Niebuhr’s Lament: A Truncated and Effaced Christianity
Niebuhr’s Lament.
“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
― H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America
Niebuhr’s lament concerning the mid twentieth century is exactly the description of large masses that call themselves “Christian” today. In pulpits across the land, one will hear of the so-called love of God, a love that tries desperately to get your attention. Preachers remind us that God loves us Just As We Are! One wonders if that is the truth, then when I die, I’ll get a grand reception from God, Just as I am. This prompted Reformed theologian, R. C. Sproul to state that the problem with much contemporary church preaching is that folks have been led to believe that the only thing they have to do to go to heaven is to die. Justification by death.
This ever-accepting and pleading god is impotent to guarantee his grandest desires for world-wide salvation and must pick up scraps from the Devil’s table. This deity’s spokesmen continue to urge us on to the best life now, or to overcome our financial and familial difficulties. Pray for that promotion! If you have faith, God will show you great favor as he already loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life. At least on this side of eternity he does, as you will never hear from the pulpits about any sin that you have committed or about laws you have transgressed. Oh, how he loves you! The kingdom of god is within you. Just follow your heart! We are not judgmental. We are a non-threatening, all-inclusive and all-accepting of your varied lifestyles. No danger here! The only sin you will hear about is the dreadful intolerance of those extreme and radical Bible-thumpers who are living in the dark ages.
Jesus loves me this I know for the pastor told me so. The so-called messiah of many a church is not one who bears the wrath of God. That antiquated notion has been eternally banished, thank heavens! No. Our Messiah is the one who loved everyone so much that he was ready to challenge the political status quo and ended up as a martyr so you could see how much god loves you. If that doesn’t move you to tears nothing will. Forget justification and atonement; forget regeneration and imputation. With our faith you don’t need a dictionary from a thousand years ago; the latest edition of Guideposts will have all you need for a warm and fuzzy sentimental approach to things divine. Typically, this is what you may encounter:
For all your needs we provide an entertaining alternative to the stuffy long-winded sermons on fire and brimstone. When we say, “No heck!” we mean it. No. Really, there is no hell to fear. That condemnation and second death talk was just a myth. Milton and Dante have scared millions by their graphic portrayals. We much prefer the poetry of Maya Angelou, thank you very much!
So, if you want God as your co-pilot, or your personal savior/genie/best friend, you’d best give us a try. We can be found on most corners in small town America far and wide. Look for the flashing neon signs. The pithy quote will set us apart from the fundamentalists. No need to dress up, you are only meeting the creator of heaven and earth. Jeans with holes are the recent trend. Our minister will welcome you after the program. He’ll have a sign up card and a list of all the amenities we provide: bowling on Thursday, Movie night Friday, Pot luck on Saturday evenings before we play bingo. On Sundays we have the best of the best. Our sound system is unrivaled. The light show will dazzle you as if Pentecost was happening all over again. The video clips during the semonette are designed to keep you engaged with the relevant content. You’ll be a better you for having joined our ever-growing clientele list. Don’t forget to let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more pleasurable. We have padded pews, lean back chairs, big-screens for those with poor eyesight. If you don’t like loud noises we advise that you stay at least sixty feet from the band’s heavy speakers. Or better make that sixty yards.
You will be spell bound with tales from a not so dorky minister. You will immediately recognize all the cultural clues to make you feel right at home. Coffee out front. No when we said blended that wasn’t about our worship, but our java. Donuts at dismissal for all the kids. Once a month we have a jumbo air-field castle for the kids while adults discuss the morning’s message about how to have a productive marriage or the three points about how to make your boss like you…
All in all, we feel that god wants us all, to just get along. This is truly heaven on earth.
Niebuhr would surely recognize this modern invention that mirrors the aims of Christendom in his day.
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