I
just read an interesting article from Sojourners about how the church
is very sex-oriented these days. I wholeheartedly agree with this
article. This post is not to criticize the article but rather to
take the discussion a step further.
The
fact that the church is getting sex-oriented is really a symptom that
the church is attention-oriented, in my humble opinion. I would say
that there are four main topics that generate a lot of hype in the
church today. Those issues are abortion, homosexuality, human
trafficking, and overseas mission work. People who participate in
activism related to those issues often get a lot of external
recognition. People want to support those efforts because they are
seen as “worthy causes.” I'm not saying these issues aren't
important, but we need to take a look at how we usually handle said
issues. The reality is, it's easy to get involved in these areas
without asking a lot of tough questions, and without challenging
ourselves spiritually.
I'm
at the point where I really don't want to read any more articles
about those four main topics. Those topics have gotten enough hype.
I want to see more articles about suburban and rural poverty,
sustainability, and access to mental health services. These issues
are just as “moral” as the issues that generate more hype, and
yet I hardly ever see articles about them. I've come up with a few
reasons why no one cares about these issues:
Reason
#1: The solutions are extremely “ordinary” and won't bring you
external praise.
One
of the most effective ways to get people working together on issues
is online petitions. You'd be amazed at the changes that people have
brought about through this venue. I've written about the importance
of the national missionary movement and how it's a much better
alternative to overseas mission work in some cases. But supporting
those things won't generate praise from other people, and for many of
them, that's reason enough not to bother.
Reason
#2: The solutions require us to let go of prejudice. I'm
going to come out and say it: I am prejudiced. If you are a member
of the human race, you are prejudiced. Period. We all have our
pre-conceived ideas about certain types of people and certain ideas.
Issues like poverty and mental health are extremely stigmatized.
Sadly, I think the subject of mental illness is even more difficult
for Christians, since so many of us are buying into the BS idea that
mental illness is spiritual in nature and people just need to be
freed from demons and whatnot. Talking and thinking about these
issues is very uncomfortable because we all have our own
pre-conceived ideas of what poverty and mental illness look like, and
what causes them. It's very difficult to acknowledge that these
issues might look different than what we expect.
Reason
#3: People care more about parties
than about working together and finding common ground.
I know that if I start talking about corporate bailouts and
the
recent budget cuts to the food stamp program, politically
conservative Christians are going to write me off as liberal and
ignore me. I am probably ruffling a lot of feathers with this
statement but I don't care. People are way too party-oriented,
especially in the church. I have lost a lot of Christian friends
because I don't vote Republican and don't identify as a specific
party. If someone came to me and told me they wanted to work on
these issues, I wouldn't care who they voted for in the last
election. I would be thrilled that they see me as another human
being with good intentions. If we could stop being party-oriented
we'd be in much better shape, but I'm not optimistic that it's going
to happen any time soon.
