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

Home
Progressive Christian
Sports and Religion
What’s the Christian Response to the Current Culture?

What’s the Christian Response to the Current Culture?

Last updated on: June 3, 2025 at 9:16 pm by Jim Meisner Jr.

0 Comments

What’s the Christian Response to the Current Culture? 2025-06-03T21:16:00-04:00 Jim Meisner Jr.

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.

For months, I’ve been grappling with what should be the Christian Response to the Current Culture.

A timeless question asked by followers of Jesus for 2,000 years.

What is the current culture? A solid 30 percent of the United States supports the illegal actions of a convicted felon.

The government is controlled by people who don’t want to feed the hungry, who don’t want to clothe the naked, and don’t want to welcome strangers; as Jesus instructs his followers in Matthew 25.

Mainstream Christianity in the U.S. has seemingly morphed into the same thing – people are more concerned about their own luxuries than the basic necessities of others.

This shouldn’t be a surprise.

From Roman dictator Constantine to American dictator Donald Trump, too much of mainstream Christianity has always been a mixture of militarism and control.

The vast majority of Christians remain more committed to the nation controlling the land they live on than to the God who created it.

Christians have killed Christians for the sake of nations with nearly the murderous enthusiasm Christians displayed killing savages in the name of God in every new land they encountered.

Jesus lived on the fringes of the mainstream, militarized culture. In a world filled with Romans, pagans, Samaritans, Jews – and the countless religions from Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, the message of Jesus was carried by a small segment of the world.

The authentic message of Jesus has existed on the fringe of the mainstream culture for nearly 2,000 years, and that’s where it remains today.

Quiet voices repeating the message of Jesus and gentle, grace-filled souls attempting to live the life of Jesus stand no chance of breaking through the walls of noise and tribalism that has swarmed around the cross since 313, when Constantine co-opted Christianity to control the Roman Empire.

Too many Christian voices in the U.S. are Constantine Christians who look at a flaming sword and think, “By this, conquer,” which where the words Constantine said, upon his “conversion” to Christianity.

“Conquer with the sword” has been the theme of much of Christianity for much of the time, since.

It was wrong with Constantine, it was wrong during the inquisition and the crusades, and it is wrong today. And it’s wrong when Christian soldiers go marching as to war.

Constantinian Christians. In other words, Christian Nationalists.

Christians today who believe the country should be driven by “Christian” principles to control how people dress, how they reproduce, how they worship, and what they read or think. But these same “Christians” don’t believe the so-called “Christian” nation should feed the hungry, clothe the naked and welcome the stranger.

They reject the words of Jesus – feed the hungry, help the stranger, love others – and instead claim the name of Christian to discriminate, humiliate, isolate, segregate, and hate everyone who isn’t exactly like them.

“The sickness or, you can say the sin, that Jesus condemns most is hypocrisy,” said Pope Francis. “You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian. You cannot be a Christian without practicing the Beatitudes. You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25.

“It’s hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of my help. If I say I am Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite.”

Are they Christian at all? You may wear a gold cross, or you may have said the sinner’s prayer or even been baptized by full immersion, but are you really a Christian if you don’t do the basic, simple things Jesus says to do?

You’re a hypocrite, at best. But you’re little more than a Cosplay Christian wearing a costume and pretending, blissfully, willfully ignorant of the beliefs and responsibilities of actually being a Christian and trying to do the things Jesus calls us to do – to do the things the Bibles tells us to do – to do the things God wants us to do.

And it’s not protesting in front of abortion clinics, or passing legislation controlling what people do with their bodies, or the books they read, or the public restrooms they use.

What they are doing is ungodly. Unchristian. Immoral. These people aren’t Christians.

They may self-identify as Christians, but they aren’t.

So, what is to be done?

Follow this link for six suggestions:

Religion News

Politics and Religion

About Jim Meisner

I attended seminary, earned a Master of Divinity and was the pastor of a church for a few years. I created this blog and Facebook page, Faith on the Fringe. I’ve been the pastor of my current church for more than three years. Jesus gives us a better way to be, but too many judgmental Christians get in the way and drive people away from the message of Jesus. I’m frustrated with both Christians and non-Christians who make judgments based on what they think the Bible says, rather than what it actually says. What they think the message of Jesus is, rather than what it actually is. The authentic message of Jesus remains on the fringe of the faith and many spiritual seekers are on the fringe of the culture. Here they can find faith on the fringe. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

April 16, 2025

Acting in Faith: Being Present in the Moment

Next Post

May 22, 2025 Notes from a sermon: Responding to the Current Culture

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Jim Meisner reveals in this article his support for the likes of the heartless Biden ..."

notpc

Woody Guthrie’s Deportee

"Your reply to my earlier post suggests that you yourself do not know the Bible ..."

notpc

The Christian Response to Trump

"Jim Meisner is clearly blinded by hate that comes from the far Left propaganda lies ..."

notpc

The Christian Response to Trump

"I suggest you ask Jesus (the teacher, Matthew 23:8-10) to give you the understanding of ..."

notpc

The Christian Response to Trump

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Celtic spirituality Christmas Civil Rights culture Easter Faith images in the news Prayer Quote Scripture Uncategorized vocational ministry Writing

Select a Month August 2026 July 2026 May 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 July 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 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 January 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 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the slave who became a Christian and whose master was Philemon?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Sosthenes Barnabas Onesimus Tychicus