I’ve read an article recently that brilliantly talks about the current state of Christianity in developed countries, specifically the US. This has been an on-and-off topic with my friends in different countries, and I have always wondered why most in western countries are so turned off by Christianity and Christians in general. From all those talks and articles I’ve read, I think I somehow get it now… and it’s really sad. What is happening seems to be negatively affecting both sides, and most can’t / won’t do anything about it but look jeeringly at each other. Both of them hurt and nurse negative feelings toward the other. Nobody wins… at least, none from both party.
In a world where truth is distorted to suit a few who desires control over others by preying on their vulnerabilities and bending beliefs while retaining just enough familiar things to confuse, blind, and hook people in, it is no surprise that fear and chaos arise.
I do not excuse the people who follow these extremist beliefs especially if they hurt others either physically, mentally, or emotionally. But I think attacking them is not the right move right now. Sure, you don’t dismiss them. They are still human. Remember they have been led astray, not intrinsically full evil. Some people will fight by saving one by one. And that’s good. Each person helped is one to celebrate. Plus, helping one break free from mistaken belief is easier said than done. Beliefs, especially strong ones that one identifies with to their core, are harder to break than something more tangible, so I salute those people who take on this difficult task. If you do, it is crucial to be firm yet gentle, show them love, and give grace. Here’s an excerpt from the article that may help:
“…struggling with these questions: How do I help somebody that has gone down the QAnon rabbit hole? Or, to put it in biblical terms, how do I help somebody who has made Trump an idol?
Pastors, church leaders, faith leaders — when you frame it that way for them, the answers start to come: “Oh, we know how to do this.” Usually, pastors have done a lot of counseling or shepherding in their lifetimes. They know that you don’t approach people head-on with dogmatic arguments; that tends to not work. You need to recognize that there’s often something else going on that has made somebody vulnerable to being deceived, and coming out of that deception can be painful and humbling. But faith leaders — the good ones, at least — are perfect for that kind of work. So even though the particular topic itself may be different than they’re used to, they have many of the skill sets you need.”
Elizabeth Newmann
On a wider perspective, meanwhile, to disable Christian extremism from consuming and conning more people, it is imperative to dig out the root of all this, bring it to light, and defeat that. Like in any organization, taking down the boss would have the most impact. In plant speak, if you take out a branch from a plant, it can still grow – some plants grow even more aggressively if you take out the wrong one (pruning). But in any plant, taking out the root ensures the plant no longer grows or flowers.
So what’s the root? It’s two-pronged, it seems:
- Not actually reading and understanding the Bible
- Culture of mocking and canceling Christian actions
The first one addresses the misinformation that’s going on. How do you know what God really says? Read and seek to understand the Bible, His word.. not what another person says his word is. It is sad to see people being fed lies that breed fear, and being led to believe that certain actions and thoughts are “what God wants”. My dear, if you want to know what a loved one or anyone wants to say to you, which is better – getting it from the source or from a third party? If your loved one has already left you a letter expressing their thoughts, wouldn’t you rather read that letter yourself or have someone read it and interpret it in their understanding? God has already left you a letter. Why are you not reading it?
The second one addresses the culture that breeds the environment for those with a Christian belief to be susceptible to manipulation. Mind you, it is not the only factor, but it is one of the factors we can control.
Those who teach authoritarian extremist Christianity control through fear generated by craftily mixing lies with truth and using the environment (people, culture, events) to further fence in their victim. When the environment does not correspond to what they preach, however, part of their lies are uncovered – and some people have walked away from extremist Christian beliefs because of this.
This is why people outside of extremist Christianity are also an important factor in the growth or decline of this belief. When people feel canceled, attacked, derided, it is human nature to seek defense – either by folding into one’s self or finding a group to belong in, and if that group can not only defend but even fight against those who hurt you, all the better. So what will happen if they don’t need to defend? If them being normal Christians aren’t derided as “too goody-two-shoes”? If there is no one who says jeeringly, “You say you’re Christian, but (insert flaw here)”, and instead acknowledges that Christians are also humans and thus also have flaws and challenges? If normal Christians living out God’s teachings aren’t subjected to cancel culture, but instead also given the benefit of “well, it’s their belief and I respect that”?
Our culture as humans is flawed and can veer from one extreme to another. We fight for respect for one group while withholding the same respect for another group. We cry inequality for one group while demeaning another group. We applaud one group for flaunting who they are while criticize and even shame another group for being who they are. We call out people as hypocrites, when in actuality, we are too in some ways. Ironic, isn’t it?
Our culture as humans is flawed… but it does not mean you are powerless. You have the power to control one thing: Yourself. You don’t need to follow the crowd. At the most basic, just choose to be kind and strive to give understanding to everyone, one day at a time.
Wit & It 
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