How Christian Leaders Have Changed Since 9/11
But what—besides residual motor memories from a distant and vanishing era—can provide us with a foundation for a continuing free society? Christian forms of a reactionary and tight sectarianism seem both doctrinally wrong-headed and impractical.
As a consequence, a line of thought since 9/11 has brought me, by degrees, to champion something called mere Christendom. This is, I am convinced, the only genuine alternative to secular American exceptionalism on the one hand, and radical Islam on the other.
Will Willimon, presiding bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church
On 9/11 I thought, For the most powerful, militarized nation in the world also to think of itself as an innocent victim is deadly. It was a rare prophetic moment for me, considering Presidents Bush and Obama have spent billions asking the military to rectify the crime of a small band of lawless individuals, destroying a couple of nations who had little to do with it, in the costliest, longest series of wars in the history of the United States.
The silence of most Christians and the giddy enthusiasm of a few, as well as the ubiquity of flags and patriotic extravaganzas in allegedly evangelical churches, says to me that American Christians may look back upon our response to 9/11 as our greatest Christological defeat. It was shattering to admit that we had lost the theological means to distinguish between the United States and the kingdom of God. The criminals who perpetrated 9/11 and the flag-waving boosters of our almost exclusively martial response were of one mind: that the nonviolent way of Jesus is stupid. All of us preachers share the shame; when our people felt very vulnerable, they reached for the flag, not the Cross.
September 11 has changed me. I'm going to preach as never before about Christ crucified as the answer to the question of what's wrong with the world. I have also resolved to relentlessly reiterate from the pulpit that the worst day in history was not a Tuesday in New York, but a Friday in Jerusalem when a consortium of clergy and politicians colluded to run the world on our own terms by crucifying God's own Son.
Copyright © 2011 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:
Other Christianity Today articles on 9/11 include:
Have Muslim-Christian Relations Improved Since 9/11? | Observers weigh in on how interactions between the two religions have changed in recent years. (September 6, 2011)
Wake-up Call | If September 11 was a divine warning, it's God's people who are being warned. (November 12, 2001)
Where Was God on 9/11? | Reflections from Ground Zero and beyond. (October 1, 2001)
The Latest in Movie News, May 23, 2013
God Among the Roma
Grieving with the Good Friday God
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Newsletters
Google
Comments
Displaying 4–6 of 29 comments
See all comments
Brother Raymond
Also, every post which contradicts the official conspiracy theory CT takes off. Why? Why do they allow people to spread patriotic idolatry and lies on this format? Why as Christians have we become so afraid of truth. Why is CT afraid of printing real journalistic questions and continue to be a mouthpiece of an American government that has gone so evil we are beginning to look like EVERY empire which fabricates terror and lies to inflame the population. You who support the war on terror and spread the misinformation about 9/11 are not walking in the light. We are doing an injustice to this generation by not being bold to examine the truth and facts. Repent and believe the gospel of the Kingdom.
Brother Raymond
Dr Joseph. You say keep conspiracy theories out of our churches but this magazine, Christians joining the military, and refusing to believe anything but the official lie and promoting that lie in the churches is keeping the official conspiracy theory in the church. As I have stated before how many of you have read the 9/11 commission report? I can show you where they omitted, lied, and obscured the truth. I can show you testimony after testimony from multitudes of credible witnesses which contradicts the conspiracy theory being spread at CT and in our churches. You guys are being deceived so easily, how will you stand in the last days. If the foot men have wearied you how will you run with the horsemen? There are over 1200 engineers and scientist who have demonstrated the farce of the official conspiracy theory. There are first responders, police, politicians, federal agents, all whom want a real investigation. Not to mention we have Christians picking up arms and fighting carnal wars.
ROBERT BROOKS
Fortunately, there is the religious component that cannot be overlooked. This is the difference between us and the secular world. Many non-believers, having no foundation, can be conned into accepting this "anti-christ" as just another religion. I'ts dangerous when the clergy recites quarnic passages from the pulpit, or invites muslims to "preach"(in the name of diversity). I thank GOD that most of our religious leaders know and stick close to our GOD! It says in the book that there will be a time when many are deceived, and are under a delusion. This is it!