Thoughts About the Wave of Liberals Leaving Organized Religion

This week I had lunch with another progressive UCC minister where we commiserated the latest news from FiveThirtyEight's polling work.  Each of us had seen the piece "The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion."  It's not a new claim for the Religious Right to declare liberals are godless; fundamentalists have been saying so since before the Scopes Monkey Trial.  It's also not a new thing for people to be turned off from Christianity due to the Religious Right; I've encountered such folks my whole life.  What is different is the sheer number of people leaving organized religion.  New research says the more politically and socially liberal you are then the less likely you are to be religious.  That would seem to be bad news for a church like ours (or maybe not).

I found myself thinking, "Why can't conservative Christians be the ones to leave the faith?"  One might think that a public Christianity that supports the politics of ripping children from the arms of their parents to impose a horrific immigration policy would cause some who have been raised to take the Bible literally to question whether such actions align with the teachings of Jesus.  One might think that those who take the Bible literally might remember its admonitions against corruption, fleecing the poor, adultery, lying and sexual assault.  Of course, churches that align with the Religious Right have always been selective in their biblical interpretation as well as whom they believe it condemns.  

What is unclear from the FiveThirtyEight article and the research it reports is whether progressives are leaving liberal churches or conservative ones.  It could be that the last few years have been the final straw for liberal churchgoers who have been gritting their teeth for a long time when they attend their conservative churches.  Also, it appears, evengelicalism's hypocrisy is too much for the latest generation raised in its churches.  In the last few years there has been a movement of millennials calling themselves "exvangelical," because they have rejected their evangelical upbringing.  Although some have found their way to more progressive religious contexts, it's fair to say many have waved goodbye to Christianity altogether, at least in any organized sense.   

However much liberals are leaving conservative churches, I feel sure it's happening among liberal churches like ours too.  Let's face it, who among us hasn't thought about turning our backs on Christianity out of disgust over the homophobia, Islamophobia, immigrant bashing, misogyny and more justified by the public faces of American Christianity in the last few years.  Disgust is an appropriate response I believe, so it can be hard to remember such folks only represent some Christians rather than all.  The projected numbers for the future of progressive Christians is bleak indeed, but then it has been my entire career in ministry.  The only difference now is the pace it is happening.      

Although it is tempting to think liberal churches like ours do not have a future, I think a little perspective in order.  Using Christianity to promote political leaders who accumulate wealth and power by oppressing the weakest in their culture is not a new phenomenon.  Ever since Christianity became popular enough for leaders to use it for political gain, the religion has been used for such.  Christianity is far from unique in this regard; religion and politics were mixed up long before Jesus showed up.  

When I was on sabbatical this summer, I visited the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.  Inside this massive cathedral-turned-mosque-turned-museum are massive mosaics depicting Christ hanging out with the emperor and his wife.  The one pictured above shows the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomochos and his wife Zoe.  This 11th century mosaic depicts the rulers giving the money to build the cathedral.  Jesus isn't hanging out with sinners and tax collectors, rather he is dressed like an emperor hanging out with the earthly emperor, who is depicted only slightly smaller in power and status than Christ himself!  It is the nature of the powerful to gather around them whomever makes them appear more powerful.

Yet, throughout Christianity's history, God has raised up believers who took seriously the Apostle Paul's words, "

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,

     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death-
    even death on a cross.

They took seriously Jesus' words that God wants people to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, care for the sick and visit the prisoner.  They understood that Jesus Christ did not come to accumulate power but to give it up in order to benefit those without it.  They understood the words of Torah, prophets, Jesus and his followers who warned against the emptiness of pursuing earthly riches and power for one's own sake.  If we choose to do likewise as we work towards a society that benefits all people, not just the rich and powerful, then we stand among a long line of voices doing the same.  We should not fear God will stop doing so after our time is past.

What this means is that those of us who believe social justice, racial equality, LGBTQ inclusion and economic fairness are compelled by the gospel of Christ, need to focus on being faithful to what God asks us to do in our time rather than worrying about church attendance numbers or the latest polling.  There's too much good to do right now to waste time wringing our hands.  We're only guaranteed right now, so while we are here, let's commit ourselves to demonstrating the kind of love and justice Jesus lived out in every way we can.  We may not get sensational headlines like the Franklin Grahams and the Jerry Falwell, Jr.'s of the world, but Jesus promises we will make an eternal significance through our love that will last long after these guys are a distant memory.

Grace and Peace,

Chase