Slandering the Church is Disinformation

Before you post, before you speak, recognize the reality on the ground

I understand that as the election gets closer, the rhetoric gets hotter. Of course, it’s more heat than light, but that’s the way we do it now for a variety of reasons.

But along the way I finally saw something that (dare I say it?) actually offended me. It was this post online:

Of course, this one is pretty insulting too.

Now, I’m not trying to politicize faith here. There are devout Christians all across the political spectrum. And there are cruel, hateful people who sully the name of Jesus by alleging to follow him (and that, too, across the political spectrum).

But to accuse Republican Christians of failing in their duties to Jesus, because of their political alignment, is pretty low. It might stem from lack of exposure to good Christians and their work. Charitably, I’d say it might come from wounds. It might simply come from the easy rush of click-bait that confirms ones own biases. But the reality is simply far from this sort of attack.

My father, may he rest in peace, was an old-school United Methodist pastor. He believed in preaching the gospel, visiting the sick, baptizing new believers, offering communion, performing marriages and funerals, comforting his flock, teaching vacation Bible school, singing beautiful music and that great sacrament of the Appalachian church, eating together. He was a great lover of fried chicken and sweets of all sorts. (I hope heaven has a lot of chicken houses…)

He was also raised a lifelong Republican. My grandmother Bertie Leap, who is doubtless organizing heaven as we speak, had a photo of Ronald Reagan on her wall. She also taught me to love poetry and literature. And she taught me this bit of sage advice: “Edwin, you can’t trust those Bolsheviks.” And millions of bodies later, was she ever right about that!

But I can never recall my father, or grandmother, or anyone in the clan being unkind to anyone over politics. Or, other than around the table at home, discussing it at all. And this was in West Virginia which was, then, predominantly Democrat in orientation.

I learned the faith, not framed in politics but framed in the Bible and in the person of Jesus. I was never told, “son, remember you’re a Republican Christian.”

Throughout my life I have met a lot of believers. I have known missionaries who taught and helped people in other countries; not only preaching but offering care to orphans and young pregnant women. I have known missionaries providing medical care in remote, dangerous places where their locations could not be divulged. I have known Christians who run water lines and dig wells in poor nations in order to provide clean water. I’ve known others who taught vocational skills, started schools and simply loved the unloved.

I have met doctors domestically who prayed over their sick patients, even stopping to do so as comfort before surgery, and who volunteer in free clinics.

I have met adoptive parents who rescued children from the foster care system and love them as if they had come from their own bodies. (In fact, Christians adopt at twice the rate of the general population.)

Many churches have ministries to young parents, especially to single young mothers, offering them encouragement and material support, and bringing them into the church to love them and their children.

My daughter volunteers with a ministry called “Young Lives.” Young lives reaches out to mentor, encourage and help teen mothers.

https://younglives.younglife.org/

However, I saw this little gem online:

Maybe those posting this had this particular experience. If so, it makes me sad. And on behalf of the faith, I apologize. On the other hand, it could be just one more convenient way to slander those who are seen as political opponents.

There are churches all over the country with ministries to immigrants. Ours was recently engaged with helping recent Afghan immigrants.

Here’s a link to a 2021 Southern Baptist response to the southern border. https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/southern-baptist-border-ministries-continue-prepare-for-possible-migrant-influx/

Perhaps the most offensive thing about these posts, to me, comes in the wake of the response to Hurricane Helene. Almost immediately, churches in the region and far away, mobilized teams to deliver food, clothing, water and shelter to the residents of Western North Carolina who were impacted by the storm. I’m not in any way trying to disparage the federal response. But before it could even get rolling, men and women lined up, trucks filled with material, chainsaws at the ready, in order to help.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-groups-provide-relief-to-hurricane-helene-victims.html

Our own church offered meals to linemen, showers to those who were without power, meals to others, collected supplies and went up to help those ravaged by the storm. My father-in-law’s church has done the same. Those are only two among thousands. The churches engaged come across the spectrum of denomination and creed, but they love and serve as Jesus taught them to do.

Churches across the Carolinas and beyond have responded and will continue to do so. And one of the most visible response groups is Samaritan’s Purse, the disaster ministry run by Franklin Graham, son of famed evangelist Billy Graham. (A worthy group for your volunteer time and donations, by the way.)

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/

The thing is, none of these groups have some descriptor that says “Republican Christians Only.” Or “Democratic Christians Need Not Apply.” They don’t put up a sign that says, “Agree with our politics or it’s no water for you!”

I never see a sign outside a house of worship that says “This is a church for Democrats.” Or Republicans. The church is diverse and has always been from its earliest times when slaves were welcomed along with everyone else, and when the price of faith might mean torment and death. (As it still does in much of the world.)

I could go on with lists of ministries to the addicted, to the homeless, to seniors, to youth. I don’t have time and neither do you as a reader.

I acknowledge that sometimes the church fails. Sometimes it is too politicized. Sometimes believers are callous and unkind. This is absolutely true. I admit that some have been hurt by the words and actions of the church. I do not try to make excuses for that. Please remember that the worst Christians are often the most visible believers who make splashes in the media.

The rest press on, loving and serving quietly, anonymously following Jesus teaching from Matthew 6:3: “But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” You’ll seldom ever know what they did as they won’t seek accolades.
As such, to assert that “Republican Christians Hate the Teachings of Jesus,” to suggest that “There’s no Hatred Like Christian Love,” these are worse than unkind memes.

These are misinformation, straight up.

And from what I’ve seen lately in political dialogue, is there anything worse than that?

They make convenient political sound-bites and easily shared bits of religious bigotry, but they aren’t anchored in reality. Not in the reality of what the church has done, and is doing, day in and day out.

So disagree with our teaching! Tell us we’re wrong! Dialogue with believers! Discuss policy if you must.

But don’t suggest that the church is a place of hatred until you’ve actually looked at what’s happening in person. Until you’ve spoken with those so engaged. And maybe, until you’ve gone with them to serve the lonely and hurting.

Maybe then it won’t be so easy to disparage those you don’t know in the name of politics.