A Manifesto for the Disenchanted Evangelical

I'm going to do something very bold that's probably also unwise. I'm going to attempt to speak for a generation. It's a foolish endeavor, I know, because every generation is composed of vastly different individuals who disagree on every subject under the sun. But, on the other hand, there is a sense in which a generation takes on a personality of its own and differentiates itself from the one before it. I'm currently reading a wonderful little memoir called "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose who spent one semester as an undercover reporter at Liberty University, the brainchild of Dr. Jerry Falwell and Mecca of the religious right. As I read the book I notice that Roose speaks for a generation that ranges from mildly disenchanted to loudly furious with the evangelical church of our fathers' and mothers' generation. So, with fear and trembling, I present a manifesto on behalf of the young fringe evangelicals.

We don't think the most heinous of all sins is homosexuality. In fact, we're convinced that the Bible speaks much more about materialism and serving the poor than about how reprehensible it is to be gay. We take the Bible seriously, but don't think the Bible demands that we carry around banners claiming, "God hates fags." And when we read the story of Sodom and Gomorra we are quick to note that the sin of their materialism is mentioned more frequently by the author than their sodomy.

We don't think that global warming is some far-fetched conspiracy theory spread by liberal elites in a bid for power. In fact, we find it suspicious that the only scientists who deny global warming, do so from a particularly narrow theological persuasion. We don't think the earth was given to us by God to rule with an iron fist, but rather was given to us to care for in the same way that God cares for his creation.

We don't think God is a Republican... or a Democrat. We think he is above political ideologies. And we are offended when a large segment of the church tries to hijack our faith and use it as a tool to win elections. We believe in "family values" and we are still "values voters," but our values go beyond opposition to gays and blind support of the military.

We're tired of a church that has been loud, angry, and very vocal to American culture about things that really don't matter that much. We wish that instead of getting in a huff about the use of "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas," the church might actually get angry about hundreds of thousands of kids starving or the plague of AIDS in Africa or genocide.

We are slowly coming to see that things are not as black and white as our forefathers wanted to present them. We find it difficult to divide people easily between "good" and "bad" or even between "believers" and "non-believers." We see faith as a journey and a process that takes a lifetime. It doesn't end at a single trip to an altar nor does "saying the magic words" sum up the totality of the Christian experience.

We are very uncomfortable with a God who claims to love everyone, but who damns most of them to hell simply because the weren't born in a country where they never heard the name "Jesus." We think that's unfair and we find it hard to worship such a God. We prefer to cling to the hope that God's grace and mercy will extend far beyond what we have ever even imagined on this side of death.

We're so sick and tired of shallow, consumer-driven, superficial staged performances on Sunday morning. We're not drawn to a church because it has a slick band or nifty powerpoint graphics. We hunger for a place that is honest and genuine and that delves deep into the mystery and joy of community. We're not impressed by the mega-church, by the airport-sized buildings, or by the Starbucks lattes in the foyers. We long for someone who will love us, listen to us, and give us a place to belong. We're willing to overlook imperfections in the way church is "performed" if it offers us a place to be real.

We don't think the words of James Dobson, Pat Robertson, or Chuck Colson are infallible. We like to listen to a variety of perspectives and we're not convinced that the conservative, religious-right evangelicalism of our childhood is THE PUREST FORM of Christianity. In fact, we are drawn to a broad variety of traditions -- Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anabaptist, Coptic, and so on.

We think that the Christian story must involve more than individuals simply getting their butts into heaven. We want a Christianity that is relevant to THIS LIFE. We want a religion that can change us and that can change society. We don't want some hyper-inward, invisible faith; we want something tangible, something we can sink our teeth into, something more akin to what Paul described when he spoke of the "redemption of all of creation."

We're unsatisfied with the traditional means of spirituality that we've inherited. The whole "read your Bible and pray every day" thing is good, but we demand more. We want a faith that goes beyond just "Jesus and me" and instead enfolds us into a community that lives out a radically different, alternative ethic. We value meditation, fasting, time in nature, blogging, exercising, and chatting about Jesus over a cup of coffee. And we think that these things are legitimate ways to draw close to God -- just as legit as daily bible reading or individual prayer.

We want a faith filled with mystery. We don't respect a person that has all the answers. We're not attracted to someone who claims to be "the Bible Answer Man." Instead, we want someone who is willing to live within the ambiguities of life and embrace them. We want to participate in ancient rituals of the church that have been around for thousands of years and, no, we don't need to understand or dissect these rituals until all the mystery has been eradicated from them.

We want to be loved as we are and not judged. We don't want to have to measure up to a standard before we're accepted. We like Jesus. Jesus just loved people and healed them and gave them hope. He wasn't preachy (or when he was, he was usually preachy at the religious establishment of his day). He liked the down-and-outers and brought them into the fold. That's the type of guy we want to follow.

We get a little antsy when people start demanding that we "go out and evangelize people." Not because we don't believe in sharing good news, but because for so long the church has reduced people to projects. For too long we've been dogmatic and preachy and know-it-alls who stand aloof of all the pathetic unenlightened masses that don't know Jesus. We'd prefer to enter the world of the "sinner" on their own ground, get to know them, listen to them, hear their story, and have a conversation with them about life and death and meaning. We prefer to think of EVERYONE as having a spiritual journey and a story to tell. In fact, we think that we can even learn from non-Christians (gasp!).

We hate racism. We hate how Sunday mornings at 11 am are still the most segregated hour of the week in America. We long to meet other cultures, break bread with them, and cross the barriers that divide us. Seeing an all-white congregation makes us sick to our stomach because we have this sinking feeling that something is very, very wrong. We're comfortable in a multi-cultural context and wouldn't want it any other way.

We're tired of a religion that legitimizes violence against other people. Muslim children are children too... that God loves. We are angered when people in power utilize our faith for their warmongering. We follow the prince of peace, the lamb of God who refused to retaliate. We're tired of religious wars and we want to learn to (at a minimum) coexist with people of other religions and at best to join hands and party with them.

So there it is. A manifesto for the disenchanted young evangelical. Undoubtedly many of my own generation will disagree with how I've put things. But it was worth the risk. I don't think I'm alone in thinking these thoughts.