It's the System, Stupid! Hierarchy in the Church

 

IT'S THE SYSTEM, STUPID!*

Traditional Church: Invitation to Trouble

Basic traditional, institutional church structure is a problem. It’s modeled after man-made political/cultural systems that require a division between leaders and followers, aka the clergy/laity divide. The key word here is “divide/division”.  This divide has created a system that leaves power in the hands of a few and the rest just warming pews and filling the offering plate.  Abusive, narcissistic people readily take advantage of this and the result is seen in news reports continually coming out about ministry failings.  This post will look at how the typical church structure is anything but biblical and lends itself by far too easily to abuse.

 

Hierarchy

vs

 The Priesthood of All Believers

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Matt. 20:25-27 KJV

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6 KJV

Churches are set up with hierarchy- the so-called clergy/laity divide. The leaders and the followers. The anointed and the not-so-anointed. And when the system goes to seed, you have the ones that hear from God for you so you don’t have to, and the rest of us poor wretches that just sit there saying, “Feed me! Feed me!” When the system breeds abuse, you get the Anointed One up front espousing his/her great wisdom from on high while the dumb sheep check their brains at the door and sit in the pews, getting indoctrinated into whatever said Anointed One desires. That pulpit and sermon are things that should never have been in the first place. It’s a tradition taken from Greek oratory, not from early Christianity. (See Pagan Christianity, Frank Viola, chapter 4.)

We should be functioning in the "priesthood of all believers" concept which the New Testament introduces. But the course of history pulled the Church right back into the world's way of doing things.

Again, this entire set-up should never have been. Now it’s accepted and expected. And it’s abused all the time. Churches should have multiple leaders working equally as facilitators, not dictators. Their job is to make disciples, not to rule, and certainly not to put on a show. Elders are just simply older and have experience that will help younger believers. Groups should be run by consensus, not one-man/woman rule.

Then there’s the other side of the coin- anyone that takes a position as “pastor” is asking to get burned out. We are supposed to be building one another up, not exhausting one leader with umpteen needy sheep screaming for help. All have a part, all have gifts, all have callings, all should be included and contributing one way or another.  For the purposes of this post, I'll be focusing on the abusive leader side of the coin.  This is not to minimize the abuse that goes the other way with the burned out pastor.  But with the overwhelming amount of abuse being exposed now, it seems fitting to concentrate on that side of it.

This brings me to another point. Particularly in non-denominational churches, you’ve got self-proclaimed leaders just showing up somewhere, starting their church, and claiming that they are “called” to pastor. And we just take their word for it. It’s a welcome mat for a controlling narcissistic manipulator. In other systems, people say they are “called”, then head off to seminary and get their degree. But it’s all assuming they actually hear from God. And we just take their word for it.  In an ideal setting, all are on equal footing with equal say, and one bad apple would be hard pressed to bull in and take over, proclaiming their oh-so-awe-inspiring anointed-ness.

Most of us have been in systems that promote that "umbrella" diagram of hierarchy.  This has cemented the theology in our thinking, leading us to assume most of us have no authority to speak of, particularly if you're a woman.  The umbrella diagram illustrates the "covering doctrine" which is espoused just about everywhere now.  This will be elaborated upon later.

A hierarchical system of leaders and followers, regardless of the brand of Christianity, can and does feed that narcissistic need for superiority, attention and center stage. It gives abusive leaders a whole flock of dumb sheep to turn into enablers that feed their ego, a whole congregation of people to use and abuse.  Think megachurches.

We are supposed to be facilitating the priesthood of all believers.

You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Pet. 2:5 NASB

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Pet. 2:9 NKJV

From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Eph. 4:16

 

Dumb Sheep Mentality

Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:11 NASB

Church people assume that to walk in love and forgiveness, you don’t question anything coming from the pulpit. Indeed, questioning the leader is tantamount to questioning God Himself, because, well, he/she’s the one that hears from God. You surely don’t. The whole Dumb Sheep model assumes this. Dumb sheep don’t question. Dumb sheep don’t challenge anything. Dumb sheep have to be led. Dumb sheep can’t hear from God for themselves. Dumb sheep need a leader, and dumb sheep WILL obey. To me, this is the basic lie that has fed the whole man-made institutional system we are now dealing with, and what underlies the whole mess we are watching unfold in the media now.

