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Let my Jesus go (enough is enough)

By December 18, 2014Blog, Featured

As you may have heard, a recent poll found that American Christians are more likely to support torture than non-religious Americans. The poll, conducted by Washington Post/ABC found that 69 percent of white evangelical Americans “believe the CIA treatment was justified.”

Are we surprised. I’m not. I wish I was surprised. But it’s par for the evangelical course in this country.

But my gosh, enough is enough. Right?

Hasn’t ENOUGH been ENOUGH for many many years?

I mean, like so many of you, I’ve long been tired of watching Jesus get dragged through America’s evangelical mud. And for some reason, 2014 has felt more exhausting than most. I mean, how far are America’s evangelicals willing to take Jesus in order to maintain (or keep safe) their cozy straight white American middle-to-upper-class lives? American evangelicals hate when other groups poke fun or mock Jesus in the public square, all the while crucifying Jesus themselves with their beliefs, fears, and actions.

How far will they go, friends?

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of American evangelicals owning the copyright on Jesus in America. I’m tired of them treating Jesus however the hell they want to.

Way too long ago, they confiscated Jesus, stealing him away into their camps to use him as a foundation on which to stand up for or stand up against whatever best fits their own needs, their own desires, their own worldviews, and their own economic gain.

How long are they going to hold Jesus hostage in their theopolitical clutches?

How long are they going to abuse Jesus with their intolerance?

How long are they going to speak with their lips of Jesus being a healer and then use him as a weapon against the poorest Americans?

How long, friends?

So to the American evangelicals who believe that Jesus would support the unrestrained use of torture on those that they or the American government deem our enemies, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who have long mixed Jesus into every aspect of their political agendas, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who think Jesus would approve of their church’s sexist bylaws and the misogynistic culture they protect, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who think Jesus would promote, honor, give two cents about their right to own guns, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who use Jesus as an excuses to be racist and refuse to listen to the stories of people whose lives/experiences don’t line up with theirs, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who downright homophobic, just a little bit homophobic, or think they’re homophobia isn’t homophobia, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who use Jesus as a foundation on which to promote financial gain, financial prosperity, or so-called financial peace, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who believe Jesus loves illegal immigrants but would send them home in a New York minute, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who use Jesus as an excuse to harbor abusers and silence victims, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who think Jesus has ordained America’s earthly power as sovereign and without boundaries all in the name of keeping us safe, I say, let my Jesus go.

To the American evangelicals who make Jesus into a bag of unbelievable magic tricks and spiritual hocus-pocus, I say, let my Jesus go!

To the American evangelicals who still believe in the war on Christmas, think Left Behind is a biblical concept, and share those terrible Christian memes on Facebook because they think Jesus would be proud, I say, let my Jesus go.

You’ve enslaved my Jesus for too long. You’ve used my Jesus for your agendas for too long. You’ve mixed my Jesus with your hateful platforms for too long.

Let my Jesus go.
Let my Jesus go.

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Matthew Paul Turner

Author Matthew Paul Turner

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Join the discussion 28 Comments

  • Smellin' Coffee says:

    Well said. There’s plenty of evidence that the “Republican Jesus” is not even similar to the literal Jesus of the New Testament. Unfortunately, Christians have been duped into the political venue and are nothing more than pawns for the greed and agenda of a political party. I’ve heard many claim that African-Americans in this country are pawns of the Dems to garner their votes for excessive government but can’t see that they are pawns themselves.

    • sadly, a people who identifies as “sheep” are usually easily duped. You guys should really consider not identifying with the sheep and instead be the shepherd. And by that, I mean, instead of just following your gods message of compassion, you should show others compassion, and how to show compassion. It’s a choice we make every day. To be good and compassionate, or to not be. And if youre following Christ, I figure its fair to point out that you MUST be more compassionate than your average person. It;s your duty, and what a great duty it is! Your JOB from your GOD as his people is to…BE NICE AND SHOW OTHERS HOW TO BE NICE. A tiny shift in the perspective of your faith and you could fill plenty of mustard seeds and move ALL the mountains. You pickin up what Im layin down? Good. Now go be amazing

      • susieq777 says:

        I like this. If the call to lay down your ego, to open your heart to the other, to go the extra mile in learning to truly believe and live in the space where all is seen as one, isn’t lived but is only nodded at as an extremism, then I guess you get a larger than normal ego and a larger than normal fear. And you might find yourself scared at what you’re capable of.

