Too Little Too Late: Baptist Leaders Finally Beginning to Speak Out Against Consumerism

More doom and gloom from Downshoredrift, I'm afraid.  I'm a lot more fun in person, I think. I promise I'll write something funny and trivial soon so that we can amuse ourselves to death as Neil Postman once said, and not have to deal with reality. But, until then . . .

Thomas White from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary writes a scathing editorial against the disease of consumption that has plagued America and especially Christians over the past few decades. Finally. Some of us have been sounding this message for quite some time, but no one listens when your home values are increasing like crazy. We were so intoxicated with our growing wealth that we never realized that it was all a house of sand. We were sitting on top of a bubble that has now burst.

Here are White's comments. I agree with all that he says and commend you to read it:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=29952

I do wish, however, that we had had more leaders saying this back in 2004 or 2006 or even early 2008. Apparently, we are only able to understand the dangers of materialism and consumerism when we have lost a lot of money and stuff. But, isn't that just materialism's lament? I mean, if we start harping on the dangers of it only AFTER our 401k and housing values drop, then doesn't that just show how in love with money we really are? The prophet is the one who could question the morality of all this even when things were going well. Of course, no one listens then. Perhaps they will listen now. 

It seems that the Bible should shape us more than the bottom line if Jesus really is Lord. How many of us gave thought to the dangers of consumerism when we were moving to ever trendier neighborhoods in the suburbs or bedroom communities? How many pastors challenged their church members to NOT run off after bigger houses, nicer neighborhoods, and more genteel living? Or, did we just chase the suburbanites with bigger and better megachurches to "meet their needs?" I know that John Piper was saying this mid-decade but few others joined the chorus. Now that everything is falling apart, people are piling on and acting like a bunch of know-it-alls. Me included, so I need to repent of that attitude. 

So, where do we go from here? Obama gave his State of the Union speech tonight and did not say much, as far as I can tell. But, I have been studying and I think that we are headed for complete economic ruin, unless something dramatic changes. The only thing even remotely keeping things stable for the average American right now is the value of the dollar. Many economists are predicting the collapse of the dollar sometime this Spring. If that happens, all bets are off.  I hope that it does not, and if it doesn't, we might be able to weather this storm. But, from all that I am reading, things are about to get REALLY bad. Like, rioting in the streets bad. 

My wife said to me the other day that this world's system is collapsing and at every point that we have attached ourself to the world, we are going to feel enormous pain. She is right. But, every place that we cling to Christ, we will stand. Jesus is not collapsing. His Kingdom is secure and will not be shaken. But, the world will. We are not to let our hearts be troubled. In this world we will have trouble. Trouble is coming, guys. We are going to be facing some very tough times. But, Jesus has overcome the world. He gives peace that surpasses all understanding. 

I am trusting Jesus. I am also frantically trying to get out of debt and I am putting away a couple of weeks of food for my family and to share with others, just in case. That sounds severe, I know, but if the things happen that many experts are predicting, then we will need it. If not, then I have a lot of extra canned goods. No harm there. 

From what I understand, things will be touch and go with the economy over the next few months. We could pull out of this. Or, things could become Great Depression bad. We need to be praying that God would have mercy on us. I also wish that evangelicals would have had just a touch of discernment about this over the past decade instead of just building bigger churches, buying bigger houses, and buying fancier cars.  What if we had been storing up treasures in heaven instead of building bigger storehouses for ourselves?

I am guilty too. I saw things that were wrong but I succumbed to pressure and went along with the world and other Christians because I didn't trust my own judgment and what I saw the Scriptures to be saying. I repent. Never again. Maybe that is what Thomas White and others are doing now too. If so, then I will give them the same grace that I myself need. No matter what we saw or didn't see, however, from this moment on we need to seek God and obey Him. He is our only refuge.  

Comments

[Grady Bauer]

You are one of the few bloggers out here that is addressing this issue from the aspect of our responsibility. I think we as the church haven't spoken out about it because we're just as guilty of it as they are.

The question I've been dying to ask is...What about all of the Christians that contributed to this crisis? What about the Christian real estate agents that sold houses they knew people couldn't afford? What about the Christian mortgage brokers that willingly financed houses to people that were obviously overspending? What about the pastors that willingly watched his people making money off of other peoples misspending but willingly accepted their tithe checks? What responsibility do they play in all of this?

[Bill]

Alan: Do you see any parallels between the economic crisis and the climate change issue, with regard to how evangelicals react to each?

[Bob Cleveland]

Amos 6:1 ... Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!

Proverbs 24:33-34: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

Yeh .. I thought I'd heard that song before.