“As the church increased in influence, it decreased in Christian virtues.”
—Jerome (4th century Christian scholar)
Quite frankly I am done with this Americanized version of Christianity that borders on the margins of idolatry.
I am sick of how some Christians have turned a counter-intuitive faith that subverts Empires into a support system and surrogate for governing authorities.
I can no longer subscribe to such an insipid version of Christianity that is so hyper focused on the afterlife that is has lost touch with realities on the ground.
I can no longer associate myself with a brand of imperial religion whose secular host is delighted over such an otherworldly focus rather than one that calls out the powers to act and behave in ethically just ways.
I am bewildered that a well known Christian leader recently tweeted that Jesus told us to love our neighbor but didn’t tell Cesar how to run Rome. I would respond that Jesus never became a surrogate for Cesar and never offered lame justifications for his questionable immoral behaviors.
Let’s not forget that Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist lost his head for calling out Herod for his immoral behaviors.
Nor should we forget that the prophet Nathan called out King David over his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. Nathan certainly did not become David’s surrogate defending his inappropriate behaviors.
Nathan would perhaps hesitate in driving a wedge between the sacred and secular in such ways.
Not once did Jesus attempt to justify Cesar’s policy of crucifying thousands of his fellow Jews for political reasons or for over taxing his fellow Jews into poverty. Jesus never became Cesar’s surrogate nor justifier. He simply refused to participate in a corrupt political system and instead acted in ways to subvert it.
Moreover I am appalled at how so many American Christians today have sold their birthright for a bowl of pottage (economy) and thus placed their hope in an earthly economic system (right or left) in spite of Jesus' warnings against the corrupting power of money.
If these words trouble you or even anger you then so be it. This isn’t the first time that Christians have lost their north star bearings and became a compromising agents of the State.
Author Marcus Peter Rempel reminds us: “Within a hundred of years of Constantine’s conversion [and Christianity being named the official religion of Rome], the Roman military machine was governed by an officially Christian doctrine of Just War; church and State were marching together in lockstep”
Could the same be happening today as a large portion of Protestant Christianity seems to be walking in lockstep with a political machine whose agenda is a far cry from reflecting the values of God's kingdom on earth?
Now admittedly there are benefits when Christians are looked upon favorably by their governing powers. I admit this and I personally benefit from such favor. Likewise Christians living in the 4th century Roman Empire were delighted over their newfound status as the official religion of Rome. The church prospered. Bishops had the ear of the Emperor. Christians moved freely throughout the Empire without fear of persecution.
Christians were treated like favored citizens and no longer as illegal outliers. I am certain that there was tremendous relief among those ancient Christians to finally feel legitimated and valued by the Roman government rather than being members of an illegal religion.
But the temptation to rub elbows with such political power, though enticing, can be quite dangerous. There is always a price to pay for such favored status with the governing powers.
Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann suggests that one of the reasons God decided to allow the Jews to return from Babylonian exile was because the Jewish behaviors that led to their exile had given him (God) a bad reputation with the rest of the world.
So God wanted the world to know, that as bad as the Jews had acted, he was willing to extend grace and forgiveness to them and allow them to return to their homeland. This is who God really is and not some fractious deity who delights in administering punishment upon the recalcitrant.
It's an interesting point of view that I find compelling.
Whenever Christians become too cozy with any political system God’s reputation can be affected. When Christian leaders become justifying surrogates for political leaders whose behaviors are questionably repulsive then God’s reputation is somewhat tainted, not to mention the reputation of Christianity in general.
Christianity in America has a ways to go in order to restore its legitimacy and its reputation.
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