As our congregation has succumbed to Trumpism we are currently looking at other options and let's say the scene is not encouraging. Sunday after Sunday, I find myself driving the better part of an hour or more to sit in on meetings that disappoint and sometimes are an occasion for righteous anger. It's one of those moments that living in a rural area becomes a burden. There are relatively few churches and the distances can sometimes be great.
A recent Sunday marked a 'typical Evangelical experience'. I
didn't walk out – which I've done often enough, especially when the drum kit
(that I missed when I came in) gets going. This time there were no drums and so
I stayed – but I won't go back.
I've grown weary of the Covid lies and misinformation and the
utter lack of any kind of direction from the New Testament. To echo an oft
repeated theme in my writings, I am convinced that much of the Church actually
hates the New Testament and its ethics and especially the ethics taught by
Christ in places like the Sermon on the Mount.
Rather than focus on others and self-mortification in terms
of applied ethics, the message week after week in multiple congregations has
been some form of empowerment, or how the world needs to see us together,
interacting together and the like. There's never any sense of other-orientation
(also known as love, empathy, and compassion), or any kind of ethical call to
take up the cross. No, it's about 'us' and what we 'need' and how we need to 'move
on' and see faces and smiles. And of course we have to be warm, cozy, and
comfortable. To experience discomfort and endure inconvenience – that wouldn't
be American, and therefore it cannot be Christian.
The vapid claims to pro-lifeism are on full display here, and
the really nasty aspect takes place in the pews before and after the service as
you hear all the 'talk'. It's clear that FOX dominates the thinking of these
people as they do little more than reiterate the talking points provided for
them by its charlatan demagogues and entertainers – or more properly
manipulators and spellcasters. Anti-Covid measures are just about 'controlling
our lives' was a common theme. I thought back to pew conversations I heard in
2001 and 2002 when these same types of people were vigorously defending every intrusive
and draconian extra- and anti-constitutional measure ordered by Bush. They were
willing to be surveilled, to have the government collect all their data and be
subject to invasive searches. In that case they begged and even praised the
government that sought to control their lives. And in terms of deaths and
societal cost, the al Qaeda attacks of the late 1990's and early 2000's were
nothing compared to Covid.
One would think the pro-life tilt to the anti-vaccine
argument would have collapsed by now – the whole argument being rooted in the vaccine is from aborted fetuses narrative.
It's a deceptive claim on many levels but as is often the case there's a hint
of truth to it. It goes back to a period years ago in which the needed cells
were not available as they are now. The research lines have been perpetuated
decades after the fact and yet I do believe there are some Evangelicals who
think that babies are being actively aborted to develop the vaccines and I know
some leaders who are content to allow that misconception to stand – as they
find it useful.
The silliness to it is this – if you really believe that,
then to have any integrity at all, one must eschew the vast majority of
over-the-counter medicines as well, as almost all of them have relied on these same
research-cell lines that go back decades. You had better empty your medicine cabinet
into the rubbish bin. Even things as mundane as antacids and ibuprofen are out
of bounds.
None of these people are suggesting this, or even addressing
the topic, demonstrating they're not serious to begin with. It's merely a ploy,
a political tactic and an insincere one at that.
In keeping with the FOX-dominated worldview, I had to
suppress a chuckle when the pastor wanted to share some of his recent experiences.
He had just returned from Washington DC where he had attended a conference
which included Evangelical names and associations I was familiar with but less
than enthused about. He then reported on his trip to the Green Family Museum of Christo-Americanism (also known as the
Museum of the Bible). But what shocked this pastor was that he and his wife
didn't see any evidence or indication of riots. They were really surprised to
walk onto the National Mall and discover everything was peaceful and routine.
That's where the chuckling came in from my end.
FOX viewers are under the false impression that the nation is
on fire, that there is a conflagration taking place on city streets across the
country. Antifa and other radicals are, on a daily basis smashing up buildings
and setting fire to cities. There's a raging war in the streets. It's just
another case of FOX generating fear and anxiety and given how often I hear
about it, I would say it's been a pretty successful campaign.
