etc. -- it is just strange and contradictory when they claim these positions as somehow "Christian." They aren't.
- Phil Zuckerman and Dan Cody
____________________________
How could the church have fallen so far? In short and blunt terms it intermingled the message of Jesus with the lust for money and it has been going on and is going on now. Young people today, more informed than previous generations and wiser to money's corruption are tragically rejecting Christianity because of this hypocrisy in the fundamentalist church that is so identified and entangled with the above rightwing politics. These political positions on issues much of the religious right church have fallen into today are clearly a shame and a detriment to the witness of Christianity and a slap in the face of the character of Jesus's teachings. And yes, it is also a disgrace before the kingdom of God that those calling themselves Christians would, in the name of their political ideology, so virulantly oppose desperately needed healthcare help for American families. And brothers and sisters, in the one nation with the most checks and balances on government power the world has ever seen.
Surely if a way can be found for the new healthcare reform to be accepted constitutionally, Christians above all people, should be pushing for that constitutionality, not straining at a knat to oppose it just as the pharisees strained at a knat to catch Jesus in violation of sabbath and other laws when he tried to help people. If court precedent can be found to make a way for the extention of God's love into the life of this land then shouldn't it be embraced? However some want to adhere to strict interpretation of the law of this land as if it was God's infallible word and that speaks volumes itself.
This example of repulsion to the the new healthcare law is just more evidence that some Christians are under bondage to a fearful and false anti-government political ideology. It is such a strong bondage that even when seeing many families losing their homes, their quality and dignity of life and then even their lives because of lack of healthcare these Christians still will not relent from the cult-like power of the false ideology, an ideology that has been elevated to the level of God where the diligence of faith walks hand in hand with political ideology and the pursuit of money has been inshrined with the pursuit of God so that there can be no question of fallability.
Here is an excerpt from the article which is most telling:
Quote:
"In the 1950s, the anti-Social Gospel message piggybacked the rhetoric of anti-communism, which slashed and burned its way through the Old South and onward through the Sunbelt, turning liberal churches into vacant lots along the way. It was here that the spirit and the body collided, leaving us with a prototypical Christian nationalist, hell-bent on prosperity. Charity was thus rebranded as collectivism and self-denial gave way to the gospel of accumulation."
Boy did self-denial give way. Now we have far too much of the church of me,me,bless me lord and how can i integrate the gospel into making more money. We need a lot more of facing and examining ourselves honestly and denying our selves to bless God and giving our lives in honor and worship to Him.
I do not know the motives of the author of the above article but frankly I view the article as, not a condemnation of Christians, but an admonition and opportunity to call Christians to come out of their fear and ignorance. A call to Christians to return to their courageous stands on issues, against the rich and powerful, that they stood on for over 1950 years until fear of communism,socialism, nazism or whatever mutated our theology for us and sandblasted many of us into the more extreme capitalistic ideology of the rich. Christianity should always stand for, as it always did, support for the poor and reproof of the rich, in this society, in other nations or in nations of the future.
Surely if a way can be found for the new healthcare reform to be accepted constitutionally, Christians above all people, should be pushing for that constitutionality, not straining at a knat to oppose it just as the pharisees strained at a knat to catch Jesus in violation of sabbath and other laws when he tried to help people. If court precedent can be found to make a way for the extention of God's love into the life of this land then shouldn't it be embraced? However some want to adhere to strict interpretation of the law of this land as if it was God's infallible word and that speaks volumes itself.
This example of repulsion to the the new healthcare law is just more evidence that some Christians are under bondage to a fearful and false anti-government political ideology. It is such a strong bondage that even when seeing many families losing their homes, their quality and dignity of life and then even their lives because of lack of healthcare these Christians still will not relent from the cult-like power of the false ideology, an ideology that has been elevated to the level of God where the diligence of faith walks hand in hand with political ideology and the pursuit of money has been inshrined with the pursuit of God so that there can be no question of fallability.
Here is an excerpt from the article which is most telling:
Quote:
"In the 1950s, the anti-Social Gospel message piggybacked the rhetoric of anti-communism, which slashed and burned its way through the Old South and onward through the Sunbelt, turning liberal churches into vacant lots along the way. It was here that the spirit and the body collided, leaving us with a prototypical Christian nationalist, hell-bent on prosperity. Charity was thus rebranded as collectivism and self-denial gave way to the gospel of accumulation."
Boy did self-denial give way. Now we have far too much of the church of me,me,bless me lord and how can i integrate the gospel into making more money. We need a lot more of facing and examining ourselves honestly and denying our selves to bless God and giving our lives in honor and worship to Him.
I do not know the motives of the author of the above article but frankly I view the article as, not a condemnation of Christians, but an admonition and opportunity to call Christians to come out of their fear and ignorance. A call to Christians to return to their courageous stands on issues, against the rich and powerful, that they stood on for over 1950 years until fear of communism,socialism, nazism or whatever mutated our theology for us and sandblasted many of us into the more extreme capitalistic ideology of the rich. Christianity should always stand for, as it always did, support for the poor and reproof of the rich, in this society, in other nations or in nations of the future.
We need get over it and get on with the way Christianity is supposed to be, the way we were before all the paranoia hit. The truth is more important than the way you may have been led or what you are afraid of. Salvation is kind of like that. We need to return to the clarity of those first things, first of all, the priority of God's love and mercy which are the only things that will truly restore the souls of men.
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