Narcissistic pastors will insist that they hear from God, they are the voice of God, so you must obey. You must submit to their authority.  Non submission is considered rebellion against God in extreme systems.  In fairly normal groups, it's just taken for granted that the pastor has final authority, and you do what you're told.  Because of the hierarchy system of the world, people conform to that model even though it's anything but biblical.

Questioning what you hear is biblical.  Checking out everything makes you "noble-minded".  Being a dumb sheep just makes you possible prey for abusive leaders.  The wolves are out there.  Be wise as serpents...

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Pet. 5:8 NASB

 

 That Pesky Umbrella

Churches traditionally like to use that little umbrella diagram to illustrate how we are to submit (translate- be manipulated.) I’ve seen it in a couple different configurations, both which demand submission one way or another. In evangelical/fundamentalist environs, the “Christ” umbrella is over the top, with the father next, then wife and kiddos underneath. In the system I was in (a non-denom), they slide a pastor umbrella in between Christ and the family father, putting the pastor at the top of the earthly heap. Either way, the guy is the family authority, a patriarchal dream come true.

Both diagrams demand submission. They both promote a covering one way or another, and this whole dynamic assumes that Jesus just isn’t enough; that we need another mediator between us and God. That one umbrella on top is enough.  Yes, the Bible teaches submission, but it's to be submission to one another, not this very one-sided version we've been taught.  And the reason we've been taught this way is because the doctrine has been translated into our Bibles very deliberately.

This concept goes by the name of the Covering Doctrine in the church I was in, and it is flat out heresy. This was the basis for their demand for submission, and it’s nothing more than control masked as protection.  I have an entire post on the Spiritual Covering Doctrine if you are interested in more information.  None of us need any other covering, any other mediator. Jesus paid it all. And by the way, this enables wife abusers.

Note: for those of you who would contend this point, may I refer you to Beth Allison Barr’s book The Making of Biblical Womanhood where she traces patriarchy through history and explains how we have mistranslated and misinterpreted much of what Paul wrote about the subject.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28 KJV

 

Titles

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Matt. 23:9-11 KJV

Church culture dictates the use of titles. Pastor. Father. My fav- Reverend. We have a clear directive from Jesus to NOT use titles. But we have for hundred of years anyway. Titles cement that clergy/laity divide, leaving us with a system that emphasizes the division between the anointed and the not-so-anointed. It’s a handy little tool used to intimidate and control the masses. [Side note- King James tasked his translators to translate the Bible in such a way that the power of the clergy would be protected. (Wikipedia)]

Titles can feed a narcissistic need for attention and admiration. It creates an atmosphere of intimidation designed to keep you in line. And it feeds pride and arrogance, one of the main hallmarks of narcissism. They need center stage, they need to be held in awe. Titles just fill the bill. In the church I was in, he made it a requirement to address him as “Pastor”.

The whole leadership dynamic should never have been in the first place. Then throw titles on the leader positions and you have a recipe for pride, arrogance and control. This leader/follower paradigm is a given in any church, and lends itself by far too easily to abuse.

 

 

 And Then There's the Money

As systems grow, so does the need for finances to pay for the building and its upkeep, the staff,  the insurance,  special events, fog machines, a bazillion dollars' worth of sound equipment, the little cafe, etc, etc, etc.  And let's not forget the honorariums paid out to special speakers that rubber-stamp whatever the preacher is dishing out.

Of course we've all seen the obscene amount of money some of these preachers have invested in multiple estates, jets, vacations, and who knows what all.  And people still willingly hand their money over thinking they are buying God's blessings.  Christianity has turned into a huge industry and a giant con job.  Its time has come.

 

 

 

 It's the System, Stupid

The system is crashing. Self-appointed leaders are falling right and left. The mega-church model in particular is failing at an alarming rate with more and more of these “superstar” leaders being exposed for one reason or another. And at the root of it all is the man-made nature of the beast.

It’s not a sin to call out sin. If you are in a church with narcissism and abuse running rampant, leaving is the minimum to do. Staying just encourages the behavior, leaving you as an enabler.

Paul told Timothy to avoid those that cause division and offense:

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Rom 16:17-18 KJV

Then in 2 Timothy, Paul pretty well lays out the whole narcissistic personality and exhorts believers to avoid them:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 2 Tim. 3: 1-5 KJV

We were never supposed to be this gullible, this easily swayed, this easily deceived. But the system we have inherited has made it by far too easy to fall into that “dumb sheep” mentality. As children of God, we hear from God for ourselves, and we need to test the spirits.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 Jn 4:1 KJV

If something doesn’t sit right, back off. Pray, and hear from God. Especially if it’s someone claiming to be a leader. You have as much ability to hear from God as they do, and indeed, you have that responsibility.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1 Jn 2:27 KJV.

