(The following passage is taken out of the MERV – Modern Evangelism Revised Version:)

Matthew 5:1-3 – Now when he saw the crowds, Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down.  His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

“If you died tonight, do you know where you’d go?”

What’s that?  You mean Jesus never used the threat of hell to pigeonhole people into making a decision to follow Him?  That’s not what my MERV says! (FYI – before you go running out to your nearest Christian bookstore looking for you very own MERV, relax – it’s not real)

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“Christianity in America Won’t Survive Another Decade!”

How would you react if you read the above statement in a Christian magazine?  Would you be alarmed?  Intrigued?  Or would you think it’s all just a load of bull???

I’ve noticed that for many years now, evangelicals have been fond of using alarm and urgency in order to motivate believers to action and (they hope) those outside the church to repentance and faith.  From the Left Behind series’ depiction of the Rapture to evangelism strategies that ask “If you were to die tonight, do you know where you’d go???”, from outrage at cultural entities like MTV, South Park, and Marilyn Manson, to painting the gay marriage agenda as responsible for the breakdown of the American family, evangelical Christians love to shock their listeners into action.  Sometimes, of course, such outrage and alarm is Biblical and right.  Often, however, Christians can be guilty of using the worst kinds of manipulation in order to reach the worthy ends of faith and righteousness.  Case in point: the first line of this post.

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If you asked ten random people on the street to define what an evangelical Christian is, it’s likely that you would get at least one person who would say “someone who opposes abortion and gay marriage.”  It is a lamentable (and frustrating) truth that the church in the late 20th and early 21st century has in many ways become known for what it opposes, with the hot button issues of abortion and gay marriage being the most prominent ones.  One of the major contributors to this perception of the church has been the Christian Coalition of America, a political advocacy (and pro-Republican) group founded by Pat Robertson and led for many years by Ralph Reed.  The Christian Coalition lobbies for “pro-family” issues in Washington and has historically focused much of its efforts on the twin issues of abortion and gay marriage. 

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