Ask a Therapist, Not a Pastor
Get your advice from a professional, not someone with an agenda to protect.
I have developed a habit of listening to CSN, a conservative Christian radio station. I recommend it for a study in sociology. But I do not recommend it for personal well-being.
They specialize in long sermons that never really go anywhere. There is no proper beginning, middle, and end. The preaching pastors always talk in circles. The messages are vague, but they sure give them with a ton of gusto and confidence!
The mansplaining is unapologetic and rampant.
Besides sermons, they also run a daily call-in talk show. The star of this program is a pastor who is a real showman. He rants. He uses a sporadic high-pitched voice when driving home a point, and adopts this sarcastic, mocking inflection when he’s really worked up about something.
Such theatrics.
He always has a second pastor…never to challenge, only to agree.
In between rants, they sound like the nicest people! “Hello! Good day to ya! We’re happy to offer you biblical guidance, and we welcome your questions!”
But it won’t be long before you start side-eyeing them.
An innocent Christian citizen will call in with a personal problem. An example would be something like this…
“My beautiful granddaughter says that she now identifies as transgender, and her parents expect me to call her by her newly chosen name…Frank!! Whatever shall I do, Pastor?!”
One would hope that the pastor would have a mature, thoughtful response to such a perceived dilemma. But they only sound sane during the first few seconds.
Pretty soon, they start getting revved up.
“The Bible makes it clear that this is an outrageous notion. Do NOT call her Frank. If she insists on not being referred to as her given name, just call her ‘honey’ for now…until you convince her to come to her senses.”
“The Bible is clear on this…you are the gender that you are assigned to at birth. It’s God’s choice, not yours. How SAD it must be to be SO conFUSED, when God made your identity obvious at birth!”
“Tell her parents that you live by GOD’S laws, and that you have no intention of caving to this ridiculous request!”
They will go on for 5 or 10 minutes like this…but you get the idea.
Can you imagine the caller going back to her extended family’s home to tell them what the pastor has guided her to say? Will what she proclaims contribute to irreversible family dysfunction?
Undoubtedly.
This happens literally every day on their call-in radio program. There is never an appropriate response to these poor people’s personal problems. It’s always laced with propaganda, toxicity, and convoluted sarcasm.
Find CSN on your dial and listen for yourself. You will cringe.
They probably get 10 or so calls each weekday that they are on the air. Imagine how much more helpful it would be for these same people to find a good therapist instead. Someone who really understands how the human brain works, and has experience studying the intricate weavings of familial relationships.
Therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists who have spent a lifetime dedicating their expertise to the overall improvement of society, one personal problem at a time.
Of course, there are a few bad apples in the bunch…but overall, these professionals are far more qualified to help people with their issues compared to a religious leader with ideological investments to protect.
Imagine how much healthier our culture would be if people who need personal advice asked a qualified professional regarding personal or family issues, rather than men with a religious and political agenda.
Imagine how much healthier our culture would be if people spent an hour each week with a therapist, instead of an hour each week listening to a theatrical but pointless sermon.