Abide in Him, not in some leader or some church system. Abide in Him. He will teach you ALL things. Educate yourself. Knowledge is power.

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Rev. 1:6 KJV

*Taken from "It's the economy, stupid!", a catch-phrase used in the 1992 election. Wikipedia

Fire image from Clip Safari

Recommended Reading

When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community from Emotional and Spiritual Abuse by Chuck DeGroat

 

 

 

 

Unleader: Reimagining Leadership and Why We Must by Lance Ford

 

 

 

 

Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity by Frank Viola

 

Finding Church: What if There Really Is Something More? by Wayne Jacobsen

 

 

 

Rethinking the Doctrine of Hell

 

 

 Rethinking the Doctrine of Hell

Anyone attending church is probably well indoctrinated into the concept of a fiery eternal hell awaiting the disobedient. It has become a major part of church doctrine for centuries, just accepted by most and taught as a given. But there is more and more information available now that shows another perspective, another way to see those verses, and another way to see God. To understand it all, you have to delve into the history of Christianity and find out how this originally got injected into church doctrine.

As power structures got entrenched in church systems over the centuries, the doctrine of hell was introduced to, first, protect the power of the clergy, and second, to keep the peons in line by instilling fear. There are many books out now on the history of this lovely doctrine, how it was taken from other traditions, then inserted into the Bible via mistranslations. Intentionally.

Original Schools of Thought

Those that have dissected the history behind the doctrine of hell explain the 3 different schools of thought prevalent in the first few centuries of church history. These ways of thinking were labeled Eternal Suffering, Conditional Immortality and Universal Reconciliation. 

There were 6 main centers or schools in the first several hundred years of Christianity, with 4 of them adhering to the Universalist view, one teaching Conditional Immortality, and one teaching Eternal Suffering. For the first 500 years of Christianity, the vast majority held to the universalist teaching. But the only one adhering to Eternal Suffering was located in Rome. Let that sink in.

Original Languages

Next, those that explore the history of this doctrine will go through the original languages, clarifying those words and what they meant at the time. In the Old Testament, the word is Sheol (the grave).

Sheol is the concept people devised in ancient times to imagine and describe the afterlife experience that they had no knowledge about.¹

The word Sheol is translated as hell in some places and grave in others depending on the meaning the translators wished to convey in a particular passage. This has been a key finding in revealing how our beliefs have been manipulated. There are NO references to an eternal fiery hell in the Old Testament. None. Only Sheol as a place of the dead and the grave is mentioned. That’s it.

In the New Testament, Gehenna (or the Valley of Hinnom, an actual location near Jerusalem), Hades (like Sheol, the place of the dead), and Tartaroo (to confine in hell) are the 3 words that are inconsistently translated as “hell” in our Bibles today. Tartaroo appears only once in 2 Pet. 2:4 and is apparently a place for certain spirits (not people) until judgment. Hades is the equivalent of Sheol, the grave. The word most often translated “hell” is Gehenna an actual location that was essentially a body dump in previous centuries, a place of death and fire, and of child sacrifice, and later a garbage dump.

To understand how this word was used, the word “hyperbole” needs to be defined. That’s when you take things to an extreme to make a point. “You’re killing me here!” doesn’t mean you’re actually killing me. It’s understood as dramatization. This is the language used in New Testament times- hyperbole was commonly used and understood as taking things to an extreme to make a point. Jesus was saying that yes, you will pay a price. But it wasn’t until much later that Persian thought and Zoroastrianism crept in, the doctrine of hell took off, and an eternal fiery torment became that price.

Julie Ferwerda, in her book Raising Hell, quotes the New World Encyclopedia:

Jews who embraced this view of hell [Gehenna as a place of torment] included the group known as the Pharisees. The larger, dogmatically conservative Sadducees maintained their belief in Sheol. While it was the Sadducees that represented the Jewish religious majority it was the Pharisees who best weathered Roman occupation, and their belief in Zoroaster’s heaven and hell was passed on to both Christianity and Islam.²

Persian Zoroastrianism was the source. Romans accepted that belief and passed it on in their occupation. The Catholic Church, headquartered in Rome with its oppressive, controlling hierarchy used it to control the masses. And then history headed into the Dark Ages with its threat of hell always at the forefront.

