Not a Cross, But a Vacant Room
I just found out that a friend of mine has had a Xanga site for a while. I actually found out because another friend suggested I read this thought-provoking post. I'm going to quote most of it here (make sure you visit his Xanga, though):

I've been reading "The Crisis of Islam: Holy War Unholy Terror" by Bernard Lewis, and it is really great. I've read several of his other books. He's the professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton and considered to possibly be the foremost authority on the Middle East and Islam. But the book outlines the history of Islam and their dealings with the West, trying to discover the reasons why they consider America "the Great Satan." Our reasons are so simplified, and he goes into much of the history and takes many angles.

But he mentioned something that really struck me last night. He spoke of Sayyid Qutb, one of the first "fundamentalist" leaders. Qutb spent several years in the US studying and later wrote several books. Lewis says,

"He observed there were many churches but warned his readers that their number should not be misunderstood as an expression of real religious or spiritual feeling. Churches in America, he said, operate like businesses, competing for clients and for publicity, and using the same methods as stores and theaters to attract customers and audiences. For the minister of a church, as for the manager of a business or a theater, success is what matters, and success is measured by size-bigness, numbers. To attract clientele, churches advertise shamelessly and offer what Americans most seek-"a good time or "fun" (he cited the English words in his Arabic text).

The biggest thing that has struck me, besides the fact that I feel this same way sometimes (or a lot of times), is that he doesn't argue a theological or philosophical belief in Christianity. He looks at the way the faith actually works in our culture. And I wonder if it is enough for me to just say, "well there will always be people who don't take things seriously, This isn't how it is supposed to be." Because I think maybe it isn't enough to say it isn't supposed to be this way if this is the way it is. (roughly 37 pronouns in that last sentence. I'm all about vagaries)

Supposedly Ghandi once said he would have followed Christ if it weren't for Christians. And I would say in my day-to-day life it isn't "non-believers" who frustrate me most, but it is the believers and myself. Why do we feel, as the Church as a whole, we need to embrace these aspects of American culture that are so dangerous? Our society (that word is for you Wesga) perpetuates this atmosphere of entertainment and our minds numb themselves with the constant movement.

We go to our churches and these ideals of Big Business and entertainment for the masses (watered down to aid in digestion) are incorporated in order to "reach the lost." But I say this. How many of these people who used to be "lost" have found anything more than something else to do on Sunday morning? I know that most people don't trust corporations because they crush people in order to bring in more money for the stockholders. Can we say the same thing about churches hurting people in order to bring in the "lost?" I think if we really held to the ideals of Christ we wouldn't fit in with American society, but we would strive for social revolution.

I talked to a girl last night who was severely hurt by the Church in this respect. She's walked away from her faith, because she realized she didn't really have a faith. She was confused by the glitz, performance, smoke and mirrors. And when the smoke cleared she didn't find a cross, but an vacant room.

posted by Jimmy at 7:59 AM | |