Jay Bakker on CNN.com
A story earlier this week appeared on CNN.com, Bakker, Brown: What the hell happened to Christianity? Bakker would be Jim Bakker PTL leader's son, Jay. In the article Jay Bakker and Marc Brown allege that people nowadays are not drawn to Christianity because they view it as judgmental and hypocritical. They blame the Christian right and its political agenda. They also acknowledge that the root of the problem may go back to Rome's Christian Emperor Constantine who set laws that limited the rights of non-Christian Romans.
Whether one agrees with the premise that the Christian right's political agenda is the cause of the alienation or it was all Constantine's fault seems to be elementary. Without Constantine there might not be a religious right political movement. Constantine wrote the book on using religion to promote government. Much of what "established" creedal Christianity was established by the "great" Emperor, or is that "benevolent oppressor"?
While I tend to agree with Bakker and Brown -gag! I can not believe that I could agree with anyone remotely related to Jim Bakker- but guess I do. Some questions did come to mind....
If people are not drawn to Christianity because of the political positions of the Christian right how come I know so many people who describe themselves as Evangelical Christians? And why do so many of these people seem to agree with the political positions? Now I'm not talking about my football watching buddies, but people that I meet through work and stuff. It is almost like a fad. You know everybody's doing it, so I am too. It's cool and I want to be cool.
The article ends with the idea that Christianity is about loving one another, more about inclusion than some kind of morality code. The video segment that goes along with the article talks about how Jesus hung with the tax collectors, lepers, and ladies of the evening. I wonder if all the folks I know who think it's cool to be Evangelical agree with Jesus on these matters of inclusion.
Whether one agrees with the premise that the Christian right's political agenda is the cause of the alienation or it was all Constantine's fault seems to be elementary. Without Constantine there might not be a religious right political movement. Constantine wrote the book on using religion to promote government. Much of what "established" creedal Christianity was established by the "great" Emperor, or is that "benevolent oppressor"?
While I tend to agree with Bakker and Brown -gag! I can not believe that I could agree with anyone remotely related to Jim Bakker- but guess I do. Some questions did come to mind....
If people are not drawn to Christianity because of the political positions of the Christian right how come I know so many people who describe themselves as Evangelical Christians? And why do so many of these people seem to agree with the political positions? Now I'm not talking about my football watching buddies, but people that I meet through work and stuff. It is almost like a fad. You know everybody's doing it, so I am too. It's cool and I want to be cool.
The article ends with the idea that Christianity is about loving one another, more about inclusion than some kind of morality code. The video segment that goes along with the article talks about how Jesus hung with the tax collectors, lepers, and ladies of the evening. I wonder if all the folks I know who think it's cool to be Evangelical agree with Jesus on these matters of inclusion.
posted by willi at 10:27 PM
5 Comments:
You pose some interesting ideas. I agree with the thought that "that Christianity is about loving one another. More about inclusion than some kind of morality code." I am not sure if Evangelicals, "agree with Jesus on these matters of inclusion." It appears that the ex-head Evangelical, Ted Haggard, and his followers are not entirely inclusive, but look what happened to Ted Haggard.
The lack of being drawn to Christianity is due in part to the self centeredness of many people. They are driving their speed boat of life in such a way that it drinks up all the water in its path. What their boat should be doing is creating a wake of positive actions that will wash upon their fellow mankind, helping and not taking all the water. Should their boat drink in too much water, they will sink below the surface and not be able to see clearly. The lens of Jesus would help to clear up a view of God and the universe.
Being an evangelical Christian is much easier really. You have a one way ticket to heaven, you can profess to be morally superior, and you surely don't have to wallow around with the "lowlife". But really, it's like a big shiny boat with the rudder stuck too far off to the right and the pedal to the floor. It just goes in circles.
Excellent article. So-called "Evangelical Christianity" seems to be the catch-all popular phrase for the in-club. People may be reluctant to participate in a Christian church precisely because the in-phrase has been used to mean just about anything, consequently meaning nothing. Maybe, just maybe, people are seeking life changing truth the historical Jesus provides, not the overused meaningless rhetoric of the popular. One can hope...
Your right about so many people calling themselves "Christians" or even "evangelicals" just because they think it's cool right now.
What most younger people love about it all right now is that all you have to do is call yourself a Christian. Most evangelical groups don't put any requirements on or have any expectations for their young memebers. They can behave any way they want to and do whatever they want and don't have to do anything to help people or be compassionate towards people. Just talk about being a Christian is all you ahve to do.
This is why people like Jessica Simpson can go out in public in a dress with a plunging neckline and wear a cross necklace that hangs right in the middle of her clevage she is showing off. It's not about behavior or beliefs or anything else. It's just about talk. That makes it much easier for the younger crowds.
And unfortunately for most evangelical groups Christianity is about Abortion and Gays (and hatred of gays) and NOTHING else. Nothing else at all.
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