The Bible was translated accordingly over the centuries to enforce this pagan belief:

Had our old English Bibles been translated directly out of the Greek instead of Latin, it’s very probable that the doctrine of eternal torment would never have found its way into our modern Bibles and theology at all. Many of these doctrines were strong-armed into the Church through major dissention and even bloodshed, with intolerant, oppressive Church leaders insisting that they were “led by the Spirit” on such matters.³

All Shall Be Saved

There are plenty of verses in the Bible that state that all will be saved. Here are a few:

I Cor. 15:22- For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

1Cor. 3:15- If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Rom 5:18- So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 

Then there’s the simple logic- how could a loving God that demands forgiveness from us condemn the bigger part of His creation to everlasting torment? This one doctrine has engendered fear and even PTSD in people brought up under the influence of this horrific belief.

For much more in-depth information on this topic with detailed dissection of verses typically quoted to support the hell doctrine, get the books. Both Julie Ferwerda and Keith Giles have gone the extra mile to explain it all beautifully.

The purpose of the fire is to reveal and refine, not to torture and destroy.⁴

Raising Hell by Julie Ferwerda

Jesus Undefeated by Keith Giles

Red Flag Churches: Distinguishing Protection from Control by Marion Wiley

¹ Ferwerda, Julie. Raising Hell: Christianity’s Most Controversial Doctrine Put Under Fire. Sandpoint, ID: Vagabond Group, 2014, p. 40

² ibid, p. 45.

³ ibid, pp. 57-58

⁴Giles, Keith. Jesus Undefeated: Condemning the False Doctrine of Eternal Torment. Orange, CA: Quoir Publishing, 2019, p. 103.

Image from Clipart Library

Institutional Church- The Old Wineskin

We Need Another Reformation

 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mk 15:38)

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet. 2:5)

When Jesus Christ died, the veil separating man from God was torn. The priesthood as it had been known was abolished and we are all now kings and priests. Theoretically. But you certainly can’t tell it when you walk into any church of any brand where there is always one person that is the “called” one with the anointing and a distinct separation between them and us. It’s called the clergy/laity divide, and it was supposed to have been abolished. We give mental assent to the concept of the priesthood of believers, but we certainly don’t practice it.

As I have navigated my way through deconstruction, I have found myself more and more convinced that the basic traditional church model is entirely man-made. With the institutional church model as the basis for practicing Christianity, the whole concept gets warped and becomes a breeding ground for abuse or burnout. One commenter in a Facebook group I watch believes that the traditional church model is a doctrine of devils. They may have a point.

The Building

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  Mt. 8:20

After reading Frank Viola’s book Pagan Christianity (link below), I started seeing how what we call “church” just isn’t what it should be. Viola goes through various aspects of the institutional church setup and points out the origins of each, starting with the buildings. The Greek word ekklesia translated “church” is never used to refer to a building. Instead, it always refers to the body of believers.

Buildings were erected as a means of making Christianity more palatable to pagans and Jews who had their temples. The sermon came from Greek oratory. Choirs and candles? The Romans. Steeples? I don’t even want to go there.

And from there, over the centuries, the building became the “house of God” (like you have to go into one of those places to find God), the rituals carried on inside those walls became “services”, a term never used in that sense in the Bible, and hierarchies developed. Christianity became just another religion.

The Clergy/Laity Divide

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you.  (Mt. 20:25-26)  ...hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”  (Rev. 5:10)

People want their leaders. The Jews insisted on a leader, a king, so God gave them Saul (1 Sam. 8).  It would appear we have not heeded that lesson.

Hierarchies.  The clergy/laity divide. I first think of the Catholic caste system with the Pope on down to the peons. But in spite of the 16th century Reformation, hierarchies have persisted, though in Protestant circles in modern times they are more like corporations with CEO’s.

Jesus said, “It shall not be so among you.” But it is, in every “church” building you care to walk into. There is a distinct division between the “called” and the not-so-called. The ones with titles and the ones without. The ones that hear from God and the ones that don’t, and so are dependent on the ones that do. We are all kings and priests, unless you step foot inside a “house of God”.

