consumerism has infected evangelical culture

for too long we’ve been presenting a brand of christianity that is about personal gain, which we generally mean to be equal to “the american way” — that is personal comfort, and happy families.

a good amount of “beware the homos and abortionists!” is thrown in by the major radio pastors, in an effort to rally the “moral majority” into a voting block, and so there’s quite a bit of political power to be gained by “being a christian” that we sell as well.

by “sell” i mean what the average person who is not a disciple of jesus and follows his teachings thinks about christianity, at least in america.

we are consumerists, not christians, as a group.

we, as individuals, are very non-confrontational with our non-christian friends (if we ever bother to get any — i know far too many christians who simply never develop deep relationships with anyone who isn’t in their small group, and then complain about their co-workers “lack of morals”).

we tend to ghettoize ourselves into our own schools, our own congregations, our own music, and parties — and so very few of us are really out there making deep, lasting relationships with non-christians that what we as individuals are selling is, “christians don’t care about you, or your crappy lives, now go to hell.”

that’s the message most people get from us.

we tend to only talk about christ when a peer cusses in front of us, and even then, are we really talking about christ, and his work on earth? or are just asking them to not offend us?

i know this becuase i talk to a lot of them, on a regular basis.

i hear the pain that has been caused by “christians”.

i regularly get told by new friends that they are amazed when they find out i’m a christian — because i’m nice.

this, friends, is sad.

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