christianty's branding problem
24 - 05/23 /12:54
According to Jessica Grose, NY Times opinion writer, Christianity’s got a branding problem. Christianity is seen as the religion of conservative Republican politics. She claims people are out there, even in New York City, who are open to Christianity. But they don’t want to be associated with that.
There’s a body of research indicating that the right-wing politics that attracted many Christians during the 1980s—90s simultaneously pushed other people away from Christianity.
There’s a body of research indicating that the right-wing politics that attracted many Christians during the 1980s—90s simultaneously pushed other people away from Christianity.
According to surveys, the Christian “brand” problem feels most critical in our current political era because what people are responding to is not what they experience in churches. It is what they are told they will experience at church.
Prof Ryan Burge, is the author of “The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are and Where They Are Going.” He writes that despite the pop-cultural perception, it is unusual for Christian clergy to express partisan political views during church services. A survey of 1,000+ Protestants in 2019 found that just 1/4 of churchgoers reported hearing a sermon about gay rights or abortion. Only 16% ever heard Donald Trump’s name invoked from the pulpit.
Nevertheless, people assume Christians are so far to the right that they can not imagine being in community with them. Many respondents mentioned the prevalence of inflexible standards, reflecting an acceptance of unrestrained tolerance.
But, the last straw for many survey respondents was the public embrace of Trump by evangelical Protestants. (Here, I must confess to personally referencing Mr. Trump on an occasional Sunday, although seldom with approval.)
So, Jessica Grose presents Christians with a crucial question: Have Christians become more comfortable talking about politics than Christ?
If Ms. Grose is correct, there are people in Fort Collins open to Christianity. But they loathe politics—at least conservative politics. What unfair political beliefs do they project on me? More importantly, is their projection really unfair?
Christians need to be well-informed—we should turn off TV and read more widely. In our Constitutional republic, citizens need to be politically engaged. Debate is part of political engagement. If debate makes some uncomfortable, their discomfort doesn’t invalidate the need for debate.
Followers of Christ cannot validate all that’s celebrated by a culture that rejects Christ. Still, followers of Christ ought to be known not for their politics but for talking about Jesus. ~
Blessings,
Dan Nygaard