This, right here, is an absolute breeding ground for abuse. If you want to figure out why there’s so much abuse of all sorts being exposed in churches, look no further. We exalt one leader, give him the authority to speak for God, and we’re off and running. Abusers absolutely target churches because they can exalt themselves as God’s mouthpiece, convince their victims that submitting to abuse is what God wants, then demand that we all walk in forgiveness. What a tidy little package. We’ve created an utter playground for them.

We have been conditioned and raised to believe we need a leader, someone who hears from God to guide us. But we so readily forget what John said-

And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. (1 John 2:27)   But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.  (John 16:13)

But the system passed down for generations insists that we do need someone to teach us, making us dependent on someone else’s opinions and interpretations, and undermining our confidence in our own ability to hear from God.  The need for a pastor is a deception, plain and simple, and I am coming to believe more and more that this insistence on a pastor as a leader is what has kept the body of Christ in infancy, incapable of fulfilling the Gospel.

Patriarchy

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:28-29)

The insistence on a leader runs hand-in-hand with the patriarchal mindset, the dogged determination to keep women in their places throughout the centuries. Patriarchy gives the green light to narcissistic preachers and husbands to run over the women in their lives.  “There is neither male nor female”, but we’ve all seen what goes on anyway.

Beth Allison Barr’s book The Making of Biblical Womanhood  traces the “biblical womanhood” mindset throughout history and dissects many of the verses that have been used to keep women in their place. It’s a great read I highly recommend, link below.

Titles

But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.  And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. (Mt. 23:8-10)

Can you get any plainer than that? There’s a reason for this. Titles, positions, offices are just plain dangerous. They feed pride. Addressing the upper echelon (The Big Cheese) of church hierarchy with a title just feeds the monster, making the division between laity and clergy, leaders and followers, that much more pronounced. The terms “father”, “pastor”, “reverend” (which is my personal fav), “deacon”, or if you’re across the pond, “vicar”, they all exist as a way to separate the favored from the masses, the gifted from the not-gifted, the called from the not-called. The whole system is divisive. And in abusive churches particularly, the leadership LOVES titles, and demands that titles be used when addressing them, further cementing the required submission of their victims. Titles feed their need for control.

Abuse is obviously a major pitfall of this system. But it works the other way as well with burnout. People have huge expectations of the pastor or whatever title the leader has. The one in charge is expected to do whatever ridiculous expectations are put on him/her, while the rest sit in the pews and do relatively little. According to Christianity Today as of Nov. 16, 2021, 38% of pastors were considering leaving the ministry.  This kind of burden was never supposed to be.

Time for a New Wineskin

But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.  Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. (Mt. 9:16-17)

The old wineskin of the traditional, institutional, man-made church system that was essentially derived from paganism one way or another, needs to go. The traditional church model breeds dependence on man, not God. We have been programmed to depend on rituals to qualify as Christians- scripted, scheduled services in a building, tithing, etc., and on the callings of others, like there’s no calling on our lives. I drive by churches now, and just grieve at the waste of money on those buildings, and the oppression/dependence they (mostly) unwittingly promote.

There are plenty of books now that explore the possibilities, calling one concept "organic church". Basically, they are describing home groups that are much more fluid, with facilitators that encourage group participation, sharing what God is doing, what He's saying to individuals.  These groups aren't set in stone- they move from location to location, and dissolve and redevelop over time. I believe this model is much more apt to allow individuals to develop their own callings. (I've linked a few of those books below.)

I had come across these books as I was researching the concept of spiritual abuse which was practiced in a church I'd attended for 12 years. Pulling out of that has led me to pull out of the whole man-made system, hoping for something better. If you are interested,  Red Flag Churches is the free ebook I put together on what I have learned about spiritual abuse.

I understand how hard it is to get your mind around Christianity without all the institutional trappings we have come to accept. We assume that to be a Christian, we must adhere to the accepted rituals, the acknowledging of an anointing on those in charge, and the assumed lack of anointing on the rest of us. And let’s not forget the undercurrents or outright in-your-face patriarchal mindset so many have been raised with.

We are all kings and priests. We all have the Holy Spirit speaking to us. We have no need for any man to teach us. There is neither male nor female. We are all one in Christ Jesus. We need a new wineskin that will allow this kind of expression.

It may well take another great awakening, another reformation to bring us into the fullness of the Body of Christ as we should be. The deconstruction movement may well be the precursor to such a revolution. It can’t come soon enough for me.

