Bad songs and political ads have me hitting the scan button on my car radio quite often. Yesterday that exercise led to my discovery of some good reasons to reject Christianity.
Jay Sekulow was hosting his talk show on Freedom Radio and promising to protect my religious freedom. But he and his callers were more intent on questioning the faith commitments of President Obama, increasing listeners’ anger over what he continually called “the Ground Zero mosque,” and railing against those who do not share a simplistic view of abortion or an irrational fear that gay and lesbian persons are putting “the sanctity of marriage” at risk.
Then there were the same old denouncements about “the Social Gospel” and “liberation theology” — and how real Christians must agree with their narrow theological and political agenda because that’s what God believes.
Whether this brief listening period is representative of this station, show or “Christian radio” in general, I don’t know. But it was all that I could stand to hear. The host and the callers he incited came across, at least to me, as aloof, hostile, condescending and way too sure of having cornered the truth.
No wonder the Christian Church is losing ground. What in this kind of talk would attract anyone other than those who are fearful and in need of a safe cocoon of certainty that doesn’t permit serious inquiry?
If such fear and ignorance represent what it means to be Christian, then I can see why so many have no interest. For neither do I.
And if Christianity continues to be defined and branded by these on-air “Christians” and others who confuse the Gospel with far-right politics, then someone needs to come up with another name for those who want to follow Jesus without getting lumped in with such nonsense.
I should have just endured the silly political ad and that Billy Currington song about drinking beer.
