Dinosaurs fighting
It is time for right-wing, extremist Christianity to become extinct just as the dinosaurs did. I do not say this about people in that part of the Christian faith, for all are God's beloved children. But I am saying it with respect to the toxic theology and false prophecies being advanced by ultra-conservative religious leaders, some politicians, and their talk-radio minions.
Jesus' harshest words were directed to the religious leaders. Why? Because they were the ones who were supposed to know better. They were the ones poisoning the wells of the spiritual life, turning the Water of Life into an elixir of death. That's what the false prophets are doing today. Jesus called them out—”snakes and sons of snakes,” he said. We must say the same.
It is lunacy to allege that lockdowns and stay-at-home policies are an infringement on religious liberty. It is madness to threaten the safety of those who are working to alleviate the crisis we are in. It is insanity to hawk the idea that there is a “deep state” conspiracy foisting falsehoods about the virulence of the virus. This is not Christianity, it's craziness.
If responsible Christians are silent as these bogus claims are made, we become complicit in perpetuating the impression that the allegations are true. But they are anything but true. They are blatantly false, and they do not reflect the Gospel or bear witness to Jesus. They are anti-Christ.
It's been obvious for a long time that the prosperity gospel and extremist Christianity are false. But we never imagined that they would put the lives of people at risk and become harbingers of deceit and death in order to preserve their pseudo spiritual image. But it's happening. Conservatives, moderates, and progressives must speak with one voice against the counterfeit Christians. Dinosaur Christianity must go.
The Rev. Dr. Steve Harper
The Rev. Dr. Steve Harper is a retired seminary professor, who taught for 32 years in the disciplines of Spiritual Formation and Wesley Studies. Author and co-author of 31 books and a retired Elder in The Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, he and his wife Jeannie Waller Harper are frequent leaders of workshops and spiritual retreats. This post is republished with permission from his blog Oboedire.