Proposal for a Culture War

Posted on May 18, 2006 in Morals & Ethics

Just down the hill from me stands the collossal, glass-topped rock concert hall of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. A few days ago, as I drove along Chapman Avenue, the broken-off spire of Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral lined up with the center meridian, guiding me towards piety powered by gasoline fumes*. In both places, religious pundits proclaim an antigospel of Material Means, of Wealth as a sign of spirituality. These temples are full of noise. The Gospels, I dare say, call us to venerate something very different from conspicuous consumption.

I accuse these churches of three crimes: 1.) Weakening the nation’s resiliance by destroying diversity; 2.) Contradicting the Biblical message of spiritual poverty by their words and the model of cash-aggrandizement and consumption that they present with their worship services and service auditoriums; 3.) Using messages of Biblical fundamentalism, they hide their materialist ambitions and strategems, undermining and abrading the true message of Christ.

Is it an evil conspiracy? I don’t know. But these represent a spiritually and morally bankrupt policy. Let the Culture War Begin. Let them answer the materialism issue over and over again.

Personally, I think we should narrow the tax-exempt status of churches to just what it takes to maintain up to two ministers and the land cost of the hall. Churches should be made to pay an income tax on their tithes. If they are truly devoted to the word of Christ, they will render unto Caesar without complaint.

*Schuller started his organization by opening up a drive-in church.