OPINION:
I have become concerned with what I call crony Christianity. Informed people are probably familiar with the term crony capitalism. Well, crony Christianity is a take on this theme wherein the church, as an institution, tends to cater to small interest groups it does not want to offend, and it does this in a way similar to the way in which crony capitalism caters to special-interest groups that seek special favors from a larger group, whether it be the government or a large corporation.
I fear that many churches, including my Presbyterian church and denomination, have fallen victim to the notion that certain groups must be given special consideration because of who they are or what they represent.
First, there are the people who have decided that those companies that do business with the nation of Israel must be punished. I have addressed this issue directly with our church leadership in Louisville, and it is an issue that has drawn nationwide attention. The explanation I was provided by the folks in Louisville is that the intent was not to punish Israel but to boycott the specific firms providing the “weapons of war” used to harm innocent Palestinians who have been caught in the middle of the battles between these two foes. I reject this argument as specious because when you punish the companies that support Israel, you are having a direct impact on the nation itself. No matter what one thinks about who is the aggressor and who is the victim, at the end of the day the nation of Israel continues to be in danger in a hostile part of the world. Suffice it to say, there are biblical aspects of this issue that could be addressed in detail.
The second example, which is even more problematic in my mind, is that of gay couples who demand equal treatment as “married” individuals. I refer to the recent movement to change the definition of marriage from a man and a woman to “two people.” I am deeply concerned that the Presbyterian Church in the United States would even contemplate such a thing, as it a contradiction of Scripture.
I believe we must reject the forces of crony Christianity in the same way we reject crony capitalism or crony bureaucracy. Otherwise we will join the ranks of secular nations that continue to lose their way in the abyss of materialism, self-serving hedonism and a society that no longer values Judeo-Christian principles. We have the ability and the wherewithal to push back on those forces. The question is whether people of faith have the will to do it.
ROB WEINGHOLD
Dale City, Va.
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