Muh 'Murcan Gospel
A sentiment I often hear in Christian circles is that the gospel is spreading like wildfire in other regions of the world, while the flame is dying out here in America. This, of course, leads to asking why that is the case, and the primary culprit is usually what the person who expressed the sentiment believes is the worst aspect of American Christianity. For some, it’s the social liberalization of the church to seek the ways of the world, while for others it’s the opposite force of evangelical legalistic excess. Rather than introspect on what they can do better to cultivate an environment where people in their own lives see a hope in them and ask them to explain it (1 Peter 3:15), they’d rather point the finger at others. I would like to think I am better than these people, but, alas, I am not.
The thing that sets America apart, not just from the places in the world where the gospel is newly reaching, but from the rest of the West, is that we are the only nation that has spent over half a century turning our popular conception of Christianity into a billion-dollar media industry.
To be fair, there has always been a path for nefarious actors to use preaching and teaching as a mechanism for amassing wealth, and there is no lack of men engaged in this behavior in places like Africa and Asia, but nobody does it quite like us. Visit the Christian section of a secular bookstore and attempt to find more than just a few offerings that aren’t a Christianized version of self-help books. Go to a brick-and-mortar Christian store, if you can still find one, and compare the size of the theology section to how much space is given to Jesus-branded clothing and knick knacks. There are television channels, streaming services, radio stations, podcasts and conferences dedicated to affirming that everything their niche audience believes of the faith is correct and condemning other niche audiences of having it all wrong.
We are the only country in the world where it’s not uncommon for someone to describe themselves as an “Evangelical Christian,” yet be unable to explain the gospel. We are the only country in the world where one can go to a “Believers’ Summit,” that is mostly oriented towards politics and in which one of the featured speakers is an atheist who will instruct attendees on how to be better Christians.
The gospel spreads like wildfire elsewhere because they’re actually preaching the gospel there! Here, we’ve handed the reins of public Christianity to a bunch of narcissistic grifters trying to turn the name of Jesus Christ into a multi-million-dollar business opportunity. Lord, help us.
I’m generally with you and sympathetic on Christian Nationalism being a dangerous thing, but here you’ve broad brushed everyone on the poster as a grifter, without substantiation.
Here, you’ve gone too far. Either prove it, for each and every face there, or don’t say such things.
You’re sounding more and more unhinged with each post and are in danger of losing me and probably others like me if you can’t be fair and substantive.