Good News

In Christianity, the gospel is sometimes called the “Good News.” The phrase evidently heralds the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God. If you have landed on this page in hopes of a post exploring that concept, you’ve come to the wrong place. I don’t even recognize “Christianity” these days. (Granted, I’m not a Christian.)

In fact, when it comes to contemporary news, I’ve become used to seeing headlines like this one, on articles documenting the ways in which Evangelical “Christians” have become more and more indistinguishable from GOP cultists. 

A group that says its mission is “to halt and push back the forces of darkness” is holding a tactical event in southwest Missouri this weekend to train Christians in “hand-to-hand combat” and “fighting from your vehicle.”

I’m not Christian, but I really don’t think Jesus would approve…

Peter Wehner, a lifelong evangelical, recently wrote an article for the Atlantic about the internal conflicts being caused by the politicization of Christianity. I recommend it.

My “good news” is very different– an explicit rejection of that perversion of belief . There are evidently evangelical pastors who are genuinely religious–that is, concerned with concepts like brotherly love, ethical behavior and the golden rule. 

The Washington Post recently had the story.

Emotions ran high at the gathering of about 100 pastors at a church, about five miles from the University of Notre Dame. Many hugged. Some shed tears. One confessed she could not pray anymore.
 
Some had lost funding and others had been fired from their churches for adopting more liberal beliefs. All had left the evangelical tradition and had come to discuss their next steps as “post-evangelicals.”

Those  who planned the meeting–which took place in South Bend, Indiana–had expected 25 pastors. Word-of-mouth expanded it to over 100.  The appeal appears to be part of what the report calls a” larger reckoning” that has been triggered in individuals and congregations that are “grappling with their faith identity in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency and calls for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd.”

Many of the (formerly) evangelical leaders in attendance at the meeting had been deeply concerned when they learned that approximately 8 out of 10 White evangelicals had voted for Trump in both of his presidential runs–evidence, as they see it, that the evangelical movement has been co-opted by Republican politics.

As the pastors traded stories, they quickly found shared experiences. They lamented their conservative evangelical parents who watch Fox News, as well as their peers who had re-examined their beliefs so much that they lost their faith entirely. They skewed younger, many in their 30s with tattoos covering their arms.

Most of the leaders held some belief in Jesus and the idea that people gathering in churches is still a good idea. Many want their churches to be affirming, meaning that they would perform gay weddings and include LGBTQ people in leadership and membership. They preferred curiosity over certainty, inclusion over exclusion.

According to the article, all of the attendees agreed on two things: they opposed Trump and they opposed racism. (Some of us would suggest that Trumpism is racism, so maybe they only agreed on one thing…) 

One of the most positive signs of change came in a quote from Amy Mikal, who was once a pastor at the Chicago-based megachurch Willow Creek.

“The hardest part is that we were taught to take the Bible literally,” Mikal said. “We want to be a place that asks more questions than provides answers.”

I have previously shared my youngest son’s distinction between a good religion and a bad one: a good religion helps you wrestle with morally-fraught questions about life’s meaning and challenges; a bad religion gives you predetermined “correct” answers and demands that you live in unquestioning accordance with them. Mikal obviously reached a similar conclusion.

The article quoted a different participant, Brit Barron (who had worked for a megachurch in California before she began re-examining her beliefs) for a similar sentiment. Barron opined that “Our job is to create the conversation. If someone opens up and says, ‘I don’t know if any of this is real,’ then we’re doing our job.”

The participants in this meeting understood that the “job” of a pastor is to provide a safe space for questions and debates about morality and faith. That sets them apart from the mega-churches and celebrity pastors who increasingly seem to believe that their job is to program troops for the GOP while raking in lots of money.

The refusal of a growing number of pastors to participate in the con games of the Falwells and Grahams really is “good news.” 

32 Comments

  1. One of he similarities between evangelical cultists and T____p cultists is that they are both driven by intense emotions. And when a person is ginned up to a high level of emotion they are easier to manipulate into extreme behavior, and to give money to their leader or organization. I recognize this because I am a recovering charismatic evangelical and speak from personal experience.

