American Evangelicals Need to Stop Suffering IMMEDIATELY

In 1995, a book entitled Jesus Freaks: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, the Ultimate Jesus Freaks was published, inspired by the song of the same name — “Jesus Freak” — by Christian music group D.C. Talk, who was hugely popular among Evangelicals in the 90s.

Young, “missionary kid” me LOVED D.C. Talk.

The book was a collection of stories of martyrs throughout history, directed at teenagers, like me. Michael Tait, a member of the band, wrote in the introduction: “In a world built on free will instead of God’s will, we must be the Freaks. While we may not be called to martyr our lives, we must martyr our way of life. We must put our selfish ways to death and march to a different beat. Then the world will see Jesus.”

I remember loving this book as a young, sheltered Evangelical. Here were people who suffered, who gave up everything, even their lives, for the gospel.

In fact, many Christians are still suffering in many areas of the world…in North Korea and Iraq, for example. They are being imprisoned, killed, exiled.

When I say that American Evangelicals need to stop suffering and victimizing themselves, it’s not my purpose to undervalue what Christians internationally have suffered and are willing to suffer for the sake of believing as they choose.

The Evangelical Christian mission is understandably attractive to many. It provides a mission, a purpose, and, in many ways, a power — the type of power you feel when you believe you are one of a special few who know the Truth. Evangelicals preach that there is ONE way, and the consequences of seeking something different will result in the worst possible outcome: eternal suffering.

They look out into the world and see armies of lost souls: misguided, ignorant of the spiritual battle being waged for their souls.

They’re different. They’re special. They’re here to save you.

It took me years of separation from my former Evangelical beliefs to realize the kind of egoism and emotional apathy at play in this idea of the world.

But along with that mindset of spiritual mission, of being the Truth-bringers, of being soldiers of God in a spiritual war against darkness, comes the expectation of battle wounds. That is, if they’re truly fighting.

Persecution is a reoccurring theme in Christian history.

The Israelites were persecuted. The early Christians were persecuted. Ten of the original 12 disciples died as martyrs.

Just take a look at these verses:

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” 1 Peter 4:14–16.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” Matt. 5:11–12.

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” 2 Timothy 3:12.

Here in the U.S., approximately 30–35% of the population is Evangelical.

The fact is, the idea that American Evangelicals suffer for their faith is laughable, especially when put into the context of what Christians and other people of different faiths are suffering internationally. Here, they have political influence, universities, schools, bookstores, organizations with their name attached.

This causes some dissonance within Evangelical minds, however, when they read verses like the ones above. When they think of all that Christians have suffered over the years for their faith.

There’s a sense that without suffering, their faith is diminished.

In this context, a life of ease seems contrary to the mission. Victimhood seems more appropriate.

They rail against liberal universities and professors, like in the recent movie, God’s Not Dead. They simplify and religious-ize matters of equality, like LGBTQ+ and abortion rights and yell “persecution!”

I’ve heard the same theme a thousand times. My parents kept me out of public schools, moved me around as they followed “God’s call,” put me in the most conservative school they could find, where I was taught by teachers who constantly spouted the dangers of following the world and learning outside of the context of biblical truth.

Our ideas, our beliefs…always viewed as something the outside world was ridiculing. (As if no one else receives ridicule for anything.)

And now for a more timely example.

Someone close to me, a strong conservative Evangelical, recently told me that the best thing we can do in the wake of George Floyd’s death was suffer with our black brothers and sisters.

Suffering. Serves. NO ONE.

You can lay in your bed and cry and pray over your Bible as much as you want because of the injustice in the world, but that’s not what anyone wants. What people want is an END to the suffering. They want you to DO SOMETHING, to SAY SOMETHING.

They want you to LISTEN.

This American Evangelical fetish with suffering and victimhood closes off true conversation. It causes them to isolate, and it causes us to despise them. They won’t listen to us, so why would we listen to them?

A Christian’s purpose isn’t to suffer. IT’S TO BE AN END TO SUFFERING.

Why else did Jesus heal?

Why else did he associate with the outcasts and the downtrodden?

Why else did he die on the cross?

American Evanglicals need to stop envisioning themselves as martyrs, stop imagining persecution, and stop suffering IMMEDIATELY.

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¡Chao! Un abrazo.