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Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Mamby-Pamby Christianity
Quite frankly, Americanized Christianity brings me to borderline nausea. The fickleness, the inaccuracy of scripture, the denominationalism, and the all around lukewarm nature of the "Church" is disheartening and concerning. These days, it seems you have to qualify your "Christianity" because saying "I'm a Christian" is really indicitive of nothing. In reality, "Christian" isn't really a term you see in the Bible, however "Follower of Christ" or "Believer in Christ" are. Now more than ever, I can certainly see the logic behind that.
Calling oneself a "Christian" is simply a title (and boy do we all love titles). A good 50% of Americans can call themselves "Christian" without any visible fruit. Moreover, these days, there are people who even believe they were "born" into Christianity, as though it were some gene or bloodline trait. Contrarily, calling oneself a "Follower of Christ" certainly raises the stakes and the standards. This is not merely a title, but a lifestyle that requires action, proof, accountability, and moral standards for living. To put it simply, being a true "Follower of Christ" is neither easy nor popular.
The notion of "mamby-pamby" Christianity suggests a group of people who are calling themselves "Christians" yet selectively choosing their own definitions of what "dying to self" really means. The pansy stuff that accompanies the weak-minded "believers" is troublesome. I find this reality most at work by way of the state of our nation. With key issues on the table like abortion rights and same-sex marriages (to name a few), Christians cannot afford to be fickle on anything. The agnostic and atheist Left is more militant than we are. In this era of "everybody please like me" I fear many people have succumbed to the propaganda of lies that oppose what the Bible says. In attempts to be socially accepted, we have philosophized our way out of just about everything. Discussions like "Is it really a fetus" and "People can't change the fact that they're gay" and "abstinence is unrealistic" are surfacing from the mouths of people who declare that they "Know God". It is becoming vastly clear that we are truly living in the culture of disbelief.
In his excellent post, "The Mystery of Shadowboxing", Avery Tooley uses the words of one of my favorite authors, Stephen L. Carter, as a springboard for good discussion on Christianity in America (shameless self promotion: About two years ago, I had Stephen L. Carter personally give me kudos after he heard me speak, and he also encouraged me in my writing and lecturing, can you imagine?). In Carter's best-seller, The Culture of Disbelief, he writes about America as being a place completely unaccepting and antagonistic towards all things pertaining to Christ. In his post, Avery weighs in on that very subect,
Calling oneself a "Christian" is simply a title (and boy do we all love titles). A good 50% of Americans can call themselves "Christian" without any visible fruit. Moreover, these days, there are people who even believe they were "born" into Christianity, as though it were some gene or bloodline trait. Contrarily, calling oneself a "Follower of Christ" certainly raises the stakes and the standards. This is not merely a title, but a lifestyle that requires action, proof, accountability, and moral standards for living. To put it simply, being a true "Follower of Christ" is neither easy nor popular.
The notion of "mamby-pamby" Christianity suggests a group of people who are calling themselves "Christians" yet selectively choosing their own definitions of what "dying to self" really means. The pansy stuff that accompanies the weak-minded "believers" is troublesome. I find this reality most at work by way of the state of our nation. With key issues on the table like abortion rights and same-sex marriages (to name a few), Christians cannot afford to be fickle on anything. The agnostic and atheist Left is more militant than we are. In this era of "everybody please like me" I fear many people have succumbed to the propaganda of lies that oppose what the Bible says. In attempts to be socially accepted, we have philosophized our way out of just about everything. Discussions like "Is it really a fetus" and "People can't change the fact that they're gay" and "abstinence is unrealistic" are surfacing from the mouths of people who declare that they "Know God". It is becoming vastly clear that we are truly living in the culture of disbelief.
In his excellent post, "The Mystery of Shadowboxing", Avery Tooley uses the words of one of my favorite authors, Stephen L. Carter, as a springboard for good discussion on Christianity in America (shameless self promotion: About two years ago, I had Stephen L. Carter personally give me kudos after he heard me speak, and he also encouraged me in my writing and lecturing, can you imagine?). In Carter's best-seller, The Culture of Disbelief, he writes about America as being a place completely unaccepting and antagonistic towards all things pertaining to Christ. In his post, Avery weighs in on that very subect,
"Not long ago, David Limbaugh wrote a book, Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christians that pretty much expressed the same sentiment, although I think that book was written with alarmist intentions and seems too much like victimology for my tastes, but the point is valid. All you really have to do is look at portrayal of President Bush's references to the way in which his faith impacts his decisions. The way mainstream media treats it, you'd think he was trying to enact some Christian version of sharia. But even that can devolve into a partisan argument. How bout the fact that they regularly try to strip the civil rights movement of any references to its Christian philosophical underpinnings? They'll talk all about how Rev. King was influenced by Ghandi, but Jesus? Couple harrumphs and some coughing, and then it's on to the dream.
So goes the typical reality in our secularized society. Nowadays, however, we fight to maintain truth in an era of "progressive Christianity". Now understand, by "progressive" I am not referring to the church evolving with the culture (e.g. hip-hop, mass media, women in leadership and singing songs other than dried up hymns), the "progressive" brand to which I am referring are those who are seeking to redefine scripture. You know, the heretics, the ninnies, the wolves in sheep's clothing who try to distort the word of God to fulfill their own fleshly desires. I appreciate that Avery takes it one further to discuss how "the culture of disbelief" has also influenced Christian culture as it moves to be more "progressive".
In a piece I wrote called, "The Cheap Gospel", I discuss this same issue that perturbs me so much. Our wishy-washiness and "tolerant" nature towards the Gospel has opened this country up to all measures of foolishness. There are lives on the line here. To me, it is that serious. People will get offended, but the "followers of Christ" need to come out from their complacent slumber and start telling the truth. Truth is not an ambiguous concept or idea. It is not specific to individuals like New Jersey Governor McGreevey who recently professed his own "truth". Truth is not some trivialized "ideal" or something that just shows up when we light incense, hum songs and act deep. No; Truth is Jesus Christ. Truth is not walking around in flowing robes, always stroking the common opinion either. No. Truth is divisive, and sometimes offensive because it calls for us to make a decision as to how we will live our lives.
I think it is the fear of the confrontational aspect of being a Christian that has given birth to the "mamby-pamby" movement. What is this I'm a Christian with a "little c" ideology? This is not a political party folks, this is a way of life.
posted by ambra at 9/22/2004 01:17:00 PM
In a piece I wrote called, "The Cheap Gospel", I discuss this same issue that perturbs me so much. Our wishy-washiness and "tolerant" nature towards the Gospel has opened this country up to all measures of foolishness. There are lives on the line here. To me, it is that serious. People will get offended, but the "followers of Christ" need to come out from their complacent slumber and start telling the truth. Truth is not an ambiguous concept or idea. It is not specific to individuals like New Jersey Governor McGreevey who recently professed his own "truth". Truth is not some trivialized "ideal" or something that just shows up when we light incense, hum songs and act deep. No; Truth is Jesus Christ. Truth is not walking around in flowing robes, always stroking the common opinion either. No. Truth is divisive, and sometimes offensive because it calls for us to make a decision as to how we will live our lives.
I think it is the fear of the confrontational aspect of being a Christian that has given birth to the "mamby-pamby" movement. What is this I'm a Christian with a "little c" ideology? This is not a political party folks, this is a way of life.
posted by ambra at 9/22/2004 01:17:00 PM
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