Puissant, male-dominated Evangelicalism, and reasons why it’s like that!

I’ve written before about how one of this things I’d love to see disappear from the Church is the prevalence of puissant (pushy) male-dominated leadership and all its consequent abuses.

That deeply-embedded, yes, sickness, is one of the main reasons why I use my Litmus Test, in order to ascertain how ‘safe’ a church is before I will consider attending services there.

And, like me in that post referenced above, the brilliant Chris Kratzer has also articulated that point, along with some other points of nastiness that modern-day Evangelicalism displays. And so I wanted to share what he wrote, because he really does have a way with words:

Most Christians never grow beyond their usefulness to religious, powerful men.
In fact, Christianity became Christianity because of its usefulness to the Empire. Spiritualizing male-driven power has and will always be big business.

In Christianity, and even in many progressive versions today, every decision, design, interpretation, and implementation is evaluated ultimately by its usefulness, support, and preservation of male-driven power.

That’s why, in truth, the Christian discrimination against women isn’t about honoring some definitive gender design by God, but rather about protecting absolute male-driven power.
In the same way, the Christian condemnation of queer people isn’t about calling “sinners” to repentance or God’s “design” for sexuality, it’s about protecting male-driven power. There are faithful, biblical, Jesus-honoring ways to affirm queer people. Condemning them is by choice, not by necessity.

The Christian racism against black and brown people isn’t about racial purity, economic vitality, or God creating whites superior, it’s about protecting male-driven white power.

The Christian assault and discrimination against non-Christians isn’t a quest for theological truth or religious authenticity, it’s about protecting male-driven Christian power.

Women, queer people, minorities, and non-Christians are a deep threat to male-driven power because each of them rightly seek the recognition and treatment of their God-given equal worth, value, dignity, and standing with white, heterosexual, Christian males.

See, Christianity has never truly been about repentance, moral integrity, truth, servanthood, or even Jesus. If it were, Christians would have very little time (if any at all) judging the world, forcing their faith, demanding privilege, and chasing after all the seats of power.

Instead, they would be totally consumed with repenting of their own sin, living in moral integrity, humbly seeking spiritual truth, serving humanity, loving their neighbors and enemies, putting the needs of others above themselves, and proclaiming the equal dignity, worth, and value of all people.

Sadly, for so many Christians, that is not their way, that is not their truth, and that is not their life.
Christianity became Christianity not for the cause of Christ, but for the cause of global spiritualized male-driven power.

That’s why, the moment a Christian grows beyond their usefulness to religious, powerful men they are called “woke,” backslidden, a “libtard” a “socialist” or “soft.”

The moment a Christian is also queer, they are demonized as a disgusting “sinner” in need of repentance and conversion therapy. Or at the very least, they are prevented from true service, leadership, influence, or real equality within their religious community.

The moment a Christian is also a woman, they are stripped of their true dignity, freedom, rights, power, and voice, and those that refuse to submit are belittled as “feminists, “bitches,” “emotional,” “ungodly” “helpmates” “lesser,” and “sluts.”

The moment a Christian is no longer a certain type of Christian or a Christian at all, they are quickly abandoned as “backslidden,” “rebels,” “reprobates,” “demon possessed,” “heretics,” or “lost.”

When you see the enemies, interpretations, systems, and politics Christianity chooses…

When you see what is deemed “infallible” versus what is deemed “symbolic” or “contextual”…

When homosexuality is labeled as a definitive non-negotiable, biblical “sin,” but Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is framed as “woke,” “metaphor,” and open for debate, interpretation, and even dismissal…

When “love you neighbor” is turned into a guest list that includes only those who look, act, believe, and live as you do…

… it becomes all too clear, the end game of so much of Christianity is men being able to say what they want, do what they want, get what they want, control what they want, screw who they want, kill who they want, exploit who they want, and abuse who they want, all without consequence or condemnation, because God “told them so.”

Class dismissed.

– Chris Kratzer, shared with his kind permission