      • Smellin' Coffee says:

        You are absolutely correct! In essence, that is what Jesus commanded us to do; forgive and love whether reciprocated or not.

  • A friend and fellow theological philosopher of mine posted this. While Im by no means christian, I felt an incredible power in this message. There are Christians, and there is the cult of “American Jesusism”. Real Christ like christians are good folk in my book, sometimes a little backwards, but good folk. On the other hand, American Jesusist dont seem to worship the same deity as you, even though they share a name and back story. I like the God of Compassion christ, I do not like white america jesus. So to my Christian brothers and sisters, Lets get your deity back to his rightful people. I believe you guys could be real team leaders in this saga that is trying to get everyone to play nice. If you (the christian christians) really took to heart the Christ god’s message of compassion and operated accordingly, leading by example, not only could you be an incredible force for Good, but I and many of my people would be honored to work with you to bring that world that your god and ours promised us. A Good world full of love and abundance, without fear or hatred. We could do that together. If you want.

  • AMEN! I am grateful for your boldness. Your ability to translate my frustrations into a clear line of thought is wonderful. May God bless you for it! And I know if we as followers are feeling this strongly against such abuses, Jesus surely is at an end of tolerance for them as well. Time will tell who His true children are, especially as our collective voices and light begin to eclipse that of the wolves. 🙂

  • Bombshell says:

    I want to say, I whole-heartedly agree with your initial message about torture, and Christians being only associated with the right wing, that, while it holds their moral standards, does not always demonstrate what is most needed for the country. Part of the problem is that many Evangelicals are not educated enough about what happens in the secular world. They are raised in a bubble, and while that may help to some degree with character, it also conditions them to only listen to perspectives that are deemed ‘Christian’ perspectives like what is said on Fox News. They aren’t being trained to think for themselves based on what scripture says. Its hard to know what is truth anymore in this country when it comes to information, but the fact that they would support those types of things demonstrate that most Evangelicals are legalists. However, to some degree, who determines the laws that should be abided by in this country? Is it not the majority? Its easy to have compassion on the individual, but what about a group that doesn’t want forgiveness? How then do we follow through? I’m just asking questions for pondering here. I do agree with the majority of what you are saying, however, I’m also wondering how we are to establish laws? If Christians believe it should be based on scripture, and they make up the majority, don’t they have the right to stand up for what they believe?

  • rickmcopy says:

    Great article. I sometimes wonder how “new” this trend is, though. We Americans somehow attend church like crazy while rationalizing horror at the same time; we tolerated slavery long after England rid itself of the practice, we tolerated the genocide of the original Americans, we didn’t allow women to vote until well into the most recent century, and we didn’t get bare minimum civil rights legislation passed until less than 50 years ago. I too have seen a strange recent trend; it used to be that the average evangelical was listening to a lot of Moody Radio and Chuck Swindoll, but now that same person is probably tuned in to Fox News and Laura Ingraham. The resulting change in our attitudes, rhetoric and behavior has been disastrous for the Church. But we’ve always been a hypocritical, violent/religious nation, haven’t we?

  • So this is the answer?…pointing fingers of “shame on you” at other believers…further dividing the body…cursing and “telling off” the group of “bad” believers to let Jesus go so he can be rightly defined by…you? We all need to get over ourselves…live like brothers and sisters…and follow the one true God.

    • Carol says:

      Thank you, Jill.

      • narrowroadministries says:

        I was considering making a comment but Jill said it very well. As weak broken people we ALL have a tendency of putting Jesus on our own intellectual shelf and applying Him to our “cause”. Do you not think Jesus is a big boy and can ” let Himself” go?

    • Jill, your comment strikes me as being similar to someone having cancer saying, “Doctor, if only you hadn’t diagnosed me, I wouldn’t have cancer.”

      Jesus did not hesitate to get angry and turn over the tables of the money changers in the temple because they were profaning the spirit of the place of worship. He identified the wretched behavior of those people and called them out for it. Would you have been among those that disapproved of his actions?