Last summer a nephew of mine ventured out to Portland,
Oregon. Other family members were upset. How could his parents allow him to do
that? Didn't they know that Portland is on fire and wasn't safe? The nephew was
surprised to find there wasn't much of anything going on. His friend drove him
downtown to the small area where some of the ongoing demonstrations have been
taking place. He wasn't shocked by the riots or damage but rather how
relatively insignificant it was.
FOX viewers are being hoodwinked about this and many other
things. The network is a scam, a fraud. CNN is too, but a different kind of
fraud. The FOX fraud is brute and base, and born of the gutter.
And yet this pastor had to spin his disappointment – for
that's what it seemed to be. And so his reflection that he shared was this – 'Everything
was at peace but it's all a lie. The peace just hides the corruption!'
That's true enough but if he's not willing to say that about
Washington under Trump, the Bushes, or Reagan (whom he quoted with
appreciation), then I'm afraid his discernment is wanting, as is his
credibility.
The sermon was ostensibly about the passage in 1 John 3
dealing with hating and loving the brethren but the message was lost in a fog.
There was a brief moment of hope when he talked about how maybe for the sake of
being a Christian you might at times need to surrender your rights. That was
fairly remarkable but I could tell it didn't go over well. But how could it? When
the FOX/Right-wing worldview dominates, an ethic of pride, power and revenge,
the ethical imperatives of the gospel don't have a chance. This is the
Evangelical generation that's been taught (in addition to the ethos of the gun)
to file lawsuits when wronged, even when merely offended. Never rejoice in the
fact that you've been called to suffer for His name and have lost your job. No,
get a lawyer and get even.
There's a real schizophrenia at work in Evangelicalism and I
witnessed it yet again on that Sunday. On the one hand the passages which are
read and preached (textual interaction being fairly minimal in many of these
churches) are forced to compete with the ethos and values of Right-wing
political activism. It also doesn't help when so many of the churches now have
screens. People in many cases aren't opening Bibles or really interacting with
them. The screen is busy throughout the service. It's really distracting, all
the more for a generation that struggles to focus and pay attention. I wonder
if this is why so many of these churches sacrilegiously play music while they
pray. They've got to keep it exciting I guess.
Pronoun confusion dominates. Our troops, our heroes, our
leaders, America, the Church – it's all confused. And thus when it comes to
hating and loving the brethren the message is lost. These terms are never
properly defined or delineated. The audience and for that matter the teacher
are unable to discern the differences. The result is doctrinal and ethical
chaos.
Holiness is exhorted, but the heresy of Carnal Christianity
dominates – even if it's not explicitly taught in the terms once made notorious
by some of the faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary. Salvation is never in
doubt – the dozens of New Testament Scriptures that say otherwise are ignored.
Eternal Security functions as presumption and the import of the Biblical
imperatives are removed and the warnings and exhortations to persevere lack
teeth. Must becomes ought and should. Duty and obligation, not to mention the
imperative of obedience (which is inseparable for New Testament conceptions of
faith) are transformed into psycho-therapeutic concepts of what's 'best' or
what will make 'you' most fulfilled.
Over and over again there was talk of the 'War on the Family'
that's taking place in the culture and being waged by the political class –
meaning the Democrats of course.
But this is in the context of a congregation in which the
majority of women work outside the home, children are sent to public schools,
there are certainly significant numbers of people in the congregation that are
divorced and remarried, and in general terms the dominant ethos is that of the
Middle Class and the celebration of its values and prosperity.
The pagan culture is at war with the family. Who can doubt
it? The American-Capitalist system itself has long promoted individualism which
corrodes the family unit. Much more could be said about the economic system
universally championed by the Right-wing Evangelicals and their favourite news
channel. Briefly, it has forced the two-income paradigm on society (leaving the
faithful to suffer difficulty and even scorn from fellow church members),
driven the standard of living to extremes – not to the benefit and fulfillment
of people's lives, but to the profit of Wall Street. More could be said about
the nature of modern work life and its immoral demands, not to mention what the
usurious economic system does to families in other countries.
In other words one of the most destructive aspects of the
'war on the family' is taking place and being waged within the Church itself –
even within 'conservative' circles and congregations and their addiction to FOX.
