The Dangers of Imperial Christianity

“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. 

For What It's Worth : Practicing Patience

For What It's Worth : Practicing Patience: I am not a patient person. Never have been. I have accepted the fact that I have been hard wired to be impatient.  Anyone w...

Practicing Patience

I am not a patient person.

Never have been.

I have accepted the fact that I have been hard wired to be impatient. 

Anyone who knows me well enough knows this about me. I work on it and I do believe I have made some progress towards being a more patient person. But I'm a work on progress.

I recently revisited one of my favorite stories in the Bible the other day. It is commonly referred to as the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.” I now refer to it as the "Parable of the Patient Father."

So allow me to briefly summarize the story and then I want to share with you a new insight that I received from this parable.

A young man (probably in his late teens) asked his father for his inheritance in advance so he could step out and test the adventurous waters of life. 

Well the father relented without any apparent parental resistance. He gave the lad his inheritance and the boy parted ways with all that was familiar to him.

Well eventually the young lad fell upon hard times as the result of some really poor life decisions and suspicious behaviors. He found himself desperately alone and feeling as lonely as one can feel under such grave circumstances.

So he does the wisest thing he could do at this point in his life: He takes a good long look look inside himself. 

He determines that his personal failures were the result of his own doing (something narcissistic people are incapable of doing; they sooner blame others for their failures and bad behaviors rather than own any personal responsibility).

So the young man, having taken a personal inventory of his life, decides to return home to his father and throw himself at his mercy. 

Okay it is at this point in the story where I received new insight. 

Once the young man admitted to his own failures in life his first thought was to return to his father (and family). He did not hesitate for a second in formulating a plan to return home to the warm embrace of his father. 

Now I turn to the father:

Throughout the story the father is portrayed as perhaps one of the most patient people you will ever meet. 

But what if the father had impatiently resisted his son’s original request for an advance on his inheritance? What if he had reacted in a judgmental way by scolding the young man and by telling him he wasn’t ready for the big bad world?

What if a fight had ensued and the boy and his father parted ways on really bad terms? What if the father had said to the boy: 

“If you leave home son, don’t ever come back”?

What if?

I wonder if such an impatient response would have affected the son's willingness to return to his father?

Of course none of us want to hear those chilling words: “I told you so!” Do we?

But throughout the story the father displayed incredible patience, even in the face of his son’s reckless failures. Rather than acting in judgmental ways towards his son the father’s embrace revealed his unconditional love for his son. 

As a parent myself it is not easy being patient with your children. You want what is best for them but the truth is you don’t always know what is best for them. This is the part of the story that I resonate with the most as a parent myself.

But more importantly I now see a direct connection between impatience and our capacity for being judgmental of others. Impatience often leads to judgmental attitudes (new insight). I know from experience how true this can be for impatient people like myself.

So like the young lad who was the recipient of incredible parental patience, we too might discover the infinite patience of God towards us. For if God was anything other than patient towards us we would all be in deep trouble.

Now this doesn’t excuse us from bad behaviors or making poor decisions in life. Yes we all make such mistakes and missteps, but like the Prodigal Son we can return to our heavenly Father without the fear of being judged. He is always willing to warmly embrace us back into the family as it were,

So the new insight is this: Learning to be more patient with others also helps us to be less judgmental of others.

Maybe this is one of the lessons Jesus had in mind when he originally told this story.

[Rembrandt credited for the above picture]

For What It's Worth : "Jerusalem, Jerusalem"

For What It's Worth : "Jerusalem, Jerusalem": The recent announcement that the President is going to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and thus move the U.S. Embassy...

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem"

The recent announcement that the President is going to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and thus move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the City of David has created a mixed reaction, both positive and negative.

Though I personally don’t believe it was a politically wise move we all will have to live with the political fallout nonetheless. Let’s pray that the fallout will be minimal although there are already signs of unrest among Palestinians.

What concerns me more than the political fallout, however, is the pressure asserted on the Trump Administration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital fueled by a minority (and minor) theological point of view. By minority I mean that this view is largely contained within the Evangelical tribe, and more specifically within Evangelical Fundamentalism. 

I will now address the theological motivations that may have been responsible for this decision.

It is no secret that Evangelical Fundamentalism is the fuel that animates some of the current Administration’s policies—the Middle East policy being one of the most obvious.

Many prominent leaders within the Evangelical Fundamentalist camp are avowed believers in a relatively recent theology known as Dispensationalism. For many it is the only theological position they have ever known.

Those who embrace this Dispensational point of view believe that Jesus will secretly return a second time and launch a worldwide global crisis known as the “Great Tribulation.” For seven years the world will be cast into utter chaos as millions will die in what will become the worse global conflict the world has yet to see.

At the end of this horrible time Jesus will visibly return and put an end to this global horror and launch his literal one thousand year reign on earth, headquartered out of Jerusalem. Those Christians who would have been miraculously raptured seven years earlier will return with Jesus and rule with him—out of Jerusalem of course.

Additionally, believers in the theological system of Dispensationalism believe that the creation of the modern Nation State of Israel in 1947 was a clear sign of Jesus’ soon return and only serves to hasten the coming of his earthly kingdom. So Jerusalem holds a place of prominence in their End Time theology.

