The American Church’s Collapse Into Idolatry

Guest Blogger Evan Curry on nationalism and Christian oddity:

I love Stantley Hauerwas, and I think he is one of the best thinkers of our day. However, I like more that he challenges me to think outside of the norm. In his address to a group of youth workers (ha!), Hauerwas very early in his speech states,
• How many of you worship in a church with an American flag? I am sorry to tell you your salvation is in doubt.
• How many worship in a church in which the Fourth of July is celebrated? I am sorry to tell you your salvation is in doubt.
• How many of you worship in a church that recognizes Thanksgiving? I am sorry to tell you your salvation is in doubt.
• How many of you worship in a church that celebrates January 1 as the “New Year”? I am sorry to tell you that your salvation is in doubt.
• How many of you worship in a church that recognizes “Mother’s Day”? I am sorry to tell you that your salvation is in doubt.

I am not making these claims because I want to shock you…but rather to put you in a position to discover how odd being a Christian makes you (Hauerwas, S. (2007). The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Vol. 28. No. 2.“Why did Jesus have to die?: an attempt to cross the barrier of age.” emphasis added).

(I think every church I’ve ever attended has done at least one of those things so…I suppose my salvation is in doubt.) My first reaction is to say, “Ahh…who cares? Our congregations are just being nice.” But then it hit me. The last part – the purpose of the statement is to “put you in a position to discover how odd being a Christian makes you.”

How odd? What’s so odd about being Christian? But that’s it! I, in no way, think it’s odd to be a Christian! I mean, the only thing odd about most of us being Christians is saying, “You can’t go to heaven when you die unless you believe in Jesus.” Yes, that’s odd. But nothing else makes us odd? Is their nothing else that distinguishes us?

Now, here’s where the knee-jerk reaction tends to kick in – “Ah! I knew having drums in church would come back to haunt you all!” Or “We told you not to switch from the King James Version to the New Living Translation!” Or something like that. However, I don’t think that’s very beneficial (if at all correct).

The problem may be that we are not odd in the sense that we are more American than we are Christian. I think this always came up during the past election season – “Who are the real Christians? Well, those who are against abortion, homosexuality, protection of illegal immigrants, and for capital punishment, capitalism, and democracy.” Have you ever had those conversations with someone, where they think the “Christian” thing to do is the American thing to do? I have. And in this way, we aren’t very odd, are we? We are the same.

I mean…Jesus was odd. He told his disciples to find tax-money in a fish. He spit in the dirt and wiped it on some dude’s eyes to heal him from blindness. When the religious leaders brought him the adulterous woman and wanted to stone her (according to their laws, rightfully so), Jesus knelt down and drew in the sand. Jesus comes and claims to be the King of Jews when everyone knew Herod (Caesar’s appointed) was. Are you kidding me?

I think we’ve neglected to remind ourselves how odd we must really be. The problem is that we are not Americans first, but we are Christians first. We should always stop and think – What would Christ’s response be to such and such? For instance, it hurts me to see Christians who support torture. Supporting torture to save lives of Americans is not “Christian” but American. Would Jesus torture someone? I doubt it. Also, is it “Christian” to make as much money as you possibly can no matter the cost to others? I doubt it.

It may be that the downfall of the American church is just that – it’s American. We are citizens of heaven to the entire world. We aren’t just Americans. We are Christians, and that requires us to put down our nationalistic-idols and follow Christ wholeheartedly to reach all those in need of salvation across the globe. Would above-stated person support the torturing of Americans to save Iraqi lives? I doubt it. As Christians, we should be offended when anyone, anywhere is being treating unjustly.

It is odd being citizens of heaven for the whole world when those around you can only care about themselves. It’s odd (in America) to say, “I don’t celebrate the 4th of July in church unless I am going to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, etc.” It’s odd to say, “We don’t display an American flag in church unless an Iraqi one or Afghani one can be right next to it.” It’s odd to pray in the same breath for the Iraqi citizens that have lost their lives along with American troops. These are just small things. But there are other things that can make us very odd.

Where else can we put down our nationalistic-idols? Where else can we become more odd?

[View the full version of Stanley Hauerwas’ “Why Did Jesus Have to Die?: An Attempt to Cross the Barrier of Age”]

Thomas accidently posted this under the title The American Church’s Collapse Into Adultery…he apologizes for blogging without the influence of caffeine.