Why am I endeavoring to write this?
I’ve heard it said, although I don’t remember exactly when or by whom, “The Church is a social club for ageing NPR supporters.” That seems to be the case. The Church has, for the most part, lost its edge. It really reminds me of the “hippies” from the early ‘60s and ‘70s who were all about the cultural revolution until they aged a little and got a taste of the “good life”. In a relatively short time, they became the materially obsessed yuppies of the ‘80s, the principles of which they had so vociferously taken a stand against when they were in their youth.
They may try to say this is a function of becoming wise. I don’t necessarily believe that. Upon observing those who were hippies then became the yuppie class, wisdom is not a trait which comes to mind in describing them. I think “wisdom” is simply a façade for the cold hard realities of life and the need to be practical. Ayn Rand said, “You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality”.
Being a “revolutionary” or an activist is adorable, if you’re 4 or 5 years old. Toddlers and children are expected to throw tantrums because of a lack of development in emotional control. Adults are (well…used to be) expected to grow out of that. Perhaps at one time there was a legitimate need to bring attention to an issue. These days being “revolutionary” or an activist seems to have more to do with the placebo effect than it does anything else. It gives the impression of alleviating suffering but is purely for show and has no real “medicinal” value.
It makes sense for those who’ve been superficial in their “revolution” or activist pursuits to be equally superficial in their theological pursuits. In recent years the call for “justice” has been very clear. We’ve been told there can be “NO” tolerance for slavery or any form of misogyny. Strangely, there’s an active slave trade in Libya and the Sharia Law of the middle east is the very definition of “misogyny” to the Western mind. The women there must be fully covered, can do nothing without the permission/ oversight of their husbands, they can’t drive, vote, etc. For some inexplicable reason (which has nothing to do with the very real danger of taking their “cultural revolutionary” or activist ideas to these places to “better those societies”) these places seem to be exempt from the call to conform to the universal standard of “justice”.
As I’ve said, the “cultural revolutionaries”/ activists of today aren’t serious people. They seem to prefer the attention gained from being obnoxious about what they claim to believe as long as there’s no real consequence for believing it. They’re not worthy of our time or attention. Tragically, they’ve infested every part of our society and so must be addressed.
“The Church” so-to-speak, has fully embraced the cultural revolution. It makes sense that after years of complacency and seeking one’s own benefit the activist model would be enticing. It allows practitioners the opportunity to pretend they’re on the cutting edge of society without having to take any real stand which would put them at odds with that society. This is plainly evidenced in the subjects “The Church” has chosen to take a stand on. It’s also evident in the subjects “The Church” chooses (make no mistake, it’s a choice) not to take a stand on.
One of the most iconic examples is the case of Derek Chauvin. A few short years ago when the George Floyd incident happened religious organizations couldn’t prove their obedience to the leftist narrative fast enough! Every religious organization I know was copying and pasting the CNN, MSNBC, DNC talking points onto their websites and into their “sermons”. What are their thoughts now? Are they even aware of the potential innocence of Derek Chauvin? Of course not! I don’t think they want to be aware of it. The truth was suppressed during his trial, and it will be now because it’s not about the truth.
It never was. It was about engineering an outcome to satisfy the mob’s desire for self-justification. Derek Chauvin was conveniently, the sacrificial lamb who happened to come along at the right time.
Will any religious organization call for the release of Derek Chauvin with the same vigor they called for his punishment? There’s no chance that will happen. This is a strange phenomenon considering one of the most important talking points of that time was being sure individuals are not falsely accused. I guess it’s fine for some individuals to be falsely accused depending on the current zeitgeist. Like it was said during this time, “You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.” Activist translation: as long as we get our way, any amount of collateral damage is justified.
One may observe this is a double standard. It most assuredly is. One may observe this is in fact a perversion of justice. It most assuredly is. The double standard and the perversion of justice are not bugs of the worldview of most religious organizations, it is in fact a feature and is foundational. Why is this the case? Because the worldview of most religious organizations is not biblical. Rather, it’s secular with a religious façade. In the absence of an objective biblical worldview, what will dictate values? More than likely politics. If you examine the positions of religious organizations since 2016, you’ll notice they align perfectly with leftist/ “progressive” policies. I think this also explains the purging of conservative members from almost every denomination. They can’t afford to have any reminders of their obligation to a standard other than themselves. Therefore, to justify themselves the conservative members need to be driven out. Well…need to be subjected to “uncomfortable conversations” until they “choose” to leave on their own (wink-wink). Of course, in their next sermon they’ll remind you how desperately important “relationships” are and their undying commitment to creating a “family” environment.
What’s wrong with the “Church” today? The “Church” is not the light in the darkness. The “Church” is the World, but with a religious façade. When people want something, it’s because they don’t already have it. Why should anyone want something they already have? The “Church” does not challenge the World, unless the World is conservative in its values. The “Church” really is nothing more than a social club.
Instead of trying to focus on everything wrong with the “Church”, I think it makes more sense to focus on what it’s intended to be.
Lets begin…