Cease ye from man. (Is. 2:22)

 

 I had put together a couple posts quite some time ago along the same lines-

Liquid Church: The Shape of Church to Come

The Dechurched, the Wilderness Experience, and the Next Move of God

 

 

 Recommended Reading

Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola

 Traces the history of all the traditions we call "church".

 

 

The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr

Recounts the history of Complementarianism, or biblical womanhood throughout the centuries.

 

The Church Can Go to Hell by Disember Rose Wattleton

Disember describes her abusive experiences in church and how she's come through it all.

 

 All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore

Beth's memoirs, detailing the trials she's gone through, in particular the walls she slammed up against in the name of patriarchy and why she chose to leave the SBC.

 

Reimagining Church by Frank Viola

Church done from a biblical model, not the institutional version we all know. If you are in deconstruction, I recommend all of Viola's books, Finding Organic Church in particular.

Finding Church: What if There Really Is Something More? by Wayne Jacobsen  

This book has absolutely hit the nail on the head. Wayne clearly shows how the true Church is expressed by individuals leading their lives by the promptings of the Holy Spirit and demonstrating the love of God to those around them. It has little to do with "church" as we've know it.

 An Irreligious Faith: How to Starve Religion and Feed Life by Glenn Hager

This is Hager's personal account of his church experience and what led to his leaving institutional church. He has a lot of great ideas for the church of the future.

 

Christianity and Politics

  He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

Isaiah 44:20

 

Conservative Christian involvement in politics has been going on for a lot of years now. In my memory, it seemed to have started with Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority which functioned from 1979 through the late 80's, according to Wikipedia. Since then, the Christian conservative right has been building steam, culminating in what we see today- conservative evangelicals neck deep in politics, THE most corrupt, greed-filled, worldly sewer of a system on the planet. And now the movement has a name- Christian Nationalism. How could so many church people have been deceived this thoroughly?

To be carnally [politically] minded is death.

Rom. 8:6 KJV

Christian Nationalism

To understand the drive behind this quest for power, you have to understand Christian Nationalism.  And to explain this, I will use a quote from the book The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart, an investigative journalist who has researched this movement thoroughly.

 [Christian Nationalism] is a means through which a small number of people . . . harness the passions, resentments, and insecurities of a large and diverse population in their own quest for power.  The leaders of the movement have quite consciously reframed the Christian religion itself to suit their political objectives and then promoted this new reactionary religion as widely as possible, thus turning citizens into congregants and congregants into voters. (p. 7)

Ms. Stewart has seen the workings of the Christian Nationalism machine. She's been to meetings, has seen where the money comes from, and has exposed their agendas and their exploitation of well-meaning Christians across the country.

Movement leaders understand very well that this access to conservative Christians through their churches is a key source of their power, and for this reason they are committed to overturning regulatory, legal, or constitutional restrictions on the political activity of churches. (p. 7)

Christians, you are being used.

 

This movement is based on the mistaken notion that the US was founded as a Christian nation, something that's not hard to dispute if you just think about it. A bunch of arrogant colonists decided to bull in and take over countries all over the world, subjugate the native populations, commit genocide, force their culture on them, and to cap it off, haul in slaves. All in the name of God. Doesn't sound very Christian to me. 

 

To see how subtly this notion has been foisted on us, just consider almost every sanctuary in the country. There is an American flag right up there at the ALTAR. There are patriotic songs in the hymnals. We have been influenced, in essence, to worship the country along with our God. This adulterates our faith which should be purely for God.

 

For more on that topic, read The Myth of a Christian Nation by Gregory Boyd, a book I VERY highly recommend. And actually, if you are interested in looking into any of this, you ought to read this book first to dislodge any convictions you may have that this is a Christian nation. This is the foundation, the base upon which the rest of this is built.

Now I will explain my views on why the whole concept is so very contrary to Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

Control Issues

This can all be reduced to one question- who is in control? Do Christians think this will make their lives easier? Control the government, have an easier life? And it truly is a matter of control. Christians clearly want control of government. 

Was Jesus an advocate of control? Hardly. That’s the devil’s wheelhouse. And He certainly wasn’t an advocate of controlling the government of His day. Jesus’ followers were expecting Him to do just that but He didn’t. He loved them all, and showed them a higher, better way- the way of love, forgiveness and serving.

But somehow that just doesn’t fit into the conservative agenda; it has become far more important to demonize and defeat the other side and take control. Does this sound like Jesus at all? He told us to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God, but the Church seems to be completely consumed with the pursuit of political power. Are conservative evangelicals pulling the strings, or is Jesus? This quest for worldly power and control is disturbing.

