Culturally Impotent Christians, Part II

Stigmatizing Unbelief

In a previous post we discussed some of the factors which historically have made Christians culturally impotent.  This is a critical subject for the church generally and all individual Christians to have considered and upon which to have come to some solid biblical conviction. If we fail here, whether out of ignorance or uninterest, we risk undermining the church and dishonouring the Name of Christ.

The essential factor as to whether Christians are culturally powerful or anaemic is the ability of the Church to endure from generation to generation, which, in turn means that it is critical that we are successful in raising our children to walk in the Way, and we have done.  Any faith which cannot bind its children into obedience and loyalty is not merely culturally impotent, it shames the Name of God Himself.
  When Moses pleaded with God not to destroy rebellious Israel in the desert, he raised the issue of God's honour and reputation amongst the surrounding heathen nations.  If God were to destroy Israel, the nations, particularly Egypt, would conclude that God was simply not powerful enough to redeem Israel, shepherd him, and bring him into the land of Canaan. (Deuteronomy 9:7)

This implies that if we are unable to command our children after us in the faith, the honour and Name of God are defamed in the eyes of Unbelief.  "See--their faith and their God is so weak, even their children do not believe."  But, as with our father, Israel in the desert such impotence is a result of the us being unfaithful to God in our generation.  Consequently, our children do not believe, but turn away.  Our children have read our implicit apostasy and unbelief; they turn to a more fully fledged apostasy in their generation.

Historically, according to sociologist Rodney Stark, Christians and the Church has become culturally impotent when they have not focused upon faithfully keeping the rituals regular and repeated of public worship. When parents neglect the rituals of publicly worshipping with other Christians they are tempting their children to turn away over time.  Christians generally are more likely to keep the faith strongly when they meet together regularly and engage in the God-commanded rituals of worship.

When Christians disengage from the surrounding world and meet together for worship it is natural to think that they are withdrawing from the surrounding culture and therefore becoming irrelevant.  Usually, however, it is the reverse.  By worshipping together regularly, the faith and convictions of Believers are strengthened; they become more committed.  They become more disciplined.  Solidarity with God's people strengthens.  The end result is a more potent engagement with the world.  The Church, even though a small minority (such as in much of the West today) amidst a sea of unbelief, stays true, distinct, un-assimilating. It resists conforming to the world. 

Rodney Stark (One True God: Historical Consequences of Monotheism [Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001]), however, suggests there is another factor which makes the church culturally powerful.  Like public worship it is initially counter-intuitive.  When Christians and the Church become stigmatized in a culture, there are two possible reactions.  The first is to attempt to bridge the gap, remove the stigmas, and work to assimilate and win the respect of Unbelief.  Thus, many Christians and churches today spend their whole life trying to make themselves more respectable in the eyes of Unbelief. 

The second response to stigmatization is to hold Unbelief in contempt.  Stark argues that whenever religious groups counter-stigmatize they remain strong and coherent and culturally powerful.

Contemptuous views of outsiders are necessary for the survival of a stigmatized group.  It is only by teaching their children to look down on outsiders that groups like the Amish are able to retain group loyalty and thereby to persist in a world that looks down on them.  Amish who defect are shunned--their family and friends never speak to them again.  The same was true of Jews in ancient and medieval days--and remains so for Orthodox Jews today. . . . 

Few realize that Jews only recently began to wear side-curls, black hats and clothing and the like.  These were not traditional: in ancient and medieval times Jews dressed and groomed like everyone else, apart from items required of them by law.  Those responsible for the voluntary new visibility of Jews were quite candid about wishing to increase consciousness of kind.  (Ibid., pp. 188f.)

Stark, of course, is making historical and sociological observations.  How biblical is it, however, to hold Unbelief in contempt?  A survey of apostolic references to Gentiles and Gentile culture would make many semi-assimilated Christians today very uncomfortable.  The apostles clearly stigmatized them in their Unbelief, even while seeking to bring the Gospel to them that they would turn from Gentilism, or Unbelief.

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. Ephesians 4:17

. . . not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. I Thess.4:5

For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. I Peter 4:3

For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. III John 1:7

A survey of much preaching and teaching and Christian conversation today would likely reveal no similar sentiments being expressed towards Outsiders and Unbelievers (c.f. Gentiles).  Our semi-assimilated Christianity would regard such utterances as "intolerant", "unloving", sub-Christian.  This is a significant reason why the Church today is so culturally impotent.  It has failed to stigmatize Unbelief for what it is.   It is too busy trying to win acceptance.  It wants the world to like us. 

Ironically, when God's people stigmatize Unbelief and Unbelievers in a biblical way our churches become much more powerful, culturally and spiritually.  The more Christians try to prove to themselves and Outsiders that "we are just like you" the more anaemic and compromised they become. 

We find ourselves disobeying that fundamental duty:

Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will welcome you and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
II Corinthians 6: 17.