Unfundamentalist

Above All, Love

Current Events

Shadrach, Mechach, Abednego, and the NFL

by Alex Camire in Current Events

We will soon be entering our third NFL season where the attention, for many, will not be solely on the game, but also on the conversation about racial inequality and police brutality against persons of color.

This conversation (started by Colin Kaepernick in August 2016) is still ongoing, but has taken an unfortunate turn. For this upcoming season, the NFL owners have chosen to create an internal policy requiring players to stand for the National Anthem when on the field, with the intent to prevent protests and suppress the voices of those who were calling attention to the issues caused by systemic racism.

Today, as I write, it is with the specific frustration that the acknowledgement of my white, male, Christian privilege is not shared by many of my fellow white, male, Christians. Truth be told, I wish I didn’t have to speak or write about this topic, as it generally leads to a discussion and debate among them that I am already tired of.

And yet, I must be vigilant in reminding myself of the privilege I possess. Opting to turn a blind eye or ignore a problem simply because it is exhausting is a luxury that isn’t afforded to everyone. These conversations matter as they affect the very lives of people of color; and they don’t have the benefit of looking away when they get tired.

What’s become the most frustrating thing about this topic is the way that it is regularly framed: as a protest against our actual anthem and flag, and, by extension, the government,… [Read more…] about Shadrach, Mechach, Abednego, and the NFL

9 Responses to the Willow Creek Accusations That Reveal Everything Wrong with Evangelicalism

by Carly Gelsinger in Current Events

Willow Creek Community Church, a Chicago-area megachurch, is scrambling under the light of the recent allegations of sexual misconduct against its lead pastor, Bill Hybels. Last night, Hybels announced that he was resigning from Willow Creek due to the controversy, although he continues to claim that the allegations against him are false.

The Hybels are a well-connected and influential evangelical family and their supporters have rallied around them. Both the church itself and Hybels’s daughter Shauna Niequest have posted publicly in social media spaces, receiving thousands of comments in support of the Hybels family. This is understandably a difficult time for Bill Hybels’s wife and children and anyone else who has been influenced by him, and their feelings matter. But what matters more is a fair investigation into the disturbing patterns of behavior and cover-ups Hybels is being accused of.

The responses from churchgoers and fans of Hybels’s books and ministry are beyond problematic. They are everything that is wrong with evangelical culture and the reason these things are allowed to happen in secrecy for so long. They demonstrate blind support of their leaders and disregard for logic or facts, with a generous side of victim blaming. Here are some of my favorites:

“Willow Creek changed my life therefore these accusations must be lies.”
You can be grateful for the way a church or pastor has shaped you and still be open to the possibility he may be a… [Read more…] about 9 Responses to the Willow Creek Accusations That Reveal Everything Wrong with Evangelicalism

My daughter is one of countless children who live in fear since Trump came into power

by Sana Khatib in Current Events

I recently made the difficult decision to send my daughter to a counselor. At her first session, she was so overcome with emotion that she could barely string together a few sentences. How did we get to this point?

Last November, my daughter and I were featured in a video in which we cooked a traditional Syrian holiday meal during Thanksgiving. While many people shared warm and encouraging comments, some comments left us flabbergasted: “This is exactly why Trump wants to get rid of all these minority traitors. GO HOME.” Knowing that somebody watched my beautiful daughter cook with her mother and felt inspired to spew out hateful rhetoric in response was deeply disheartening.

Protecting our children is the most fundamental parental instinct. When our children fall, we pick them up and kiss their scrapes. When they encounter a bully on the playground, our blood boils as we restrain our desire to run to their rescue. So what are parents to do when the bully is our own president who continues to divide our country and encourage xenophobia?

Van Jones of CNN encapsulated the nightmare of a Trump presidency best on election night when he said, “It’s hard to be a parent tonight for a lot of us. You tell your kids, ‘Don’t be a bully.’ You tell your kids, ‘Don’t be a bigot.’ You tell your kids, ‘Do your homework and be prepared.’ And then you have this outcome, and you have people putting children to bed tonight, and they’re afraid of breakfast. They’re afraid of ‘How do I… [Read more…] about My daughter is one of countless children who live in fear since Trump came into power

God, Guns, and Grieving

by Lydia Joy in Current Events

I live in small town USA, so I’m told. Here in rural Virginia, we’re surrounded by farmland. Crops that are dedicated entirely to peanuts, corn, soybeans—and my county is one of the largest suppliers of cotton. With a population of no more than five hundred, a few family-owned businesses, four churches, one stop light, and the nearest shopping mall a thirty mile drive, it’s safe to say we’re smaller than most. I’ve spent most of my childhood here and, with neighbors knowing neighbors, I grew to love the security it provided. When you were in need, you were helped. It didn’t matter for what, someone always would step up.