Power corrupts, and when a church leader who already has significant influence gains an audience or role as an advisor to someone with significant political power, it becomes difficult to remain a person of faith and character. Usually, the political agenda and the religious agenda are merged. Then, the politician sounds as though he shares the church leader’s values, and the church leader is associated with platform positions that are not defensible from a Christian perspective... (1)

Puppet is free clipart from clker.

Faith vs Fear

Merriam-Webster's definition of "partisan"- a firm adherence to a party, faction, cause or person; especially: one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance.

Partisan politics are just that- partisan, requiring adherence to one party, necessitating the rejection of the other. Political involvement breeds disdain and often outright hate for the other side, all fueled by fear. Both sides are guilty of sowing fear of what the others will do if given power. Suspicion and conspiracy thinking abound.

Where is the faith in any of this? It boils down to faith vs fear. In my opinion, you can’t have it both ways. You are either operating out of fear of what the other side will do, or you’re operating in faith, believing God in spite of what the government does. The Kingdom of God and the Great Commission are completely lost in the quest for power, a quest driven by fear.

The fear campaigns have raged for years, sucking in all those who choose to listen, breeding hate galore. The groundwork got laid decades ago, and now each side absolutely hates and demonizes the other. Christian? I don’t think so. Christians have very effectively planted their faith in the political system, in politicians, and in an earthly government, striving for control, and thoroughly convinced they are right. And all of it has been motivated out of fear. The Church has drunk the Kool Aid.

True Christianity is not fear-fueled. Perfect love casts out fear, and thus doesn’t live its life motivated by fear of what the other side might do. All this political action is clearly motivated by control and fear. We gotta have control, or the others will destroy us!

Scared man is free image from clker.

 The Strife Factor

   

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: [there is neither Republican nor Democrat] for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28 KJV

 

Again, it’s PARTISAN politics, meaning you take one side or the other. The Bible doesn’t speak favorably of those who promote strife and division, and this is all this political movement does- it exploits Christians in order to control government, multiplying the divisiveness in our society. And for Christians to join in and compound the strife is deplorable- it is thoroughly contrary to the Kingdom of God.

 

Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 1 Cor. 1:13 KJV

But that’s not the worst of it. This whole conservative, evangelical and primarily white movement is creating a huge division in the Body of Christ, and the devil is loving it- he is exploiting all this to divide and conquer. Church- you are being used!

People that fall into this kind of thinking will just assume that if you aren't for one side, then you MUST be for the other side. A politicized brain will think along party lines and just can't seem to think outside that strife-ridden hate-mongering political box. Tunnel vision is the result with the only goal in mind being political power. What happened to the Kingdom of God in all this? Frankly, it got shoved to the side in favor of worldly power now. They have lost their first love.

Rom. 16:17-18- Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. ¹⁸ For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. [Politicians perhaps?]

1 Cor. 3:3- For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

James 3:16- For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: [there is neither Republican nor Democrat] for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Donkey elephant image is free clipart from Wikimedia.

Hate Thine Enemy

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35 KJV

In the Name of Jesus, the Church is promoting hate, strife, divisions and a morally superior attitude that the world sees as incredibly hypocritical. They want control because they fear the other side, and hate is the nasty by-product of all this. And as far as I can tell, Christians have managed to justify this underlying hate without really even acknowledging that it's there.

I find it amazing that well-meaning, otherwise sound thinking Christians can see the "other side" as so thoroughly evil, and exude such hate toward them, and not be even slightly convicted. Like I said, the groundwork for this was laid decades ago, hate and fear having been sown for all things liberal. The attitudes have been pervasive and justified for years, and the ridiculous thing is, one side is no doubt just as guilty as the other of sowing fear and hate. And who knows how much, either way, is actually true? But you gotta believe every negative thing you hear about the other side! But anything negative about my side? Lies, it's all lies! No, it's manipulative politics and a power grab.

 

But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye not be consumed one by another. Gal. 5:15 KJV

 

Angry man is free image from Pixabay.

Herd Mentality

The way Christians have flocked to this mindset has been, to me, mind-boggling. The reasoning they use is all very consistent, with most using the same logic, the same arguments, the same attitudes.

 

With so many big names involved, and the talking points all gone over in churches across the country, it's like a complete take-over of the American church has been pulled off via YouTube and social media. Church leaders are all in lockstep, influencing their congregations who are falling into line without questioning any of it.