  2. This will truly be good news if next year they hold a similar event at that church and over 1,000 pastors attend. Until then….

  3. Christianity as a whole is based upon what is considered to be the essentials of the faith where most agree what Christianity is. Most churches are independent and small. But the real challenge for most in understanding the church comes down to reading the scriptures, examining them as a whole. Mike Winger for example is one who is new to you tube and gives explanations as to the differences in faith that many exercise. Examining them for what they are outside of politics hopefully leads others to understand Christianity instead of lumping them in with ideologies pro or contrary to their own.
    Examining who the old testament prophets were like Daniel and his belief and writings of a savior who would later go against the tide of the established fake rules of who or what God wants, a relationship with Him through Christ who would bring love and forgiveness.
    It takes time, especially outside of politics. When we pass on, what do we take with us? Hopefully it is the love that He shared with us to give to others.

  4. I am so damn sick of people who are obsessed with their imaginary friend. Of all of mankind’s inventions, God and religion are most certainly the most destructive.
    I hope the next generation(s) can get past this crap and live free of superstition.

  5. These post-Evangelicals should explore Unitarian Universalism; much of what they said they believe would fit, and they could find good people who want to do good things for the world.

  6. I don’t have facts to back up this statement but if these “holier than thou” so-called Christians don’t get vaccinated, they won’t have a congregation anymore. They will all be in care homes with long covid or DEAD. That is good news!

  7. This being October, the month of Halloween, and being a horror movie fan, I have watched both versions of the movie “The Omen” regarding the birth of the anti-Christ connected to the world of politics. Father Brennan quotes the prophecy based on quotes from the book of Revelation in the New Testament:

    “When the Jews return to Zion
    And a comet rips the sky
    And the Holy Roman Empire rises
    Then you and I must die.
    From the eternal sea he rises,
    Creating armies on either shore,
    Turning man against his brother
    ‘Til man exists no more.”

    Why is it that Donald Trump immediately comes to my mind each time that quote appears? Consider Climate Change and Global Warming, the evangelicals, Trump’s rise in the political world and the divisiveness tearing this country apart; his control is more dangerous than Hitler’s as he sits in his Mar-A-Lago bunker continuing his fight to control this nation.

    “The refusal of a growing number of pastors to participate in the con games of the Falwells and Grahams really is “good news.”

    But has it come too late as we watch President Biden fight against the “con games” of members of his own party and religion?

  8. As a so-called ‘silent’ meeting Quaker, I mourn for these folks’ difficulties. But I rejoice in the freedom they now recognize. I am ‘Christo-centric’ but you may believe differently. OK. God leads us and my role is not to get in her/his way.
    As for those who are perverting religion for racist, misogynistic and exclusionary purposes, may the grace of the Almighty One, lead you to correct your error.
    We must oppose these intolerant people who worship a false God with all our strength and resolve.

  9. When I get into a discussion with a trump “Christian” I ask what trump policies reflect the tale of the Good Samaritan or Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Invariably they try to change the subject.

  10. “I don’t even recognize “Christianity” these days. (Granted, I’m not a Christian.)” I think you’re in good company, because Jesus wouldn’t recognize this version of “Christianity” either. Like you, he wasn’t a Christian.

  11. The Fake Christian pastors that have been swarming around Congress for decades have had one goal in mind – more power and more money for themselves. During trump’s first year in office they quickly realized an easy path to even more power by constantly heaping praise on that buffoon.

    Thomas Jefferson was well aware of the damage that religion can cause and that is precisely why he wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists about the separation of church and state. The First Amendment refers to this separation.

  12. As a lifetime atheist, I can hold SOME actions of SOME Christians as admirable but this ”religion” has deteriorated to the point that their Jesus would never recognize them. I’m actually happy to see statistics on the decline of religion in the world, specifically Christianity.

    Thanks, Sheila!

