Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Andy Gill

Home
Progressive Christian
A Crumbling Dynasty: White Evangelicalism

A Crumbling Dynasty: White Evangelicalism

Last updated on: December 23, 2013 at 6:01 am by Andy Gill

A Crumbling Dynasty: White Evangelicalism 2013-12-23T06:01:02-05:00 Andy Gill

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It feels almost as if the media is lobbing the church pitches to either (a) knock out of the park or (b) embarrassingly swing as hard as we can and strike out, only to publicly humiliate ourselves.

So far, evangelicalism has chosen the latter.

Its things like this whole Duck Dynasty travesty, and last year’s Chik-Fil-A debacle that make me think we have not only missed an opportunity to love, but rather taken the opportunity to wrongly portray the Gospel. What do I mean? I mean things like: Lining up in support of Chik-Fil-A, posting hateful statements on Facebook, this is what I’m talking about in regards to “theological malpractice.”

It’s arguably just as hurtful, as would be you joining along side Westboro Baptist and protesting with them. It’s just more culturally acceptable for you to show your disdain through eating a Chicken sandwich.

It’s weird that Pope Francis and Phil Robertson believe the same thing, but yet we find Pope Francis hailed as not just Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year,” but also The Advocate’s “Person of the Year.” The reason Francis is being hailed by The Advocate and Phil Robertson seemingly verbally stoned by the media, is their choice of rhetorical focus. Francis see’s the person, and their humanity, whereas Ben Irwin puts quite well, “[Phil] Robertson seemingly see’s the mechanics of gay sex, thereby reducing people to a sex act. His comments reveal a diminished view of their humanity.”

I agree with Francis, in instances such as this, I think Jesus is more concerned about the person, than he is about the person’s actions.

Why? Because love is a much better motivator than shame and fear.

It’s almost as if we’ve decided who is in and who is out. We’ve somehow communicated that if you’re not a privileged, Caucasian, heterosexual, male you’re not in. The thing is, we don’t get to decide who this is good news for, and who this is not good news for. As much as some of us may want to, we just don’t have that power to pick and choose who get’s into the Kingdom and who does not.

As our country is diversifying, our economic status is changing, and our ways of communicating are changing, evangelicalism is seemingly becoming more and more irrelevant to Americans, because of it’s oppressive impracticalities. This is why people are quitting Christianity, this is why people don’t go to Church, and this is partly why what we’re doing isn’t working, the gospel the church is presenting, is unobtainable. It’s not JESUS, nor is it His message.

Again, Jesus never mentions homosexuality, because I think he had bigger and better stuff to worry about other than the mechanics of what someone does in their bedroom. I don’t see Jesus ever saying, “love the sinner, but hate the sin,” rather, I see Jesus saying, “Love the sinner and deal with your own sin.”

What if we focussed more on the love of Christ, rather than the law’s not ever mentioned by Christ? If you’re a pastoral leader, and you do not agree with this, then how about we go look through the past ten-years or so of your personal internet history and make that open for public questioning?

Yeah, didn’t think so.

You see this Gospel is not just for everyone minus the LGBT community. The Gospel is for everyone including the LGBT community.

So while you’re eating your chicken sandwiches while watching A&E in support of Duck Dynasty, I think, as Brandan Robertson says so well:

Jesus is asking, “Where were you when I was being slaughtered? Where were you when I was hungry and needed water? Where were you when I was dying of AIDS? Where were you when I was being imprisoned? Where were you when I was being abducted and sold into sex slavery? Oh, yeah. You were watching Duck Dynasty.”

Previous Post

December 18, 2013

Next Post

January 30, 2014 First Clip of Left Behind

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Books Buzzfeed Christian Church Church Culture Dating Dechurched eXvangelical Guest Post Humor Inspirational Justice LGBTQ Life Marriage Media Millennials Mini Post Monday Money Podcast Politics Race Reason Relationships Science Sex Socioeconomic Theology Theology Uncategorized Video Wednesday Youth Ministry

Select a Month June 2020 March 2020 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 January 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Elisha purified a pot of stew that had been poisoned with what?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Wild Mushrooms Arsenic Bad Cheese Wild Gourds

Support this
Column