Our Politics Shapes Our Spirituality

Has church become the last stronghold of political conservatism?  If so, why is that a good thing, and what does that have to do with loving our neighbors as ourselves?

What are the implications for a pluralistic, secular society when (for example) anti-semitic, homophobic, Islamophobic or misogynistic views, which are rightly discouraged in the public square, are actively encouraged in conservative churches? Has church become an agent of change or an obstacle to progress? Are churchgoers cocooning in echo chambers or engaging in wider society?

Church does NOT transform most people. I wrote about that here. In contemporary Christianity, being “born again” often means changing our minds, NOT changing our behaviors. In that column, I wondered, if churches are NOT transforming people, then what is the point? Why so much devotion to the institution? Why so much emphasis on reinforcing beliefs, NOT renewing society?

I expected some arguments from conservative Christians. But Christians did NOT say that church transforms people. (One said that “a few” Christians experience “moments” of transformation.)

Instead, deconstructing Christians and former Christians said that they noticed the same lack of transformation. Mahatma Gandhi reportedly said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Some readers seem to be saying the same thing:

“It (religion) changes their brains, not their lives.”

“They conform to the standards of the world around them. They have not been transformed. Their minds are not renewed.”

“The first time I heard, ‘There’s no hate like Christian love,’ I felt it to the depth of my being. I really have absolutely no desire to be a part of any religion that attracts and enables such people.”

“I too became much more compassionate, at least I think, towards others after I left “The Church”.

” ‘After I left church, Jesus made much more sense, and the church made much less sense.’ — Yesssss!! Me too!”

“Let’s face it: believing is a lot easier than doing. I live in the Bible Belt. Folks here aren’t any more religious or ‘better’ than anyone else. They’re mostly *really* devoted Republicans who do Jesus.”

Our Politics Shapes Our Spirituality

No doubt, many people change their minds, but NOT their lives, in other traditions. But, most traditions are NOT as doctrinal, exclusive or evangelical as Christianity. All religion is cultural, and all theology is speculation. If anyone is going to insist that their beliefs are the ONLY right beliefs, then they had better “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk.” The proof is in the pudding.

It seems that our politics shapes our spirituality more than our spirituality shapes our politics. Ryan Burge, a former pastor and prominent political scientist and statistician, confirms that here.

Burge states, “I feel like a broken record when I say this, but people’s views of social issues are not being shaped by a coherent theological worldview. (emphasis by Burge, not me) They are being shaped by how leading voices in their political tribe are talking about them. Or, said even more simply: politics matters more than religion.”

If Burge is correct, then whenever someone expresses a religious belief on a political issue, we should look through their religion to their politics. So when religious people express religious beliefs (or claim to speak for God), we should realize that they are, in large part, expressing their political beliefs. Consider issues such as abortion, same sex marriage or women’s ordination.

If our spirituality is NOT informing our politics, then it is quite possibly inflaming our politics. If we are bolstering our political beliefs with our religious beliefs or claiming to speak for our God, then we are potentially reinforcing, NOT resisting, the ideology of empire. This ideology establishes, expands and maintains control over people. The ideology of empire does NOT liberate people.

How do we reconcile a church that reinforces the empire of its day with its founder, who resisted the empire of his day? Has the church become the last stronghold of political conservatism?

“Politics is One of the Main Culprits for the Emptying Out of American Religion.”

In a 2023 article entitled, “Did the Election of Donald Trump Drive People from the Pews?” Burge rejects the idea that church attendance might be declining because of demographic changes. Instead, he concludes that “The only other logical explanation in my mind is Donald Trump.” He continues, “Politics is one of the main culprits for the emptying out of American religion.”

I left a “progressive” church a week after the 2016 election, when an elder loudly called me out for not being a Christian (which I was then) and publicly gave thanks that the “right” candidate won. On the same day, a deacon suggested that we “fly a Trump flag in front of the church” to bolster our waning attendance. The church closed its doors soon after.

I wrote here that I did NOT want to go to “Trump church.” And I did NOT want to go to “Biden church” or “Clinton church” or “Harris church.” I just wanted to go to church. Not such a big ask. When I talk to others who have left church, I hear similar stories. When religion starts being driven by politics, then people will start looking elsewhere for spirituality.

Religion should be relevant, and our spirituality should shape our politics. And our religion should reflect Jesus’ revolutionary message, NOT the church’s submission to the ideology of empire. Further, if churches can not or will not call out governmental actions or societal norms that are unjust or unmerciful, then the church can NOT expect to remain relevant or to retain members.

Has Church Become the Last Stronghold of Political Conservatism?

Many former Christians are angry. (I was once angry, too.) They are NOT angry because they hate Jesus and they love sin or because they are defiant or lazy or uncommitted or uninformed. Instead, they are angry because church offered too little spirituality, transformation and unconditional love with too much divisive talk, groupthink and political rhetoric.

Like me, many former Christians left the church because they saw a dramatic disconnect between Jesus’ rejection of the ideology of empire and the church’s embrace of the ideology of empire.

Here’s an interesting exercise. Forget your politics and ask what Jesus would do. Now, forget Jesus and ask what your politics would have you do. Whose lead are you following? For too long, Christians have dismissed Jesus’ concern for immigrants, the marginalized, the poor, the sick and the weak as being unattainable or unrealistic. How is that working out?

We often hear that more young men than young women are returning to church. But the numbers suggest that church attendance is NOT increasing. Rather, it is decreasing at a decreasing rate. And some progressive Christian leaders worry that young men are returning to church largely because conservative churches continue to promote misogynistic, patriarchal beliefs.

When the church lopsidedly responds to one group, such as misogynistic, patriarchal, straight white males, then it risks alienating others, including LGBTQ+ people, people of color and women. Has church become the last stronghold of political conservatism? If so, why is that a good thing, and what does that have to do with loving our neighbors as ourselves?