  13. Most churches are not independent and small as most churches are part of larger denominations. However the small churches is where one will find the heretics, blasphemers, and those who practice sacrilege. I’m all too familiar with these evangelical/calvinist groups as my brother is a Southern Baptist CULT “preacher”. Yes CULT. It was taken over by Page Patterson and his minions and stripped of all those who practice good academic practices, most especially those at the Louisville Baptist Seminary where my paternal grandfather and his identical twin attended and graduated. They would be condemning my brother from the pulpit for the SIN of mixing politics and religion. They didn’t like Billy Graham for his mixing politics and religion, imagine what they would saw about Franklin Graham and his horde of demons.

  14. I watched my local school board meeting last week and a public commenter started down this path: “Jesus is coming soon…. He is looking for people who abuse his children [masks are abuse according to the speaker]… Jesus has got you… you better be careful!” Now, this is the first time that I started to realize that the second coming of Christ might involve more hand-to-hand combat than I thought there would be. Or do we think that Jesus will use modern weaponry? I guess I better go back an re-read the New Testament because this whole, “Jesus is love” thing seems to have a much darker “back page” of which I have no familiarity.

  15. Federal law enforcement, including the military, have all demanded that of their people swear allegiance to the Constitution, a noble sentiment for sure but if and only if each person knows the Constitution’s meaning. Now that the axis of evil has switched from overseas to domestic I believe that meaning should become part of standard training.

    Come to think of it that would be useful for all Federal employees including Congress. Maybe everyone every year in the whole country.

  16. What we’re seeing is the birth of a new, fourth branch of Christianity. Births are never easy, so it remains to be seen if it will return to some semblance of a recognizable kind of ‘Christianity’, or remain the cult it is now.
    My guess is it will slowly fade away, because “Evangelical” is not the proper word to describe it. I like to use the original and correct word they called themselves in the beginning – ‘Fundamentalist’. And anybody who removes the use of the brain in their religion and replaces it with rules is going to have problems as time goes by.

  17. The ‘fear possessed’ are challenged to accept truth. COVID has exposed much more than vulnerable immune systems. Healthy skepticism is most appropriate when exercised in the context of hope for a better tomorrow guided by evidence based possibilities that improve quality of life for all. My faith, guided by the truth of the life and teachings of Jesus, opens my mind to the faith of others free of judgement or need to evangelize. I am sickened by the idolatry of politics that is perversion of truth within any religion, especially Christianity. Truth will set you free.

  18. My favorite bumper sticker, seen in Bloomington, was “People don’t kill People, People with Religions kill people”.

  19. i was raised a catholic,aunt a nun, grandfolks,old world chriatian followers. as i progressed out on my own,finding people of walks i never met,and conversations about anything,anytime. looking over the fence i watch and wonder. im a non believer,figuring the world is just a freak show, and too damn dependant on what isnt proven over what is needed to sustain a viable human race. back when long ago, some civilizations ,if you call them that would hang or ? someone who didnt make the grade in society,for learning to read. religion,bible,koran,etc, had its place in society,and just in dominance for eons. its all being questioned,with better to relate to facts today. its had its place, and maybe since kids today come home to a empty house after school, maybe those moral remedies could be used to carry alittle empathy and knowlege today.. but as i see it now, and ill be offensive to some,sorry, religion today via the trump cult is basically using people as cheap whores for the wealth and needs of the rich and chain jerkers. (did i miss someone?) im from a street where trumps kind was used for cleaning off dog shit off your shoe, when you stepped on it.
    today they have revitalized the cult evagicals,and blinded them,with bullshit and paid advertising.
    i would like to look into roger stones mind and see how hard hes laughing how the pied piper has led the masses to thier own demise. i was once approached by a mega churcher who said i should join,if accepted,its a way to riches(read money) for allowing your own mortal state to become theirs. following the last 40 years of this movie, its close enough now where i beleive they almost had our democracy and goverment under thier control. this is why trumps ongoing push to deligitimise the election and his ego, (crushed) as the republicans almost,had it all. dont even let go now. unless we call the bluff, end the filibuster,and get the voting act passed, this fight will only turn maybe who were once christians into the second coming of hitler…

  20. Has anyone else watched the Netflix series “The Family”?

    It is a documentary about a secret religious cult in DC that infiltrated members of Congress several decades ago and is currently stronger than ever.