      Matthew Paul Turner has spoken for many of us who have suffered under the brutality of the Fundamentalists and Evangelicals. We wish them no harm. We only wish them to quit defining themselves as followers of Christ and admit that they are following a new religion founded in the early 1800’s by Darby and Scofield to justify rampant Capitalism by re-interpreting scripture.

      If you and others do not know about this, then we can happily engage in further conversation.

      I am a reformed Fundamentalist and I have learned the truth about that theology and how it developed.

    • tschussle says:

      No. The status quo of “living like brothers and sisters” allows these injustices to continue. Some things are worth getting angry over and upending some tables in the temple. We will not be silent anymore.

    • Jason Backianathan says:

      you are right Jill. One does not know a person by what others tell about that person but by what that person tells about others.

  • Sarah Maes says:

    I love how much you love Jesus. I mean that.

  • Michael says:

    I understand your point and all, but I have to wonder if “your” Jesus supports your positions on these topics?

    • Colin says:

      If you have to wonder whether Jesus is against torture, racism, violence, homophobia, misogyny, mistreatment of the poor, and unbridled capitalism, you really need to go back and read the gospels again.

  • kathy pride says:

    Amen.

  • Martha C. H. says:

    Today I heard of Islamism, not Islam, which purports to fight for Allah through intolerance and violence. After reading this I think of Christianism, not Christianity, which purports to fight for god through intolerance and violence. What have we come to on this blessed earth?

  • Wyatt says:

    A religion that celebrates outright hatred, homophobia, and misogyny, celebrates gun violence and racism, is completely intolerant of other religions or lifestyles, is devoid of grace, mercy, or compassion, and lives to feed and expand the capitalist machine.

    No, this is literally an entirely different religion, almost the exact opposite in fact, of everything Jesus taught and everything He is. Run far away from this counterfeit. “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.'”

  • matt says:

    Come to the Orthodox Church, where we treat Jesus as Lord…and not at a mascot.

  • Dave says:

    Some good points, and well made, but the strident nature of this piece makes me wonder if MPT is every bit as hardline on his views as those he rails against.

  • My gut agrees with you but aren’t you throwing stones? What did Jesus say about that? He’s not YOUR Jesus. He asked, “What about you?” Who do you say that I am?”. God is not surprised by evangelical beliefs or the politicization of faith. It’s always been that way and will continue to be. We need to keep our eyes on Him and recognized the fruit in ourselves; love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience, restraint and tolerance) , kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

  • kievfamily says:

    The evangelicals do not own Jesus. And, the mainline Protestants do not own Jesus. Neither do the left-of-center, nor the right-of-center, nor the Catholics, nor the Charismatics – no one owns Jesus. He owns us. No Christian owns Him; He owns us. He said, when you have done everything you were told to do, [you] should say, ‘We are unworthy servants.’ . . . I hear your anger, my brother in Christ. These evangelicals have offended you by what they have said. Paul said, “Be angry,” but remember how he advised caution in doing this. Likewise, Jesus advised, “anyone who is angry with a brother or sister . . . ” (you remember that quote from Matthew 5:22). And on behalf of all the evangelicals and fundamentalists, I am stating and offering my apology to all I have judged.
    And, on behalf of all Christians, I want to say we have to stand for something. There is right and there is wrong. Nobody does right all the time (because you and I are both sinners) . . . and we have to take a stand and say what is right, and say what is wrong, according to what Jesus told us. And thanks for your fervent, impassioned faith, and your stand for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And I have to agree with my Orthodox brother, Jesus is Lord, and not a mascot. But frankly, Jesus Christ has not been enslaved. WE were slaves to sin, and because of His righteousness, we are set free. Jesus Christ has never been enslaved, He has always been free, and now because of Him, we are set free.

  • Steve Simms says:

    According to Jesus’ words “What you do to the least of these, you do unto me,” whttp://stevesimms.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/was-jesus-whipped-in-america/e Americans haven’t treated Jesus very well. In this article I show how Jesus was whipped in America: http://stevesimms.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/was-jesus-whipped-in-america/

  • Ellie Ravinsky says:

    Fantastic x 10! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have come to know Jesus in a much more personal way in my life and I just don’t see this Jesus they tout all of the time. Thank you for the loving and beautifully stated writings. For me he is about love, flat out. Love of yourself as a person deserving of God’s love, love of others in the same way you love yourself, and love with open arms. Thank you for a great summary of all that I have been feeling.