Like his dad, John Hagee, and like Tim LaHaye and every other \u201cBible prophecy scholar,\u201d Matt Hagee embraces an otherworldly religion that sees our main duty to be sitting around waiting for the world to end while refraining from a culturally defined list of vices and sins. That religion, like this song, is about leaving \u201cthis world\u201d for \u201ca home so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n
This song, for me, is like \u201cI\u2019ll Fly Away\u201d and many other Southern Gospel standards \u2014 I like the song, but I very much dislike its theology. Iris Dement has a terrific version<\/a> of \u201cI Don\u2019t Want to Get Adjusted,\u201d but for the historical\/theological context, also check out this rendition by The Happy Goodmans<\/a>. That theology is intrinsically, overwhelmingly, white<\/em>.<\/p>\n This is what I\u2019m trying to stress when I emphasize the whiteness of white evangelicalism. That\u2019s a theological category, not a demographic one. The otherworldly, soterian white gospel is about escaping this world unadjusted. It had to become that, because that was the only way to accommodate the injustice that formed the foundation of the white culture that created this theology. You\u2019re a Christian. \u201cYour\u201d slave is also a Christian. So nevermind that \u2014 let\u2019s talk about Heaven<\/em>. Let\u2019s talk about nothing but<\/em> Heaven.<\/p>\n I give John Hagee and his Cornerstone mega-church credit for their attempts to promote and condone ethnic and racial diversity. There are thousands of reasons why the up-to-a-pointness of such efforts are inadequate, but the biggest obstacle facing such efforts is the central fact of white evangelical theology \u2014 the otherworldliness it embraced in order to defend and to sanctify white supremacy. It\u2019s difficult to pursue racial justice when you theology was carefully\u00a0designed<\/em> to be a mechanism supporting racial injustice.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get adjusted to this world,\u201d St. Paul wrote in his epistle to the Romans. He wasn\u2019t talking about keeping yourself \u201cpure\u201d while awaiting the day when God will whisk you off to Heaven (by death or by \u201cRapture\u201d). He wasn\u2019t talking about refraining from playing pool in honky tonks, as in Matthew Hagee\u2019s video, or about refraining from baking cakes for same-sex couples, as in Hagee\u2019s sermons.<\/p>\n This<\/em> is what Paul was talking about:<\/p>\n Do not be conformed to this world,\u00a0but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God \u2014 what is good and acceptable and perfect. \u2026<\/p>\n Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;\u00a0love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.\u00a0Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.\u00a0Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.<\/p>\n Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.\u00a0Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.\u00a0Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;\u00a0do not claim to be wiser than you are.\u00a0Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.\u00a0If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.\u00a0Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God;\u00a0for it is written, \u201cVengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.\u201d No, \u201cif your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.\u201d Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Nothing there about flying away to Heaven. No streets of gold, pearly gates, halos, wings, harps or clouds. Just a bunch of people here on Earth loving each other, loving strangers, loving outcasts, loving enemies. For the otherworldly religion of white evangelicalism, that has nothing to do with heaven. But to me that sounds, well, heavenly<\/em>.<\/p>\n Anyway, since we\u2019re discussing otherworldy religion and Southern Gospel, it seems appropriate to end this with Loretta Lynn singing \u201cEverybody Wants to Go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019d be fine, but here\u2019s some Love & Rockets instead, because I think \u201cDo you want to see the kingdom?\u201d is kind of an important question:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/52\/2014\/05\/adjusted.jpg\")
<\/a>It is, in other words, the precise opposite of what Jesus taught us to pray \u2014 instead of \u201cthy will be done on Earth\u201d it\u2019s a prayer to leave the Earth behind. It rejects the biblical story of creation, fall and redemption, exchanging it for a poor imitation \u2014 a story of creation, fall and escape<\/em>.<\/p>\n