  21. No one will discuss the real truth: religion is ignorance. Tradition, morals, meaning, spirit, blah, blah, blah — religion is a fairy tale for the clueless, and as soon as it is organized, it’s just another peasant control system.

    I am one of the many who has transitioned from tolerating believers in Abrahamic religions, particularly Christianity, to actively despising them. Ironically their persecution syndrome is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Dear Pagan Romans, I get it now.

  22. We don’t have the gospel of Jesus since he apparently wrote nothing; we rather have one about him told by others, such authors including a tax collector, a physician and a fisherman who engaged in literary hearsay – and all flavored by the individual life experiences of the particular storyteller in a mishmash of claims ranging from Son of God and heaven and hell to and through resurrection from the grave.

    From what I can gather, he was a young revolutionary rabbi who wanted to cleanse the temple of the corrupt moneymaking Pharisees, who would qualify as Osteens and Bakkers in Christian circles these days. The historian Josephus gave him only two lines in his history, a rather small description for THE (not A ) Son of God. He was the Gandhi of his day but his story with the conversion of the Roman emperor Constantine somehow caught on and we know the story from that point to today, a story which includes The Hundred Years War, popes leading armies (so much for Thou shalt not kill),the Henry VIII drama, removal of sins via baptismals, Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire (which Voltaire famously noted “was neither Holy, Roman, nor an Empire “).

    To be agnostic or atheistic tacitly admits that there is a divinity standard from which to deviate. How about a response of No Comment when questioned, or if piqued, None of your business?

  23. I’m not a Christian either, but I have spent some time studying Christian Eschatology or the end of times. Many Christians believe we have entered a period of the end.

    However, it’s probably the changes we are seeing on a global scale. I marvel that we have an Exceptional America trying to prosecute the truth in London. I just wrote about the Irony of the Julian Assange case.

    https://muncievoice.com/25245/the-irony-of-the-assange-case/

    Yesterday, the lawyers for the USA spent their time telling the High Court judges in the UK that the USA can be trusted not to torture Julian Assange if he’s convicted of espionage.

    If there is one thing we have learned from history is the US government is a masterful liar. What do our religions say about lying?

    “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”

    “Untruthfulness is not only to be avoided because it harms others, but also because it goes against the Buddhist ideal of finding the truth.”

    Maybe Satan is operating world governments, and maybe God is getting pissed. Choose sides wisely.

  24. Karen Armstrong who has written several books wrote one titled A History of Violence. She asserts that the sources of war are multifactorial and that to suggest that only religion is responsible is reductionist. I agree with that assertion. She also has asserted that monotheistic religions are more prone to violence.

    I was terribly disheartened when I saw Buddhists committing genocide against Muslims in Myanmar. They had an extremely militant leader. I am sure Buddha who welcomed untouchables into his monasteries would not approve.

    Stalin was an atheist. Stalin killed millions of Jews just like Hitler, possibly more. So, if religion is the source of all violence, then how did that happen? From what I can tell, Stalin was a paranoid sociopath or psychopath.

    Christianity is not a monolith and because churches are human organizations they, like all human organizations, will be a mix of virtue and vice. They can feel existentially threatened by horrific leaders like Hitler and in an effort to avoid annihilation, will become complicit at times with insane dictators. Even the UU church has been forced to look at its own propensity towards racism.

    Blind faith in anyone or anything is dangerous and creates cults. A healthy spiritual life combines both reason and faith. A healthy spiritual life struggles with questions and moral ambiguity. A healthy spiritual life is open to learning from many faith traditions. The challenge is to remain true to one’s own faith while learning from others.

    We are supposed to have freedom of religion in this country. Obviously the evangelical cult of Trump has forgotten that this is part of our Constitution.

    The classic definition of evil in literature is that it wants automatons, not people with free will. And what frightens me about the former president is that he seems to want people who will do whatever he wants them to. He seems to want automatons.

