Christians: Not Gatekeepers

Christian nationalism has become a hot-topic in discussion the last several years. It's a loaded term, so I will be avoiding it here. Yet, there is a tendency I have seen in contemporary evangelicalism and that is the political push for moral reforms, such as rallying against drag shows open to minors and books affirming issues against their moral dispositions. Largely, these moves are motivated by a sense of protection of children from unwanted influences. Yet, we do live in a pluralistic society, so one group's morals may not be that of another. This sort of moralistic legislative push is actually correlative of early twentieth century progressivism. Try telling a conservative evangelical that they are classically progressive. But it's true. Prohibition, rallying against the licentiousness of bicycle riding, and so many of the progressive era reforms were rooted in moral and religious conservatism. Progression was largely seen as improvements on the human condition. Only, such progressivism is compulsory and pushes against the concepts of libertarian or classically liberal ideology. That's why prohibition didn't work. 

More than a decade ago, I was working for a very liberal college where it was not uncommon for nudity and lewd conduct to be seen on campus as artistic expressions. At one venue, an art show where families gathered to review their college-aged kids' paintings and photographs, an impromptu nude musical group crashed the party. I apologized to a young mother standing next to me with her impressionable four year old. She chided me for being closed-minded and affirmed the nude act as educational for her kid. I was taken aback, because this was outside of my ethical framework for common decency. It still is, but in a free society and a pluralistic one, who is to say who has what rights? And especially since the core of our liberties are built upon the freedom of conscience, which is a statement replete in early American literature, both religious (referring to religious liberty apart from state churches, primarily) and secular.

The truth is, whether we like it or not, there has been a cultural shift, especially over controversies like LGBTQ ideologies. Are their voices to be squelched in the public venue because Christians don't like it? Are their voices to be removed from public schools, because they don't align with some perceived traditional value? Is this not a violation of the first amendment, which also secures our religious rights? I am first and foremost responsible for my child's religious, moral, and ethical education. Public schools and venues are exactly that, public. They are market places for competing worldviews. How hard shall we push back against this then and risk the whole thing collapsing and our own religious and moral liberties being limited?

Christians were never meant to be the gatekeepers of society. Christians are called to be the intercessors and priests of the planet, offering prayers for and service to the world, despite the world's ways. We are to be loving and compassionate, never focusing on the splinter in the eyes of others, but rather cognizant of the plank in our own eyes. To assert our moral dominance is to judge the world, which is not our job. Our job is to carry our crosses, our sins, and our burdens. Our job is repentance and love. Our job is to let the world be the world as we reshape our own inner-worlds toward Christ. It is that personal change that affects society and not our abrasiveness because we are "butt-hurt." To push for moral dominance in the secular sphere is frankly a form or authoritarianism in its gatekeeping. Instead, we should secure our own inner-gates within us and our families, and simply pray for the world and love people regardless. Christians are not of this world, yet we are in it. 

Does this mean we need to discount Christian influence in politics and the public sphere? Heck no. All voices have right in the forum. We simply need to approach things with a less critical disposition, negotiate civilly, and not hyper-react in a way that actually pushes people away.  

Peace!