“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet.”
Current headlines aside, I watched Men In Black again last night and lingered on this quote for a while.
The one thing that surprises me the most about Christianity (as it is expressed in America in particular) is how little pause or reflective consideration towards past mistakes it holds before beginning some new crusade.
Historically speaking, the leading ideas we’ve had about the makeup of creation often were proven wrong. St. Augustine would say this should invite us to reconsider how we interpret scripture. Not the other way around where we dig our feet in the sand and hold steadfast to what we could only call our loyal commitment to faithful ignorance.
I grew up in a Christianity that constantly used the word “secular” as a synonym for evil, broken, and wrong. I was taught “here’s what the Christians believe” a.k.a. “The truth” and here’s what the “secular world” believes a.k.a “the lie.” I was trained how to navigate the “secular” world and remain a faithful Christian.
I’m sure this attitude and cynicism towards the secular world is what is driving this narrative of “protecting our kids.” Though I’m sure I’m not alone in seeing that it’s not really about that as much as it is driven by the deep insecurity and anger of losing influence. Abusive partners tend to act the exact same way when control is no longer on their side and a person begins to see there is a healthy freedom in leaving.
Christianity in America is losing its influence and many Christians when I talk to or listen to them seem to think if they were to adjust with what we are learning from non-biblical sources, and in essence “be more appealing” they’d be compromising their faith and caving to “the patterns of this world.”
It’s a cynicism that looks out to the rest of the world God has created and states, “I have nothing to learn from you.”
It’s important to note that there are countless faithful Christians who have decided new information and insight is not a stumbling block but an invitation for growth, a greater awareness of creation, and a deeper path towards understanding and love of both God and neighbor. That path is available.
These efforts to erase the LGBTQ+ community and all signs of their existence for kids is obviously not going to be successful. That ship has long sailed. People will absolutely get hurt. But that ideology is just not set up to win. Why? Because none of my generation had it. We had Elton John and Ellen and a whole whole lot of us turns out…are gay!
Being gay isn’t contagious. But safety is. And that’s what changed. The safety and support to figure out who we are. Prohibiting this path of self-learning will only hurt people m; as it has done throughout the past.
I read a statistic this week that stated that queer people that stay in the church are 35% to 55% more likely to to die by suicide than those who leave.
If that makes you scoff or feel threatened and not just sob, I cannot believe you are motivated by love.
This is not a legacy paved by love or efforts to learn or understand one another. This is a legacy of violence.
We don’t have to stay where we are. In fact, it is a betrayal of the expansive creation to do so.
May we grow and mature into a new creation, and be transformed by the renewal of our minds. May love be that compass. And may all violence cease and be transformed into love.
“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet.”
DevonBailey.com 