The failure of “cultural Christianity”

This past weekend, William Lobdell, a staff writer for the LA Times, wrote a lengthy column about his tenure as a reporter covering the religion beat and his disillusionment with Christianity. Beginning with his conversion experience in 1986, he recounts his strong desire to write about religious news, which he was finally able to begin doing in 1998. He did this for 8 years until the misdeeds, shallowness, and self-serving nature of purported christian leaders wore out his faith. (Note that I do not always capitalize the word christian because it has been subverted to often mean something entirely different than its original meaning.)

The pedophile priests, the prosperity gospel of Trinity Broadcasting Network (his words), the Benny Hinn sham–drove him away from participation in church life until he stopped going to church and by the summer of 2005 he no longer believed in (and did not want to believe in) God.

Mr. Lobdell observed, reported on, and participated in what I call “cultural christianity.” It is a sham–it is not Christian. That is, it is not at all what Christ called his followers to be or do. I fear that leaders of this kind of christianity in America deserve the same warning as Christ gave the pharisees, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” (Matt. 23:27)

I have become less and less willing to be identified as a “Christian” because of all the negative cultural baggage that comes along with it. Today, the term seems to mostly be used to define a western system of cultural beliefs which much of the world finds detestable. For a mind-blowing talk on this concept of cultural beliefs vs. true followers of Jesus Christ, listen to this sermon by my old friend Roy Thompson, former pastor of Valley Community Church.

Last year on a visit with a business consultant friend, I listened to him discuss his beliefs with a not yet believer from England. Rather than label himself as a Christian or identify with any denomination, he simply said he was a follower of Jesus Christ.

The goal of our church should be to lead others to become followers of Christ. If that means blowing away some of the trappings of modern day christianity, then I say get the big guns.