Growing up in the South, there are advantages to being surrounded by profound history. Heritage is something that is nothing short of identity for many I have known over the years, even if I never shared that feeling. With both of my parents originally from Upstate New York, there was always a disconnect to how strongly rooted those around me were. But I was raised in a fundamentalist church and it was common to see signs of that southern identity everywhere.

“Dixie” was sung for special occasions, and shouting and cheers about how “the South will rise again” regularly occured during Sunday evening services. The Rebel Flag was worn on lapels and Stonewall Jackson’s prayers were recited. Sermons dedicated to America returning to the God that She had turned Her back on were constant. Old Glory, George Washington, Patrick Henry, and General Robert E. Lee… [Read more…] about God, Guns, and Grieving

How Evangelicalism Fosters Sexual Abuse

by Carly Gelsinger in Christian Issues, Current Events

Sexual assault thrives in the evangelical church, but why?

The sexual assault confession of Texas evangelical megachurch pastor Andy Savage is just the latest in a disturbing trend we’ve seen over the last decade.

It’s time to face the music. Evangelical pastors sexually abuse.

I realize this issue isn’t unique to evangelicalism, or religion (hello, Catholic Church circa 2002) or humans in general. There are abusive schoolteachers, parents, bosses, Hollywood directors, and strangers in parks. But there is a unique microclimate within evangelicalism that fosters the growth of abusers while silencing their victims. Whether they do this explicitly (as in Savage’s victim, who was told by the senior pastor to “not tell another soul”) or implicit in the theology and lifestyle in the congregation, the effect is the same. Victims of sexual abuse in evangelical churches often stay quiet. I grew up in the evangelical church, and while it never happened to me personally, it absolutely could have. This is why:

Pastors are elevated
There is a verse in the Bible that says “touch not the Lord’s anointed,” which in my church was interpreted to mean “don’t disrespect the pastor.” This kind of respect is given by title, not necessarily earned.  Pastors are often seen as an elevated spiritual human, and while they’ll refute this at the pulpit (“I’m a sinner just like you!”) some pastors secretly enjoy the elevated status they receive from their job. This is… [Read more…] about How Evangelicalism Fosters Sexual Abuse

Hypocrisy 101

by Darrell Lackey in Current Events

I wondered how long it would take and it didn’t take long. Jeff lorg is the president of Gateway Seminary, my alma mater, a Southern Baptist, evangelical school. In a recent blog post, after watching the Golden Globe ceremonies and Oprah Winfrey’s speech, he wrote:
“…But while Oprah is calling for moral leadership by men in power, she models immorality by a woman in power. She has openly acknowledged multiple sexual relationships in the past and has lived – without being married – with the same partner for more than 30 years.”
And, of course, what he is concerned about is the possibility that Oprah might run for President.

Here is the problem:  I have no idea how Dr. Iorg voted, but I do know that 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump.  I also don’t know if Dr. Iorg has been critical of Trump while in office. A cursory Google search did not reveal much either way. In that regard, let’s give Dr. Iorg the benefit of the doubt. I like and respect Dr. Iorg. My sense however, is we will hear similar sentiments regarding Oprah and others like her from the 81%, or from the evangelicals who have remained silent, complicit, tacitly during Trump’s first year in office. In that context, let us now consider Dr. Iorg’s words regarding Oprah and then take the measure of the current occupant of the White House:

Here is a man who has been married three times (hey, at least Oprah has been with the same person for 30 years!)  Here is a man who bragged about his affairs. He bragged… [Read more…] about Hypocrisy 101

It’s Time for Women to Stop Protecting Wicked Men

by Geneva Gurrusquieta in Current Events

Trigger Warning: this article describes sexual assault and may be triggering to survivors.

The story about the accusations against Roy Moore that he sexually assaulted a young teenage girl has really hit me. I’ve been melancholy, nauseated, stressed, unable to sleep. I even bought a pack of cigarettes after having kicked the habit long ago. Even with all the high profile sexual assault stories in the news, this one really pushed my buttons. Now, her story is the first thing I think about every morning, and the last thing I think about at night. Her story is always in the back of my mind. Tears flow and I have no control over when or where, because I am so grieved for her. It’s not her story, but the response to her story that compels me to speak out.

In my life, I’ve listened to dozens of stories of sexual abuse and assault from women (and men) from all walks of life; no one is immune. I’ve gotten pretty good at seeing the truth of a story and filtering out falsehoods and exaggerations. Leigh Corfman’s story rings true. I believe her.

