A Downside to Religious Freedom?

As strange as it may sound, I am convinced there is an unfortunate downside to the religious freedom we have as Americans. To be clear, the Second Amendment isn’t the problem I am addressing in this article. Thank God, the wisdom of the founding fathers, and our brave American military for the blessing of religious liberty. However, from my vantage point, it seems when religious-minded people (and in my case, Christians) enjoy liberty for too long, there is a tendency not to employ it well.

I do not know if other faiths or religions, different from Christianity, face the same issues … maybe so? But it seems evident to me the extended period of religious liberty afforded Christianity in America has somewhat unconsciously yielded negative consequences. I am not suggesting these outcomes are inevitable or irreversible, but they are (in my opinion) detrimental to the overall health of the Christian faith. Let me, as they say, get down to the brass tacks (whatever that means). 

In as few words as possible, one of the primary issues facing American Christianity is that no one is trying to kill Christians for their faith. At least not yet. Does that sound odd to you? I am sure it does. Likely, you think this preacher has gone off the deep end. But friends, the truth is that persecution has a way of rightly prioritizing what matters most. The problem with most confessing Evangelicals is we have never experienced any significant persecution … and don’t want to. Sadly, it seems, we are too intoxicated with Babylon to desire to differ from it. 

So, I reiterate that one of the unintended consequences of religious liberty in America is that it has lulled Evangelicals to sleep in a false sense of security when, in reality, believers are supposed to be embedded in spiritual warfare. Apparently, many Christians today don’t know who their real enemy is and don’t care. As long as nothing interrupts our iPhone-induced anesthesia or awakens us from our entertainment-obsessed coma, we are content to sit idle as the world unravels at the seams. 

I want to challenge my brothers and sisters on two fronts. First, fight against complacency and apathy and rightly prioritize your lives. Next week, in my follow-up article, I want to encourage my fellow Christians to stop the infighting and face the real enemy. 

As both a Christian and a pastor, I struggle with indifference in two different areas. First my own personal apathetic nature, and there is way too much of that in my heart. Further, as a pastor, I see an unnatural level of complacency in the pews. Please don’t misunderstand me; I pastor a great group of people. Yet, like all people groups, there is room for improvement. I also know our church isn’t unique in this struggle. Being good friends with numerous pastors from all over the country, one can quickly discern that a leading issue among many believers is the ugly sin of apathy.

Getting people excited about worship, invested in church ministries, or simply showing up on Sundays consumes far too many pastoral hours. Church membership and attendance are inexplicably no longer a priority among many confessing Evangelicals. It is a sad day indeed when one cannot beg or bribe believers to come to church! Or to get there on time. Or to actively participate in worship. But such is often the case. Among those who are truly saved, what else can be blamed but apathy and poor priorities?

Shouldn’t it be considered abnormal that confessing Christians relish a three-hour football game or lengthy movie but cringe at the idea of a two-hour worship service? Why can we spend countless hours watching Fox News or Netflix but expect the preacher to be done in 20 minutes? Why do so many parents drag their kids all over the state for sporting events but not faithfully bring them to church? Why aren’t worship and family devotions practiced and valued in our homes? 

I don’t think we can blame our religious liberties for our failings in these matters. Probably, the real reason we are not facing persecution is not so much because of the Second Amendment, but the Christians’ refusal to live the counter-cultural life Christ has called us to. We will not likely experience rejection by the world when our lifestyle so closely resembles theirs. If there is indeed a downside to religious liberty, it is this – we Christians are not committedly exercising our freedom to exercise our faith publicly. 

American Evangelical, make following Christ a priority. The Constitution gives us the freedom to worship and serve Jesus. But the Bible gives us the command, and grace gives us the privilege.

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