What are Christian Churches for?
Evangelical and primarily white churches in America are in the middle of an identity crisis that has been a long time coming. To better understand what I mean by an identity crisis, it's worth reading Tess Owen's piece for Vice profiling several Christians who have left their church because the church forgot what they are for and began preaching the gospel of the American Dream instead of Jesus Christ.
Owen weaves these profiles with some background on how we got to this point where pastors feel comfortable going on 30-40 minute political ramblings in place of sermons. While much of her reporting is solid, Owen misses one crucial issue when she speaks of Christianity's problem being an embrace of politics. The problem is not that Christianity has things to say about politics but that mostly-white American churches have chosen to jump in hook, line, and sinker with Republican politics, including adopting the culture wars of conservatives as their own.
Setting aside how odd it is that a people who worship a Savior who died on a cross rather than fight his accusers feel the need to engage in culture wars, there are times when Christians and conservatives can come together and fight a common cause for the good of all Americans. But Christianity does not align neatly with any political party. Democrats seem more willing to do more to help improve the quality of life of the poor, those Jesus might call the least of these, and Republicans, historically, have a claim to valuing individual life. And then there are the teachings of Jesus, like turning the other cheek when someone slaps you or giving up your coat when someone demands your cloak, that do not fit either party very well.
The problem is not, as Owen says, that Christianity has become too political but that Christianity has allowed politics to become its first love. As Philippians 2 reminds us, Christians serve a Lord in Jesus Christ who did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited, so Christ humbled himself unto death. This kind of sacrifice has no place in many American churches today. And this is because it seems that most Christians, even those who do not fully bore into Christian Nationalism and storm the Capitol, have forgotten that America is not a Christian’s home. Christians belong to the kingdom of God.
Christians should push and strive for America to be better for everyone regardless of their background because we know that God's kingdom is filled with those from every tribe, nation, and tongue. But as long as many in American churches wish to pretend as if God sent his Son to found America and not a borderless kingdom that seeks the good of all humankind, many will continue to feel driven from their faith community.
4 More Things
1) The AP's Anthony Izaguirre and Christina Cassidy report that drop boxes were not a source of fraud in the 2020 election. While this report is not likely to quash all claims of election fraud, as Izaguirre and Cassidy report, it is always good to confirm that our elections are safe and secure from fraud.
2) You may have missed the recent launch of Lost, Not Stolen. As PR Newswire reports, the site is seeking to help further the truth and fact that Trump lost the 2020 election. What is unusual about this group is they are notable conservatives who have "reached the ‘unequivocal’ conclusion that Trump's claims of election fraud are unsupported by evidence." You can read the list of names and their report at the Lost, Not Stolen link above.
3) New research from Michigan State University's L. Dilley, W. Welna, and F. Foster shows that there was large-scale coordination among accounts on Twitter promoting QAnon theories in the months leading up to the 2020 election. Included in this coordination are nation states like, you guessed it, Russia. According to the research, Russia was seeking to misuse social media to cast doubt on America's system of democracy.
4) Amanda Seitz reports for the AP that NewsMax is dealing in Jan 6. misinformation. Seitz notes that NewsMax has reported on at least 40 false claims or conspiracy theories about the Jan 6 attack since June. This timeline is right around when the House began airing its Jan 6 Committee Hearings, making it pretty clear that NewsMax only wishes to carry water for Trump.