At some point, American Christianity is going to have to reckon with the fact that this is the primary image it sends to young people who are trying to decide whether to remain with their church. https://t.co/3K4EortDr7— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) October 15, 2019
I remember Billy Graham praying for Nixon right up to the point where Nixon resigned. Nixon thought the bearhug of Graham would save him, somewhat, somehow.
I don't remember it having any affect on me sitting in a pew. It didn't change my attitude toward my church one jot.
People leave or stay with churches because of personal experiences, not because of what some person says in public in the name of Christ. Besides, what is "American Christianity" supposed to do about someone like "Pastor Brunson"? Bind and gag him? Demand equal time for an opposition prayer? Run ads denouncing him? Publish open letters distancing themselves from "evangelicals" like Brunson?
Christianity, religious faith in general, is not a PR fight.
Millhiser lies, it's not the image "Christianity" sends, it's the image that American media sends. For this Brunson guy I could probably find a hundred Christians who condemn what Trump does and represents. The media chooses to ignore them and put this kind of huckster up. I think it's intentional because a. those who really try to follow Jesus are not good for profits, b. they mostly are hostile to Christianity and want to present its worst face to the world.
ReplyDeleteWell, and how many such Christians as you identify would be invited to pray for Trump at this event (it was the Value Voters Summit, IIRC, a Family Research Council do, which isn't even a church or church-affiliated; just a bunch of right wingers with a religious veneer. Brunson was the closest thing to an authentic church authority/representative in the place, I'll warrant)? Trump is playing the huckster and people like Franklin Graham (again, no church affilliation) and Robert Jeffress (Southern Baptist pastor) are happy to go along. But Jeffress doesn't speak for the SBC, nor anyone but his congregation. Far as I know, Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day never did TV interviews, much less pray for Presidents in public. OTOH, Rick Warren's book is probably out of print, but Merton's works are still published, and Day still inspires people. And people are still reading Augustine and Aquinas.
ReplyDeleteSo there is always a candle in the darkness.