Just because everyone else is doing it, does that mean you have to?

To challenge any of this brings a response that is impossible to reason with. And from years of experience, that kind of knee-jerk reaction is suspect to start with and immediately makes me wonder what's behind it all. Priorities have been shifted from bringing the love, forgiveness and grace of the Kingdom of God to a dying world to a dogged determination to control government and squash the other side whatever the cost.

Jesus said that the way is narrow that leads to life (Matt. 7:13-14). Herd mentality leads to error; we are called to be led by the Spirit, not by what everyone else is saying and doing.

Again, just because everyone else is doing it, does that mean you have to?

Sheep herd is free clipart from clker.

The beauty of the cross and the magnetic quality of Calvary-quality love has been smothered in a blanket of self-righteous, self-serving, moralistic posturing. (2)

 Will the Real Church Please Stand Up?

By their fruits you will know them.

Mt. 7:20

This has gone on long enough. Christians have no business justifying their fear, their hate, their promotion of strife and division, and their desire for control. We have been shown a higher way- the Kingdom of God. We are to demonstrate that Kingdom by loving, not hating, by sowing reconciliation, not strive and division, and allowing Jesus to be the Head of His body.

Political leaders are just that- political. By definition they are partisan, full of strife and division, power hungry and full of the hate that goes with it all. We have no business promoting this worldly way of doing things. And again, Jesus rejected this mindset. He was offered this kind of worldly power in the temptation; He chose the way of love, the way of sacrifice, the way of reconciliation. He resisted the devil. But the American church has chosen to bow the knee and in so doing, has compromised itself.

The cost for this depth of involvement in worldly politics is the fruit of the Spirit. Where is the love? the joy? the peace? the patience? the kindness???? When political domination takes over your thinking, the fruit of the Spirit disappears. It's like the people on the "other side" don't qualify as humans, as God's creations. They are demonized and hated, and all this is justified in their thinking. 

 

Political races turn into holy wars, a complete contradiction in terms. There's nothing holy about a war. People deceived by this thinking believe that they are fighting for God, but He provided a better way, and His name is Jesus.

Jesus said, By their fruits you will know them (Mt. 7:20). Is a political mindset destroying your fruit? I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't vote; that's between you and God. It's a matter of how deeply you sink yourself into the world's way of doing things. What I've seen is not the real Church. Is the Kingdom of God your priority or is political domination? Has patriotism completely overshadowed the cross?

Biblically speaking, it is idolatry and spiritual adultery- church people putting their trust in third party "prophecies" and political leaders rather than in their God. Misplaced trust in the world's way of doing things is deadly- it will kill you spiritually and undermine your faith.

...the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.  Hos. 4:12 KJV

What if the Church spent as much time in prayer and really listening to the Spirit as it does listening to all those worldly voices out there? God can accomplish a whole lot more through a body that will cooperate, submit to Him, and let Him do things His way. That requires laying down all the fear, control, manipulation and hate and learning to live by faith, being led by the voice of God, and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit to all, regardless of political persuasion. Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  2 Cor. 103-5 NASB

Tree Planted by Water is free clipart from christart.

WWJD?

Jesus probably would... be the only person to bring Democrats and Republicans together. (3)

We have far too often placed our worldly citizenship before our heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20) and allowed the flag to smother the cross. (4)

 

1 Hager, Glenn. An Irreligious Faith: How to Starve Religion and Feed Life (p. 57). Communitas Books. Kindle Edition.
2 Boyd, Gregory A. The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church, Zondervan, 2005, p. 138
3 Hager, Glenn.  p. 78.      
4 Boyd, Gregory A. p. 111

 

 

Recommended Reading

 

The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church by Gregory Boyd
Boyd makes a clear distinction between the Kingdom of God and earthly kingdoms, and explains how the American church has blurred the lines between nationalism and Christianity to the hurt of the Kingdom of God.

 

 

 

The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart

Ms. Stewart has researched the Christian Nationalism movement and exposes the origins and the goals of those whose quest for power has corrupted the Christian faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking America Back for God by Whitehead and Perry

The authors use survey data and interviews to examine the Christian Nationalism movement and the implications for democracy.

 

An Irreligious Faith: How to Starve Religion and Feed Life by Glenn Hager
This is Hager's personal account of his church experience and what led to his leaving institutional church. He has a lot of great ideas for the church of the future.