I understand the flow of reasoning in Smith’s article to go like this: 1) The current tendency for Christian America to fly into a rage over many issues -- forced vaccinations, the close loss suffered in the past presidential election, Covid-19 lockdowns -- is explained by the threat (fear) felt by many conservative Christians over the loss of white Protestant Christian cultural dominance in America. 2) Faced with this devastating sense that theirs is a “lost cause,” Christian America is engaging in a practice common to those faced with lost causes: Creating and believing lies (“the election was stolen,” “the Covid-19 threat has been blown out of proportion to tank the economy and get Trump out of office,” “the vaccination is not safe”). 3) Instead of flying into a rage (as David initially did in response to the prophet Nathan’s story of the stolen lamb) or embracing lies, Christian America needs to acknowledge its sins of the past, admit the falsity of its face-saving lies, repent, and accept its humiliating ‘lost cause’ (as David did with respect to Shimei.)
I believe that this article is correct in identifying the reason that many conservative Christians are currently short- tempered: we have lost our cultural dominance in America and are feeling threatened by this loss. As a conservative Christian, I have no stomach for talk-show hosts or politicians (conservative or progressive) who make a living by stirring up people’s fears, dealing in the dingy gray atmosphere where half-truths thrive, and promoting unfounded conspiracy theories. It is true that fear can provide fertile soil for planting lies that only add to the fear and increase the feeling of being under threat. Where this is the case, repentance is called for.
What this article fails to acknowledge and pastorally address is that the underlying feelings of loss and threat are not baseless. The underlying anxiety created by the successful efforts of progressives in government to force conservatives to accept, practice and fund (not simply tolerate) a lifestyle contrary to Biblically Christian beliefs is not baseless. Nor are these feelings ones for which conservatives need to repent (while allowing the Shimei’s of our world to hurl humiliating insults.
While it has been coming gradually, America turned a cultural corner when President Obama’s position on same-sex marriage ‘evolved,’ the Supreme Court changed the definition of marriage that had been in place long before the days of the Christianized West, the LGB movement added T, Q and Z, and a progressive government began to force these perspectives/practices on the country as a whole through its public school policies regarding transgender sports, and government-funded healthcare provisions forcing all companies (initially) to pay for all forms of birth control and sex-change operations. In addition, the lower courts supported attempts by same-sex couples to force religiously-opposed bakers to bake their wedding cakes (when many others would gladly have done so).
Pleas on the part of those seeking tolerance for views and lifestyles contrary to Biblical Christian values – once granted – turned into aggressive intolerance for those with Biblical Christian values. These cultural changes moved from being disturbing to threatening when all the branches of government rapidly progressed (de-gressed) from endorsing a plurality of lifestyle options to enforcing non-Christian options. President Trump was elected, in part, because he gained the support of those who were convinced that these cultural changes came too fast and went too far.
I have no difficulty acknowledging that many conservative Christians are currently short-tempered because of feeling threatened by the loss of cultural dominance. People seldom are on their best behavior when they feel under threat. Improper behavior requires repentance. Yet, in my assessment of the situation, the threat felt is not due primarily to the loss of cultural dominance but to the attempt of progressive branches of the government to forcefully impose the “new” values on the nation as ones we all must embrace, fund, and teach to our nation’s children.
The article would have benefited by carefully distinguishing what requires Christian repentance and what does not, and by offering Christianly commendable approaches to handling feelings of loss.
Posted in: What to Do With American Rage
I understand the flow of reasoning in Smith’s article to go like this: 1) The current tendency for Christian America to fly into a rage over many issues -- forced vaccinations, the close loss suffered in the past presidential election, Covid-19 lockdowns -- is explained by the threat (fear) felt by many conservative Christians over the loss of white Protestant Christian cultural dominance in America. 2) Faced with this devastating sense that theirs is a “lost cause,” Christian America is engaging in a practice common to those faced with lost causes: Creating and believing lies (“the election was stolen,” “the Covid-19 threat has been blown out of proportion to tank the economy and get Trump out of office,” “the vaccination is not safe”). 3) Instead of flying into a rage (as David initially did in response to the prophet Nathan’s story of the stolen lamb) or embracing lies, Christian America needs to acknowledge its sins of the past, admit the falsity of its face-saving lies, repent, and accept its humiliating ‘lost cause’ (as David did with respect to Shimei.)
I believe that this article is correct in identifying the reason that many conservative Christians are currently short- tempered: we have lost our cultural dominance in America and are feeling threatened by this loss. As a conservative Christian, I have no stomach for talk-show hosts or politicians (conservative or progressive) who make a living by stirring up people’s fears, dealing in the dingy gray atmosphere where half-truths thrive, and promoting unfounded conspiracy theories. It is true that fear can provide fertile soil for planting lies that only add to the fear and increase the feeling of being under threat. Where this is the case, repentance is called for.
What this article fails to acknowledge and pastorally address is that the underlying feelings of loss and threat are not baseless. The underlying anxiety created by the successful efforts of progressives in government to force conservatives to accept, practice and fund (not simply tolerate) a lifestyle contrary to Biblically Christian beliefs is not baseless. Nor are these feelings ones for which conservatives need to repent (while allowing the Shimei’s of our world to hurl humiliating insults.
While it has been coming gradually, America turned a cultural corner when President Obama’s position on same-sex marriage ‘evolved,’ the Supreme Court changed the definition of marriage that had been in place long before the days of the Christianized West, the LGB movement added T, Q and Z, and a progressive government began to force these perspectives/practices on the country as a whole through its public school policies regarding transgender sports, and government-funded healthcare provisions forcing all companies (initially) to pay for all forms of birth control and sex-change operations. In addition, the lower courts supported attempts by same-sex couples to force religiously-opposed bakers to bake their wedding cakes (when many others would gladly have done so).
Pleas on the part of those seeking tolerance for views and lifestyles contrary to Biblical Christian values – once granted – turned into aggressive intolerance for those with Biblical Christian values. These cultural changes moved from being disturbing to threatening when all the branches of government rapidly progressed (de-gressed) from endorsing a plurality of lifestyle options to enforcing non-Christian options. President Trump was elected, in part, because he gained the support of those who were convinced that these cultural changes came too fast and went too far.
I have no difficulty acknowledging that many conservative Christians are currently short-tempered because of feeling threatened by the loss of cultural dominance. People seldom are on their best behavior when they feel under threat. Improper behavior requires repentance. Yet, in my assessment of the situation, the threat felt is not due primarily to the loss of cultural dominance but to the attempt of progressive branches of the government to forcefully impose the “new” values on the nation as ones we all must embrace, fund, and teach to our nation’s children.
The article would have benefited by carefully distinguishing what requires Christian repentance and what does not, and by offering Christianly commendable approaches to handling feelings of loss.