The term “Evangelical” has been hijacked by white Americans. It’s a dangerous stereotype, but they’re mainly Trump supporters and would sacrifice almost anything to ensure they ban abortion in America. They’re nationalistic, racist and homophobic.
This isn’t the textbook theological definition, of course. Evangelicals are supposed to be defined as people who take the Bible seriously (the more Reformed amongst them would insist we take it literally and that it is inerrant), who are evangelist in their worldview (they are intent on spreading the Gospel), and believe that personal salvation is available through Jesus’ redeeming death on the Cross.
I grew up as an Evangelical. And, in as much as I believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah and that the Bible is a true witness to Him, I would like to continue to think of myself as an Evangelical. But I can no longer remain silent about the dangers of Evangelicalism. In fact, I agree with an article written by Chris Kratzer this past week, in response to evangelical Christians continuing to support Donald Trump after he failed to condemn neo-Nazis in Charlottesville – he called Evangelicalism evil. Well, at least seven of the things White Evangelical Americans believe.
You can read his full article, with details on each, at his blog. I highly recommend you do. Here’s the summary of the seven evils:
- A gospel hinging on repentance is no Gospel at all — it’s evil.
- A Christian life of sin-management and behavior modification is no life at all — it’s evil.
- Worshiping the Bible instead of Jesus isn’t worshiping at all — it’s evil.
- Twisting and using Jesus to spiritually justify hate, war, violence, supremacy, nationalism, greed, self-preservation, and power isn’t following Jesus at all — it’s evil.
- Extending to the world a kingdom filled with racism, sexism, discrimination, classism, and marginalization isn’t extending the Kingdom of Jesus at all — it’s evil.
- Doing church in ways that promote conformity, false unity, and the suppression of spiritual growth, diversity, and differences, isn’t doing church at all — it’s evil.
- Mixing Grace with condemnations and mixing Love with conditions isn’t manifesting true Grace or Love at all — it’s evil.
I can’t be part of a religion that espouses these evils. I take the Bible seriously, and will continue to do so. I believe in Jesus as Saviour of the world, and will continue to do so. I want others to believe too, and continue to do so. But I won’t support a broken religion anymore.
Evangelical Christianity is a monolith filled with ignorant uneducated, hateful, judgmental, homophobic, racist, sexist white men. or at leas that is the take home message from this blog and a recent buzz-feed “i am christian…. but….” video. it is indicative of the folly and dangers of our time and place in history that the transgressions of those “with you” are considered aberrant and not indicative of the whole or even a “necessary evil” yet those with whom you disagree are not afforded the same metric of judgement and in-fact the transgression of the few are considered indicative of the whole. This will more than likely be my last interaction with you as honestly i find it to taxing and deeply hurtful to engage with you anymore and mostly pointless that as a middle aged, cis gendered, hetronormative, white male you have already decided that i am wrong and am “part of the problem”. That i am responsible for all the faults of my ancestors. You have bought into the Peggy Mcintosh, Cultural Marxist, Jesus was a socialist, all white males are the problem not the solution rhetoric of the time with out for one moment considering the emotional and psychological damage you cause in the name of diversity and “tolerance” I wonder if you had boys as children and not daughters if your rhetoric and invective would still be the same, if you would be able to see the indelible stain and pain thrust apon these vulnerable precious humans from the moment they enter primary school (sometimes sooner if they are unlucky enough to have feminist parents) of their complicit guilt simply due to a penis and, if they are unlucky to have been born into a European family, a white skin. How they are taught that all normal motivations and behaviors in boys are toxic and need to be weeded out. I wonder that where you not born into a family of priviledge and saw your father work 80+hours a week in some of the most dangerous jobs in the world if you would still consider being and “alpha male” a bad thing, seeing your father come out of a coal mine and hand his paycheck over to his wife or srtuggle to wear a fire fighters breathing apparatus in a fire while fighting the pain of fractured rib sustained while painting a christmas scene on the firehouse windows to make it more christmassy for his and other kids. it is strange to me that the bond between Mom and child is viewed to have not changed in hundreds of generations yet the love of a man for his wife was deeply “patriarchal” and not at all “woke” like we are today. Whats truly ironic in all of this is we mostly agree on everything… the church has too long been playing who is in the club missing the most important part of the whole message from Genesis to Revelation of God’s plan to reunite with his creation “that all should be saved and none should perish and that all mankind would love its neighbor as itself” but (and yes i know what but means) it is overshadowed and nullified by the constant white noise (excuse the pun) of white privilege, white guilt, all whites are guilty especially if they are evangelical Christians…