Now even “Jesus loves me” has been weaponized

Last updated on: May 3, 2016 at 7:30 pm by Morgan Guyton

Now even “Jesus loves me” has been weaponized 2016-05-03T19:30:33-05:00 Morgan Guyton

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.

Horry County School Board Meeting [Youtube screen capture]

The culture wars have reached a new low. At a Horry County school board meeting in South Carolina held to discuss transgender bathroom policies, the only woman to speak in favor of transgender rights was drowned out by Christian parents singing “Jesus loves me.” I never thought I would see the sweetest children’s song ever written being used to make somebody shut up. It was a very apt metaphor for what the culture wars are really about.

The culture wars are an emphatic defense of the right not to listen to people whose identities make our world too confusing. In this sense, “Jesus loves me” is actually the perfect song to use to drown them out. It expresses the need to cling to a nursery rhyme level of understanding reality. Why do you people have to be SO complicated? A boy is a boy and a girl is a girl. If your boy is a sissy, spank him until he mans up. If your girl is trying to be a boy, spank her until she agrees to be a princess. That’s the way humanity’s done it for thousands of years before all these dadgum feminists came along with their political correctness and attacks on gender norms that are now causing all hell to break loose in our elementary school bathrooms.

A lot of things were less complicated in the past. Boys who fit the norm for what a boy is supposed to look like and girls who fit the norm for what a girl is supposed to look like were the popular kids who were not only pretty but also smart and confident enough to grow up into successful, well-adjusted adults with healthy, normal families. Kids who didn’t fit the norms were just freaks and dweebs and sissies. They didn’t have all these special names to call themselves. They just accepted their place in society at cafeteria tables by themselves. They couldn’t find others like them in the days before the internet. They just thought they were ugly and stupid. Maybe some of them grew out of it and became well-adjusted adults. Many tried to kill themselves, some successfully. Many others fell through the cracks of society, became homeless, and spent their entire lives in a state of social rejection.

And now in this information age awash with child psychology resources and support groups of all kinds, the parents of kids who are different in whatever variety of ways have the audacity to try to figure out their quirks and turn them into sources of pride rather than shame. They don’t beat their sons when they want to be princesses or force their daughters to wear dresses when they want to wear pants. Why would we think that God would love these different children any less than their parents? Why would we think that God would give them a snake when they ask for a fish or a scorpion when they ask for bread?

The God whose greatest concern in the universe is making sure that gender norms are strictly enforced is a projection formed by the need for an uncomplicated world. The God who is love is not threatened by the evolution of human society into a world where yesterday’s freaks have their identities legitimized so that they have a chance of becoming fully flourishing human beings. Even if this positive evolution of our society means acknowledging that Christians are not forced to retain a first century anthropology forever.

It is not God who cannot handle complexity. It is the people who turn a song appropriate for teaching children they are loved into a weapon for drowning out difference. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, trans or cis, straight or gay, he will love them every day, Jesus loves the children of the world.

Previous Post

May 2, 2016

On making Jesus answer questions he wasn't asked

Next Post

May 5, 2016 No, you're not toxic just because you're conservative

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Beauty Will Save the World Bible Big Picture: Ephesians Bloggers Book Christian salvation and the Beautitudes Culture Daily Office Danceable Homiletics Deadly Sins Deep Roots: Genesis Devotions Dominican Republic May 2011 El Principio Misericordia (The Mercy Principle) Five verses God tattooed on my heart Fundraising FutureGospel Good Biblical Words Henri Nouwen Interview Jennings' Christian Imagination Jesus inside the beltway Jesus Is My Candidate Jesus vs the Pharisees Jesus vs. Plato Journey to Eternity Looking Back on 2012 Love Actually Monday Merton Monday Merton Music Occupy the manger On Earth As It Is In Heaven Original Sin Podcast Poetry Politics Prayer Psalm 119 Radical Jesus 101 Reviews Sermon on the Mount Sermons Spanish Bible study Special Series Spiritual but not religious Synchroblog Theology Things that made me think Thomas a Kempis Ugliness Into Beauty Uncategorized Viaje Dominicano 2013 Walking in the Valley (Lent) Welcome: It's More than a Mat Wild Goose 2013 Wrestling

Select a Month March 2022 January 2022 December 2021 September 2021 April 2021 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 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 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 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

What does Paul tell Titus that God's grace teaches us to deny?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Our sinful nature Ungodliness and worldly passions The flesh The devil