A few days ago, I wrote a post on Facebook about how one of the most disheartening things about the church right now is how quickly Christians jump to condemn other Christians.
An Example of Our Culture of Criticism
A couple days later, I watched as this critical posture once again took flight on Twitter. Pastor Josh Howerton offered a warning about using Jesus as a mascot to affirm our perspective on hobby topics of the day.
Several people I follow quickly retweeted the post, condemning Howerton for being critical of Jesus feeding the hungry, loving the poor, being a brown-skinned, undocumented immigrant and so forth.
One commentator on Twitter (or X) went so far as to frame Howerton as being “triggered” by such a Jesus, which confronts his “colonized and slaveholder theology.”
But wait a second — is it accurate to say Howerton is being “triggered”?
This is a prime example of what I’m referring to as a “toxic culture of criticism” in the church today. I am not too familiar with Howerton or his ministry. I’ve seen his stuff pop up on Twitter before, and for the most part I’ve appreciated it. But I do not follow him. The only reason I saw his Tweet this week is because other people I follow were retweeting it with criticism, leading to what struck me as a “dog pile” on Howerton. When I went and read his post for myself, I came away baffled and decided to record a video breaking down the silliness of this approach.
What happened with trying to understand what people were saying before offering our critiques?
This video isn’t about acquitting Howerton of any wrong theology. I’m simply analyzing the criticism he received in light of what he actually said and offering feedback on this style of interacting with people. It’s time we throw away our binary, combative approach to issues and learn how to enter each other’s stories.
Question: Why does it seem to be so difficult for Christians to ask clarifying questions and make sure they are properly understanding others before tearing into something they said or did, seeking to expose it as scandalous? You can share in the comments below.
Join Unfeigned Christianity to access all our member-only content.
Become a paying member of Unfeigned Christianity and access a full dashboard of resources for Christians wanting culturally aware, biblically nuanced, and Jesus-embodying responses to current-day issues. Try the first 7 days free!
Already a member? Login
-
How Eroticism Can Heal Your Soul from Unwanted Sexual Expression
Eros is discovered each time your body experiences the dove-tailing of desire and gratitude. It’s God’s bridge between the beauty of bodily pleasure and the awe of heaven.
-
When Church Doesn’t Work
Now that I’m in my thirties and a part of a church leadership team myself, I can identify a number of times as I look back on my life when it seemed as though church didn’t work. I could have walked away, but didn’t.
-
3 Lessons about Spiritual Abuse I Learned the Hard Way
I dive into three valuable lessons I’ve learned the hard way about spiritual abuse. These lessons aren’t just “failures vs. successes,” but rather insights gained through challenging experiences that can benefit us all.
A subscription gets you:
✔ Subscriber-only posts and full archives (250+ in all)
✔ Exclusive podcast interviews
✔ The audiobook version of Live Free: Making Sense of Male Sexuality
