Slandering the bride
Repenting would be a better idea
Years ago I read a great blog post by the adult daughter of one of my good friends. In it, she discussed the emerging trend of what she called “good cop/bad cop” Christianity.
The only problem I saw with her analogy was that in real life “good cop/bad cop” was an intentional, mutually agreed upon strategy to exact the truth. The bad cop would berate the suspect, intimidate, threaten, and push the criminal to the breaking point. The good cop would then come in, relieve the bad cop, and once they were alone in the room, offer an olive branch in exchange for a confession. In other words, the cops were working together to accomplish the same result.
But “good cop/bad cop Christianity,” as she defined it was different. This was the phenomenon where a group of Christ-followers would strategically juxtapose themselves with all those other Christians who are so judgmental. They would, seeking the acceptance of the world, agree with that world that those “other” Christians were mean-spirited, discriminatory bigots.
For the applause of man, they’d be willing to affirm whatever worldly practice met the approval of the spirit of the age. And to prove themselves, they’d gleefully toss those believers unwilling to compromise under the bus as “hating LGBT people” and refusing to love like Jesus.
Since I first read that post, this practice has become increasingly widespread and prevalent. In fact, entire denominations now distinguish themselves by being “affirming” good cops. And high profile believers are now making serious money off the scam.
Certainly, I’m all for introspection, and I’ve been very vocal about the fact that many of us within the church have benefitted mightily from acknowledging and repenting of our past political idolatry. Ceding to social movements, political campaigns, and the machinations of worldly power the work that can only be done through Holy Spirit-led disciple making in our churches, has been a disaster. Jesus knew what He was talking about when He gave His followers their “great commission” and it didn’t have anything to do with winning elections or wearing worldly crowns.
That said, the ease with which so many high-profile believers have begun making a handsome living off of habitually and publicly castigating, criticizing, and otherwise condemning the bride of Christ (His church) is more than off-putting and unproductive. It’s contemptuous and at times sinful.
I know how the world works. There is great money to be made for a former Republican willing to go before Democrat audiences and bad-mouth the right. Amanda Carpenter, Jennifer Rubin, David Frum, Michael Steele, Alyssa Farah-Griffin, all the court jesters over at the Lincoln Project, and so many others have found the exchange of conviction for profit a deal totally worth making. That’s their worldly prerogative.
But the church of Jesus isn’t supposed to be like the world. Christians aren’t to mimic the world in our words, habits, deeds, or treatment of one another. Christ Himself said that it would be our love for one another (fellow believers) that would convince the world that we belonged to Him. Unfortunately, it seems as though an entire class of prominent Christians see disagreements they have with “less-enlightened” believers as a chance to get rich by ridiculing and disparaging them before worldly audiences.
Take New York Times columnist and professing Christian, David French. Once an outspoken advocate for Christian witness in the public square, French has found that berating the church, punching only towards the redeemed, would garner him far more attention, far better pay, and far more worldly prestige than what he’d been doing.
The most recent example of this disappointing behavior started with the complaint of an individual who, though anonymous, claims to have been a victim of unspecified “church abuse.” She wrote,
Most of the time, though not always, this common argument originates from people who have little interaction, affiliation, or regular contact with a local congregation of believers. What they know of Christianity and its adherents is what they see on social media. Therefore, this woman’s post provided a Christian with a large platform like French an excellent opportunity to defend the integrity of the church, illuminate the true focus of blood-bought saints, and provide a gentle encouragement for the confused woman to re-engage with a local body of sinners saved by grace in her community.
Instead, he saw an opportunity to break out the boxing gloves, ally himself with the world, and pummel the church of Jesus.
Though French uses the phrase “we’re much more eager” it’s important to note what the rest of his thread makes clear – he isn’t talking about himself. In fact, his entire analysis reeks of a self-righteousness that scoffs, “if only those bigoted church goers could act more like me, they’d be much better Christians.” As someone who has followed him for years, it’s jarring how much this haughtiness has come to define his approach to the church.
Come again? Lying and cruelty are “excused or overlooked” in the church? In what church? Not the thousands and thousands that preach the doctrines of Jesus each week. What kind of demonic representation of Christ’s bride is this, and why would a professing Christian’s first impulse be to affirm such misplaced slander?
Skip ahead a couple tweets and somehow it got worse:
French may be intelligent, but his apparent desperation to generate worldly favor by publicly dragging the church has clearly invited clumsiness.
Simply compare the number of Christian sermons you can readily find that discuss the sin of pornography versus ones that discuss the sin of transgenderism. Or look through church history and weigh the quantity of theological material on the topic of lust against the quantity of material on “trans issues.” It is beyond comicalto pretend that the church’s collective voice is louder on the latter than it is on the former.
And what congregation in America is “acting like [porn] is just fine?” This is sloppy rhetoric. What French is trying to say is that there are many churchgoers who are addicted to pornography. But is he suggesting that they flaunt that addiction? And with pride? Do they demand others affirm it as holy?
The secrecy of porn is one of the things that makes it most dangerous, and precisely why churches attempt to provide their members accountability. Many churches have pornography recovery groups, as well as anonymous access to resources for those who are too ashamed to admit their sinful addiction.
And note that the reason they hide it in shame is because they know it’s not okay. And they know that because that’s what Christ’s doctrine, explained lovingly by a faithful church, has taught them.
Yet when that same church tries to lovingly explain the same thing to those committing the sin of transgenderism, it now must dodge the flaming arrows of a loveless world that have been ignorantly lit and kindled by church-sabotaging Christians who write for the New York Times.
The accuser of the brethren is always looking for willing accomplices to reinforce his deception about Christ’s church. It is a tragedy when he finds them sitting in the pews. Mr. French should repent.
To do:
Find a way to encourage a Christian brother or sister today.
Commit to, whenever possible, limiting your criticisms of “the church” to productive admonitions that exalt Scripture more than they tear down believers.
Spend time in prayer today for the unity of Christ’s church, as well as for effective ways you can promote it.
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