    I believe that one of the sources of war and dictatorships, if not the biggest one, is lust for power. Sudan is the most recent example.

    “When the power of love overcomes the love of power there will be peace” Jesus, a wonderful Jewish prophet of radical, inclusive love knew this. I think he knew that the only way the Romans could be defeated was through love, not violence. Sadly, the Romans found that way of life a threat to their own, oppressive kingdom. And like so many prophets, even those of recent history i.e. MLK, he was killed.

  25. I was terribly disheartened when I saw Buddhists committing genocide against Muslims in Myanmar. They had an extremely militant leader. I am sure Buddha who welcomed untouchables into his monasteries would not approve.

    Stalin was an atheist. Stalin killed millions of Jews just like Hitler, possibly more. So, if religion is the source of all violence, then how did that happen? From what I can tell, Stalin was a paranoid sociopath or psychopath.

    Christianity is not a monolith and because churches are human organizations they, like all human organizations, will be a mix of virtue and vice. They can feel existentially threatened by horrific leaders like Hitler and in an effort to avoid annihilation, will become complicit at times with insane dictators. Even the UU church has been forced to look at its own propensity towards racism.

    Blind faith in anyone or anything is dangerous and creates cults. A healthy spiritual life combines both reason and faith. A healthy spiritual life struggles with questions and moral ambiguity. A healthy spiritual life is open to learning from many faith traditions. The challenge is to remain true to one’s own faith while learning from others.

    We are supposed to have freedom of religion in this country. Obviously the evangelical cult of Trump has forgotten that this is part of our Constitution.

    The classic definition of evil in literature is that it wants automatons, not people with free will. And what frightens me about the former president is that he seems to want people who will do whatever he wants them to. He seems to want automatons.

    I believe that one of the sources of war and dictatorships, if not the biggest one, is lust for power. Sudan is the most recent example.

    “When the power of love overcomes the love of power there will be peace” Jesus, a wonderful Jewish prophet of radical, inclusive love knew this. I think he knew that the only way the Romans could be defeated was through love, not violence. Sadly, the Romans found that way of life a threat to their own, oppressive kingdom. And like so many prophets, even those of recent history i.e. MLK, he was killed.

  26. Well, this is quite a discussion. It’s dangerous to mix any religion with politics. That’s why our founders established a democracy instead of a theocracy. And due to their experience with religious oppression, they put freedom of religion in the first amendment.

    I am glad that some evangelical pastors are becoming less fundamentalist and more progressive and that they have awakened to the dangers of mixing religion with politics. I hope more of them will do so as time goes by.

    I don’t believe religion is the sole source of tyranny or war. That’s reductionist.
    After all Stalin was an atheist who killed millions of people including Jews.

    Lust for power is responsible for most if not all dictatorships. Sudan is the most recent example of this.

    I am grateful to all the Biblical scholars who have helped me struggle with questions and look anew at the way the teachings of Jesus threatened the Roman empire and the Jewish theocracy of his time. It has broadened my understanding of the teachings of Jesus and the biases of the New Testament authors. Even a Jewish theologian has given me a new perspective on the teachings and parables ascribed to Jesus. I am also grateful that I have been introduced to the ethical principles and sacred teachings of different faith traditions. It has enriched my life. I am also grateful to all the atheists who hold true to secular humanist virtues like justice, truth, the discoveries of science, peace, love, compassion. I hold those virtues dear to my heart as well.

  27. Religion seems a branch of evolved social morality, and gods no more than myth.
    We complain about kids addicted to Twitter (mobs). How is religion different?

  28. So, Patrick, how is “federalizing election law and voting rights” going to work out when Trump is President, again, and Republicans control Congress? I am constantly mystified why many people on the left think our national government is always wise and our states are always wrong. Didn’t the Trump era already prove the dangers of power concentrated in Washington, D.C. ? Federalism protected us from much of the excesses of Donald Trump.

  29. Good discussion here, and agree with many points. Want to add that churches must be taxed just like any other businesses. The mega churches, are especially raking in the bucks and there seems to be no way to make sure they are using that money for helping people rather than enriching themselves.

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