In a nutshell this very violent depiction of how God is going to bring human history to an end and usher in his thousand year kingdom has attracted the imaginations of countless American Christians, including many of those who support the current Administration. 

Many of Trump’s supporters are praising his decision without a clear understanding of the theology that just may stand behind his recent decision. 

I should also point out that there is a huge difference between what is known as Biblical Israel and the Modern State of Israel. Biblical Israel was founded initially upon the covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 12, 15). It was an unconditional covenant including the promise of land (thus the so-called, “Promise Land”). But the promise of land, though unconditional, was conditional in terms of their keeping the land as their own. 

This is a point often missed by many Dispensationalists. 

The modern State of Israel, in contrast to Biblical Israel, was not founded on a Divine covenant but rather on a secular ideology known as Zionism. Modern day Israel is not a theocracy. Many modern day Israelis do not practice their Jewish faith, to the chagrin of the more Orthodox among them. It is a Nation State like any other Nation State and cannot claim Divine privilege anymore than can the United States of America or Germany or Iran.

Additionally Dispensational theology is lacking any historical continuity with the past, especially a past that extends back much beyond the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is the original brainchild of an Irish Anglican priest whose theological ideas never took root in the British Isles, but found fertile soil in the United States. I’ve always been puzzled by this.

Be that as it may, those who think this Administration’s position on the capital of modern day Israel should be aware that there is absolutely no theological or Biblical justification for such a move. It is purely a dangerous political move driven by an Evangelical Fundamentalism that quite frankly has been elevated to positions of influence within the current Administration.  

As the old saying goes: “Might does not make right.”

If you embrace Dispensational theology then perhaps this recent presidential move makes perfectly good sense to you. For one who no longer embraces Dispensationalism it simply is baffling top me with regards to its possible benefits.

I pray that it will not escalate into further violence in the Middle East or even here at home. But please don’t attribute this decision to any kind of credible theology. 

It may be religiously fueled but it is indeed motivated by political interests.

Is America a Christian Nation?

Is there any difference between a militant Christian Fundamentalist wanting a theocratic government and a militant Islamic Fundamentalist wanting the same thing—that is, a nation governed according to either Islamic or Christian precepts/principles/law?

Yet the bigger question might be: Does God want America be a Christian nation—a nation governed or ruled by theocratic law. 

This seems to be the goal of militant Christian Fundamentalists today and alarmingly they are making inroads into government positions in hopes of achieving such a Christian theocracy (see Chris Hedges, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, 2006).

So do such aspirations of an American Christian theocracy please God?

Okay, I’m not at all qualified to speak on God’s behalf. But I do believe we can get a sense of what God may or may not want by going all the way back to the call of Abraham (Genesis 12 & 15). 

God made a covenant with Abraham (formerly Abram) promising that Abraham would be blessed (as well as his descendants) and they well as be a blessing to the whole world. 

The Lord established this covenant for the purpose of revealing himself to the world through Abraham’s descendants (known as the Abrahamic Covenant). 

Many years later these descendants, having been rescued from Egyptian slavery (Exodus), occupied a land to begin fulfilling this covenant God made with their ancestor Abraham.

But once these former slaves settled into the land of Canaan (The Promise Land) the people called upon God to give them a king, like the other nations surrounding them. 

They wanted to be a nation ruled by God’s law through a human king.

This defines a theocracy. 

This theocracy ultimately became Biblical Israel. It should also be noted that the modern State of Israel today is not the same as Biblical Israel. Modern Israel is not a theocracy (as many Christians assume it is).

Now the Israelites demand for a king seriously displeased God. Actually God took great offense that his people wanted another authority to rule over them. He knew the dangers of such a religious-political arrangement. 

He knew once a king was in place the road towards idolatry would be both slippery and wide (read 1 Samuel 8). It would also lead to their destruction.

The point to be taken from all this is that God doesn’t want to govern his people through human rulers or governments; rather he wants a faithful covenant people to love and serve him in the world.

Does God want America to be a so-called “Christian Nation” as militant Christian Fundamentalists believe he does? 

The short answer is “No!” 

God wants Christians living in America. or any other nation for that matter, to be faithful covenant partners with him as they bless the world on his behalf. We cannot be beholding to earthy allegiances while at the same time faithfully honoring the covenant God has made with us in Jesus Christ.

Yes it sounds good when Christians talk about America being a Christian nation. But that’s all it is: Talk with no substance, let alone Biblical support.

This doesn’t make America a bad nation nor should it prevent any American Christian from loving the country in which he or she was born. But America is not and should never be a Christian theocracy (as militant Fundamentalists so desire). 

Perhaps Peter said it best in his first epistle: “ . . . for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:8).

Just how clear can it be?

We Christians in America make up what Peter calls a “holy nation.” We are God’s covenant people, bound only in allegiance to Christ. Jesus is our Lord not Cesar. 

Finally, the only way we Christians can truly be a blessing to the world (as God’s faithful covenant people) is to be unfettered from any form of nationalism—a nationalism that will never fully comply with God’s will on earth. 

Biblical Israel learned this lesson the hard way. I suspect modern Israel will not make that same mistake again. 

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