Today, we will discuss one of the most pressing threats to American Christianity. Meaning, of course, American Christians.
Yes, that’s an overly broad statement. All those Christians whose faith requires them to live the Good News, to feed the hungry, to house the homeless, speak for the voiceless and welcome the stranger, surely do not threaten the faith. To the contrary, they empower it. They are what Christianity is supposed to be.
But we’re here to contend with what Christianity too often is. Having seen putative Christians excuse the liar, rationalize the alleged pedophile, justify the sexual assaulter and cheer as walls are raised against the most vulnerable, it’s obvious that many of those who claim that name embody a niggardly, cowardly, selfish and situational “faith” that has little to do with Jesus.
Exhibit A: North Bend High School in rural Southern Oregon. As detailed by The New York Times and CNN.com, two state reports completed in March and publicized just a few days ago, paint the school as a torture chamber for LGBTQ students.