“Why did she wait forty years to say something? Why is she telling this now?” Many women confide in no one until they are much older. Other than one friend and my therapist, I’ve never named my abuser either. But people knew. I tried to tell, but I was shamed and shunned. I don’t know where he is, or even if he’s alive or dead, but you can be sure of one thing: if that man ever decided to run for US Senate, yes, you bet your… [Read more…] about It’s Time for Women to Stop Protecting Wicked Men

Lebanon and the Balance of Love

by Rich Rosendahl in Current Events

My wife and I just spent a week in Lebanon. What follows are our first impressions of this remarkable place. Although we would have loved to spend months exploring the beautiful country, we split our short time between the urban sprawl of Beirut and the agriculturally pristine Bekaa Valley. It was in the Valley where we met with Syrian refugees, the main purpose for our trip.

We first arrived in Beirut and were immediately met with a long lost friend called—traffic. Our loosely planned 25-minute cab ride to our hotel turned into an hour and a half of stop and go exploring. Our driver was friendly, helpful, and spoke excellent English, which we needed, considering our broken, less-than-kindergarten level Arabic.

Our drive was long and it gave us a chance to see much of the city. We were surprised to see so many signs in English and so little writing in Arabic. We were more surprised to see how a beautiful, newly constructed building can sit on one corner of a street, contrasted by a bombed and bullet ridden building, the remnant of the war, sitting kitty-corner.

This was our first insight into what is our first impression of this beautiful country and culture—Lebanon seems to hang in the delicate but powerful balance of Love.

While in Beirut we explored the famous Hamra district, which has great food and great shopping. If you can find it, there is a restaurant (sans sign) tucked behind a Starbucks called Ta Maburta—I highly recommend the Kibbe.

Hamra is… [Read more…] about Lebanon and the Balance of Love

If We Don’t Want to See Another Charlottesville, Silence Is Not an Option

by Sheri Faye Rosendahl in Current Events

When will we all truly speak out against the blatant racism that embodies this self-proclaimed Christian nation? We just watched hundreds of white supremacists, adorned in KKK and Nazi gear, stroll through the University of Virginia with tiki torches shouting phrases like “blood and soil” as they encircled and even attacked counter-protesters. We then watched the following day as up to a thousand white fascists rallied in this small college town and as they were met with the resistance of, you know, people not okay with blatant racism, violence broke out and a white terrorist drove a car into the crowd of counter-protesters killing one woman. We should all be vocally outraged — silence is not an option.

I can’t fathom the fact that still so many are silent. Still, this past Sunday, we saw many Christian pastors refusing to take an active stance against the clear violent racism in this nation. I’m sure some won’t speak out because they probably also hold some racist ideology, but other pastors won’t speak out because their fear of losing some of the support of their congregation has overpowered their desire to follow the ways of Jesus.

In following the ways of Jesus, it should not be hard to speak out against racism. There is nothing brave about it, it’s simply a clear distinction between right and wrong. Seriously, those who are still in denial about how deeply ingrained this issue is in our nation: what more do you need to happen before you stop hiding in… [Read more…] about If We Don’t Want to See Another Charlottesville, Silence Is Not an Option

The Painful Truth About Charlottesville 

by Janene Cates Putman in Current Events

The events in Charlottesville, VA last weekend have saddened, angered, and activated me. But as we met together in our faith community on Sunday morning, our pastor encouraged us: We were made for so much more than this! He went on to quote an author who said, “It’s as if we’re walking around in shoes a size too small.”

I’m a born and bred Southerner, y’all, and can “Bless Your Heart” in a hot minute. I was raised in the deep South where segregation was still a reality, even though integration was the law. In my hometown, into the 70s and 80s, there were two sides of the tracks, each side based on skin color. In a neighboring town was an active KKK chapter.

Fortunately, my family was not and is not racist, which is a minor miracle for that time and place. Maybe that’s why I’m so disheartened by last weekend’s events. I grew up singing, “Jesus loves the little children … Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.”

If this is true of Jesus — and it is — it most certainly can be true of his followers. Have you ever worn a pair of shoes that were too small for your feet? Maybe that cute pair you’d been eying all season was drastically marked down and they only had the size smaller than you normally wear.

We make all kinds of excuses: they’ll stretch out when I wear them, beauty is pain, it’s more important to look good than to feel good. Those shoes might work for a time or two, but eventually you’ll either stop wearing them because of the… [Read more…] about The Painful Truth About Charlottesville