"How vulgar are our petty patriotisms
when compared with a kingdom that has no borders and no favored race."
Samuel Zwemer
I want to conclude my thoughts this week on attitudes and treatment of foreigners and how evangelicals in America ignored this abuse, by saying I cannot recognize the Christianity of American evangelicalism and pro-life extremist Catholicism as true saving faith, per the words of Jesus on how we treat the stranger.
That said, it is right that some exvangelical activists insist this is true Christianity in America today. This is what we’ve got, what passes for Christian faith, and who represents those of us who claim to be Christians, like it or not.
I can make a coherent Scriptural argument for the fact Americanity is in serious heretical sin for their attitudes towards foreigners, and the 81% evangelicals will come back with twisted Scriptures and smug, pious words, and they’ve won the cultural wars, their souls be damned to hell. They don’t care what is true or right or godly, it’s all about winning for them. They have sacrificed the truth of God’s word for a mess of pro-life pottage, no matter who is oppressed now. And they trample on people with a sick grin.
These people were described by Paul in Philippians 3:
…As I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. (NIV)
What they miss is the joy of knowing themselves secure in Christ. That’s where this narcissism stems from. If you don’t have a secure citizenship in heaven, you are bound to cling to something useless and foolish here on earth.
The problem is that the foolish choices of these evangelicals, their belief in the lie of national superiority, has led to painful consequences for many lives. Yesterday alone, the story broke that students at our universities will have to leave the USA during a pandemic, if their classes go online. This is an attack both on higher education and a pointlessly cruel attack on many students who do not all have the means to travel back and forth to their home countries.
The cruelty has no point.
And evangelicals I know STILL refuse responsibility for their votes that got us here. They did this, they caused this, and they are not repentant. They will even find ways to justify this needless cruelty as righteous, rather than humbly repent for their contributions to it.
The objective truth of Scripture is that God calls godly people to welcome the stranger, not to oppress them. Yet many evangelicals are now busily engaged in calling evil, good. On top of this, they bully and persecute Christians who oppose this wickedness. They make such redundant and wicked statements as, “God knows my heart.” This is a way to silence fair critique of their sinful heart attitudes that affect a wider-and yes global- community.
You see, such commentary is fine when you are being unfairly criticized and smeared. God does know who we are and does not condemn us, when we are humbly walking in truth with God. Sometimes we do have to walk alone. But this hideous refusal to repent, plus the outrageous assertion that one’s sinful choices that are doing harm, don’t matter, is dangerous. We have a bunch of people claiming to be Christian who don’t think holiness matters. Their fruit is indicating they do not know or love God, because they do not love God’s precious creation, and oftentimes, even God’s precious people.
I meant to write this piece about how globalism is not the huge threat these foolish evangelicals have been propagandized to believe it is, seeing as the Body of Christ is a global entity. I also meant to address how nationalism is out of place for the Christian. I wanted to advocate for evangelicals reading more and thinking more and researching the definitions of such concepts as Marxism, Communism, Socialism, Globalism, Nationalism, Fascism, Conservatism, Nazism, and the stated aims of the European Union, the original EEC, and the United Nations. I wanted to impress upon American Christians that calling everyone who calls you on your abysmal lack of love a “commie,” is ridiculous if you don’t even know how to define fiscal or social conservative correctly, without help from Google.
We have a Church in America that thinks Republican politics equals Christianity. This is leading us towards actual atrocities, and most certainly has already created a bully culture of significant abuse, plus led to unnecessary loss of life and attacks on human rights globally. We are the man, and the American Church, with notable exceptions, just doesn’t care.
I felt it was important to point out what I intended to say, because it still needs to be addressed, and people need to use Google and then go deeper, with the Word of God alongside. Tell me from Scripture, not from your cult premillennial prophecy charts, why working for peace among nations, is somehow wrong. Explain to me how preventing abortion is supported by removing birth control options. Tell me why you don’t believe women matter as much as men. Explain it. Because it’s obscene, unscriptural and antichrist.
I want American Christians reading this, even if they agree with me, to take a long hard look in the mirror about what they have accepted as “true” about life, love and relationships. If you can’t speak firmly and even walk away from Christian nationalists without apology, you are propping up a system that won’t ultimately just do harm to foreigners, nor will it stop with emotional harm. And yes, as a Christian, harm to any human being should offend and grieve you. Not just because it won’t stop there, but on Christian principle.
I’m going to conclude my rebuke of American evangelical laziness in the face of outrageous xenophobia with God’s words on how God values peoples besides Americans. And just a note: God’s kingdom is by no means white evangelical. Tell your friends, and if they cease being your friends, know you are Beloved by God, part of the Body of Christ.
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Revelation 7, NIV
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