And why has this happened? Christ couldn't have framed it in terms more plain.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
Mammon drives these forces wherein people set aside
obligations such as family, the household, and even church, and sacrifice them
on the altar of social respectability and financial stability. They could earn
less but they might have to live in a poorer quality house, or they might have
to drive a lesser vehicle. They may not be able to afford the grand trips and
the many other perks of Middle Class life.
But since culture, nation, and the Church's identity are confused, since
a set of rival ideas, values, and ethics exist alongside New Testament
Christianity, and since the Church is not easily distinguished from the world,
it's no wonder the world is overrunning the Church.
And why will the men standing in pulpits refuse to seriously
challenge this sad reality? The answer is simple. Numbers. Numbers of people,
and numbers of dollars. These churches and denominations are little more than
businesses and the bottom line is what counts in the end. If pastors start
preaching Biblically about these family issues like feminism, divorce,
child-rearing and education, consumerism, the poison and anti-Christian nature
of middle class values and the like they will empty their churches in short
order. We will quickly see that only a small percentage of people will stay.
You'd have a small but vibrant church but the business model will quickly
collapse.
I left that day also struck by the provincialism of small
town and country churches. So much has changed in the last generation. The
warmth and friendliness is largely gone – at least in my Northern Appalachia
experience. For some, it's the social awkwardness and degeneration of the
social media/smartphone era. These are the same people who are disturbed if you
speak to them in a waiting room. For others it's the tribalism and clannish
nature that has been amplified over the past fifteen years or so. One almost
feels like an intruder instead of a guest. Others are (I wonder) antsy, half
wondering if this stranger is going to pull a gun on them or something. And
it's sad that the 'answer' to this in the ecclesiology of the seeker movement
is to have a 'welcome' room or to give gifts and presents to those who visit.
They seem so baffled when I display no interest in these things – though I
usually don't bother with churches where that kind of thing is likely to happen.
It's like a young car salesman I dealt with years ago. I wasn't following his
script, allowing him to give his line, nor was I answering his questions. He
was clearly exasperated with me.
All I know is that things have changed in that regard. I
stood around the foyer awhile and finally shrugged and walked out. The pastor
shook my hand but didn't bother to ask me any questions. This isn't a universal
experience, but increasingly common. I've been to Reformed (OPC/PCA) congregations
where my post-service experience was more like an interrogation. That's fine,
though I also know how domineering Reformed clerics can be and so in that case
I tend to pull back a little, especially if I'm just visiting. Altogether it
was a disappointing Sunday and I wonder where the congregation will be in
another ten years. As America collapses, will their faith do the same? Or will
the fictitious dream and romanticized false remembrance be enough to sustain
them? And will they (and so many like them) keep 'going with the flow' – just a
few steps back from mainstream culture? I was a little taken aback when one of
the 'trustees' was introduced to me. Covered in tattoos he decided to dress for
the beach (at least that was my guess) and showed up in shorts, a t-shirt and
running shoes. I'm hardly an advocate for a jacket and tie but there's
something else going on there – a casualness and swaggering irreverence that
translated into his conversation.
How many such congregations are now (contrary to Scripture) ordaining
women? How many tolerate people living in sin? I know of several cases in which
'shacked up' people are regularly attending church unchallenged. It's even
harder to deal with in a small community. If you challenge someone you could
lose half your congregation. But at that point, what is your congregation
anyway? Is it a church or just some kind of club?
I won't bother attending again. It was just like so many I've
already visited and I'm running out of options unless I move beyond the one
hour drive range – which itself is already far beyond what I would wish for.
That distance is such that you're effectively cut off from daily and weekly fellowship
life. In the end, it's almost as if I'm not looking for something decent. I've
given up on that. I'm just looking for something I can attend and sorry to say
it – 'sit through', on a weekly basis. That's pathetic but it's all we have and
if I can find that – it may be a start.
The hinterland is in a bad way. I know there are viable and
vibrant congregations in the metropolitan areas but it still rubs me as wrong
that the hinterland is to be effectively abandoned. I pray God will grant me
(and others) wisdom in this regard.