You know how many news exposés and documentaries they’ve made now that graphically show the horrible conditions of animals in our food industry? I don't, but I assume there are several at this point. I hear they're appalling to watch because the animals are so terribly mistreated.
Please don't judge me for this - actually, go ahead, because I judge myself for this, too - but I refuse to watch those types of documentaries. I know if I were to watch them, I would feel so sick to my stomach that I would never be able to eat animal products ever again. I know that if I understood the full truth of their treatment, it would mean I would have to change my behavior. And not just a little change, either, but an entire lifestyle change. At this point, that is not a change I am willing to make. Therefore, I purposefully avoid watching them so I can continue to enjoy blissful ignorance. Part of me knows the truth, but I refuse to acknowledge it. I would rather live in denial.
I don't think I'm alone in this. Maybe not about the animals, but in general. I think sometimes, we all prefer denial. Admitting hard truths often means change, and we don't like change. Change is hard. It's uncomfortable. It's messy. We like things the way they are. Or at least, we think we do. We think we do because it's what we know. The unknown is scary.
Denial is the only way I can understand poll numbers right now. Across the board, they are fairly low in terms of how the general public sees Trump's performance in these first 100 days. The one group, however, which continues to rate Trump high, is among White Evangelicals.
This is incredibly disheartening considering how unChristian he is, as well as how unChristian his policies are. The things he says and does are incredibly contrary to the Bible and to Christian ethic, and yet, the majority of White Evangelicals, 71% at the last poll I saw, still support him and say he's doing a good job.
There have been more and more voices speaking up and speaking out against the destruction that he’s wrecking on our country, but very few of those voices have come from Christian leadership. Yesterday, Lindsey Graham, unrelated to the great Billy Graham, even suggested that Trump should be the next pope! The most immoral president in history and we want to make him pope? He’s not even Catholic! This type of deeply-rooted fanaticism over Trump is what has many calling the MAGA party a cult.
I wonder, though, if this strong adherence to Trump is more similar to my conviction not to watch documentaries on animal cruelty in our food industry. Maybe they refuse to see the bad stuff, because they know if they do, they'll have to change their behavior, or at least, their perspective. Maybe that's not a change they are willing to make. They'd rather live in denial and the blissful ignorance of believing their faith is in the right person.
Or perhaps, it goes even deeper than that. In White Evangelicalism, faith and religion and culture and politics are so intermixed that maybe people worry that if they challenge one piece of it - like, their support of Trump - then the whole thing would come crumbling down.
A similar argument is made about women in ministry. (Follow me here, this isn’t as big of a leap as you might think.) A lot of people object to women in ministry because they say, if you allow women in ministry, then what’s next? LGBTQ+ pastors? Breakdown of families? Where does it end?! Yet this argument falls apart under scrutiny. For example, Christians used to use the Bible to justify slavery. Now we understand slavery is wrong and against God's will. That new understanding didn't make the whole Gospel crumble around us, did it? The adjustment period was difficult and lasted way longer than it should have*, but we rejected this idea and were still able to maintain our faith and build up the church even stronger.
There’s this talk in our society right now about deconstruction. I think that scares people, too. They are afraid that confronting their beliefs may lead to a deconstruction, and that is not something they are ready to do.
When I started this blog, I talked about my own deconstruction, although I called it more of a demolition. I have realized, however, that deconstruction means different things to different people. To me, deconstruction meant peeling away the religious bindings around my faith - including cultural and political influences - so I could focus on faith alone. A lot of people see deconstruction as peeling away not just the religiosity, but the core beliefs of their faith. A lot of deconstructed individuals no longer believe in God or no longer call themselves Christians. Or maybe they believe in God, but not in Jesus or not in the church or not in hell or not in our need for a Savior. This is an entire deconstruction of beliefs, not just a religion.
I suppose in a way, there’s something unique about the middle ground I have found. Not that I think I'm the only one or extra-special or something. But somehow, by the grace of God, I have been able to deconstruct my religion and still hold onto my faith and the core tenets of Christianity. It is possible. It is perhaps even optimal and healthy - as a purer, more devoted faith has emerged. But I do recognize this is not an easy process. It's a very painful process. And people may have good reason to fear it.
After all, White Evangelicalism is more than just a set of beliefs. It's an identity. Questioning if a part of that identity may be in error would be terrifying. It would be easier to stay in denial. What would be left if it all came crumbling down? How even would they identity afterwards?
For the brave ones, I believe it's possible. I believe it is possible to let go of faith in Trump and still have faith in God. I believe it is possible to let go of faith in country and still have faith in God. I believe it is possible to let go of faith in privilege or race or wealth and still have faith in God.
Not only do I see these things as possible, I believe they are desirable. I believe this is what God wants from us.
Throughout the Bible, God constantly challenges people to come to faith rather than to religion. And, He wants to be the center of our faith, not someone else, not our church, not our political party, not our bank account. God wants to refine our faith (Malachi 3:2) and purify our faith (1 John 1:9), so we can focus on Him. Sometimes, that means peeling away anything and everything that distracts us from Him or takes our focus off Him. If we are trusting in powers of the earth to save us, our focus is misplaced. Even, idolatrous. Our focus must be on God alone.
It is time to align ourselves properly. That may mean it is time to face the hard truth, even if it means a change in our behaviors or in our core beliefs. It is never too late to let go. It may not be easy. It may require a great deal of adjustment. It may take a little while. But, ultimately, isn't it better to live in truth than in denial?
After all, Jesus said, the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).
*There is a solid argument to be made that we still have slavery today, just in the form of mass incarceration, rather than cotton farms.
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