The Customer Is Always Right: Entitled to Condemn, part two

Even though Jesus so clearly tells us not to judge, why is it still so common? 
Why do we give ourselves permission to condemn those with whom we disagree? 
Why do we take so much glee in putting down those who are in another camp? 
Why do we so relish being judgmental?

Growing up in and eventually leaving fundamentalist churches that were known for being judgmental has left me asking these kinds of questions. But it's not just common in fundamentalist churches. It's common everywhere. 

And I've begun to think that part of the problem is the ethos of American Christianity. There is something about the way we do church that helps to foster a culture of condemnation. I think part of it is the fierce independence that is ingrained in us as Americans. I also think that part of it is American consumerism.

Consumerism in the American Church

The American church is plagued by consumerism. The myriad options before us and the messages told to us by commercials and advertisements have convinced us that we can have anything we want, any way we want, any time we want. We are not just consumers of cola and clothes and cars, but also of church.

I am fairly brand loyal in some of my shopping. I will always choose Coke over Pepsi, a pair of Nikes over a pair of Reeboks, and a Mac over a PC. If asked, I’d probably disparage Pepsi as tasting nasty, Reeboks as being cheaply made, and PCs as being unstable and unreliable. Ultimately, these are just my opinions about these products and no one is really harmed when I express my sentiments. Likewise, I tend to have lots of opinions about music, movies, and television shows. I love U2, Hugh Grant, and Mad Men. But does that make other musicians or actors any less talented or interesting? Not really. I am simply a consumer in the marketplace, making decisions about the products of these companies and the works produced by these artists. In the marketplace, I have every right to spend my money, time, and energy in the way I see fit. In the marketplace, the consumer is king.

But theology is not a product, and church is not a marketplace. Pastors and theologians are not celebrities. Sadly, the Christian media industry has changed this. I can compare and rank the books of Max Lucado and Rob Bell like I would the movies of Brad Pitt and George Clooney. It feels natural to criticize a church service like I would a TV show. And most dangerously, when there is an author with whom I disagree, I can discount, not just her writings, but also her character, ministry, and even her standing before God. Consumerism makes me the final arbiter of what is good and acceptable. And it fosters within me a critical and contentious spirit of those with whom I may disagree.

Independence and consumerism might produce big ratings, big book sales, and big congregations. But they also can produce a big problem – church cultures in which people believe that they can act and think and speak like independent consumers. The customer is always right, and if the customer wants to think and say something critical and condemning of someone else, who is going to stop him?

What do you think contributes most to church cultures of condemnation?

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Free to Judge: Entitled to Condemn, part one

In my upcoming book, Fundamorphosis, I write about the transformation I underwent when I exchanged my fundamentalist upbringing for a new kind of Christianity. One of the factors that spurred on my own fundamorphosis was the judgmentalism that was so prevalent in the churches I had grown up in and even pastored. If we disagree with someone, we think that we have the right, even the responsibility, to pronounce the harshest of condemnation upon him or her.

I began asking myself, if Jesus so clearly told us not to judge one another, then why are we so prone to give ourselves permission to do it anyway?

There are a lot of answers to that question. But rather than looking at it purely from the perspective of individuals, I've been thinking about how systemic judgmentalism is. We have a church culture of condemnation - not just in fundamentalism but all across the American church.

Where does this church culture of condemnation come from? Why is it so common in fundamentalism and in the broader Christian church in America? 

I think that the perceived need to judge others is deeply rooted in the ethos of the American church experience. I think that this attitude of being entitled to condemn is the fruit of two well-documented and yet troublesome trends in American Christianity: the air of independence of American churches and the consumerism of American church attendees. Today, I'll talk about the air of independence, and tomorrow I'll talk about consumerism.

The Independence of the American Church

Americans are fiercely independent. Our forefathers and foremothers sailed out into the great unknown with only the prayer that a distant land may exist in which they would be able to live in religious and personal freedom. They birthed a nation with a declaration of its independence. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are woven into the DNA of what it means to be an American. Some two hundred years later, it should not be a surprise that we remain committed to the value of independence.

The unintended consequence of carving out our own corner of the world is that in many ways, we cut ourselves off from the world. This is especially true for people who were seeking religious and ecclesiastical freedom. They held with suspicion the denominational and church structures of the old world. New churches were established that did not have the deep roots of the past and were therefore unaccountable to them. 

While certainly, it is noble to purse the freedom to worship without the bounds of a state or dictatorial church, it is also dangerous to remove and relinquish all ties to our past. If we are completely independent, than we are also free from the guardrails that a greater respect for church history would afford us. Without these guardrails, we can end up running rush-shod over anyone we want. 

As Americans, we think that our independence is our greatest value. When we value independence so highly, we can develop an attitude of superiority. And, if I am superior to others, than it just makes sense that I judge them as well. In all of this, we easily forget that other things - like grace, understanding, and longsuffering - are of greater value in the kingdom of Jesus.

What's been your experience with systemic judgmentalism in the church? Where do you think it comes from?

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