Here are some more thoughts following the conversation the other day . . .
I have issues when our starting place is to create a safe place or alternatives.
Someone please give me a legitimate reason why I should buy a crappy painting or figurine or video game or book or music simply because it has a fish or a cross on it. And, someone please tell me why—if something is already working well—someone has to take it and reshape it and fit a cross into the logo.
I just threw up in my mouth. I need a Testa-Mint.
Some of the things that are synonymous with the dark side of the Christian Subculture that turn my stomach and make it difficult for my neighbors to approach Jesus include:
- Ignorant sounding pithy grabbers
- shallow absolutes
- intellectually offensive language
- cheap knockoffs that attempt to mimick pop culture
- The subtle or not so subtle fingerpointing at “secular” culture
- Bad art/production/acting/aesthetic, etc. created in an attempt to evangelize
- Perpetuation of an impulsive consumer mentality driven to consume all things “Christian”
- Asceticism and escapism as opposed to incarnating the culture
There was a religious subculture of sorts in Jesus’ day. It wasn’t unlike our current Christian subculture. It elevated rules over relationship and had created systems, safe havens, alternatives, and a club mentality.
These people were called the Pharisees (Pharisee literally means “set apart” or “separated ones”). Jesus was always telling these guys that they were missing the point. There was more finger pointing their way than at the culture at large.
Jesus is not interested in us setting up spiritual retreat centers from our world.
