American Christianity

This is not an exhaustively long essay. It's just a few thoughts that have been percolating in me for a bit. I mentioned this to Sonja and I said that of course, I don't really get to have an opinion because I am not a Christian. She correctly pointed out that this would be like saying that ex-Muslims can't comment on Islam. Yes they can. In fact, non-Muslims can comment on Islam. And non-Christians can comment on Christianity. And in any event, I am an ex-Christian.

I was raised Catholic. I went to a Catholic College and took 3 (yes 3) semester long and required theology courses. But I am also someone who grew up in America and has been surrounded by various kinds of Christians his entire life. Evangelicals, Lutherans, Mormons. Etc. I know a bit, even if I am not a believer.

Why the disclaimer? This is why. I think the current version of Christianity widely held by White Evangelicals in America is at the very best, bad theology. But more accurately, it's a horrible perversion of the message of Jesus (to anyone who actually takes it seriously). It is also idolatry.

Here is my thesis (which should be obvious): To anyone who actually takes the religion seriously, Christianity has NOTHING to with America - much less the Republican party. Christianity doesn't care about your Red, White and Blue flag (Nor does it care about your Conferdate flag for that matter). It doesn't care about your support for Donald Trump, the Democrats, saying "Merry Christmas", or any of that. If you think that these are defining issues for Christians, you seriously do not understand the religion. You just don't. Instead, you subscribe to a bullshit theology perpetuated by mostly White Protestants that has great currency in American history; but is otherwise, provincial, self-serving, and about as far removed from the message of the Gospels as one could imagine. I mean you my Christian friends. If you mix up religion and your love of the GOP, guns, and flag-waving, I am directing this at you: You don't understand your own religion. You have perverted it.

End of rant.

Afternote: Of course, "Christians are as Christians do". I get that. If American Christianity is a perversion of the "origninal message", so are most religions. But who am I to say definitively what the "original message" is? So, I could adopt the understanding that American Christianity is in fact, "Christianity" (or some version of it). It's whatever American Christians make it out to be. Fine. In that case, I simply reject the religion as being morally repugnant. Enough said.