I Prefer Ice Cream to Broccoli
I need to confess something.
When given a choice, I would rather eat ice cream than eat broccoli.
Yes, I understand fully that broccoli is low calorie, packed with vitamins, and also has fiber. But ice cream tastes really good. I know that I am not alone. Think about this, when was the last time you saw a group of friends laughing and celebrating as they sat around, gorging themselves with broccoli?
This is the analogy that comes to mind as I read Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heritics1 by Ross Douthat. Bad Religion is a critique of modern religious thought in the United States where:
“religion becomes a license for egotism and selfishness, easily employed to justify what used to be considered deadly sins. The result is a society where pride becomes “healthy self-esteem,” vanity becomes “self-improvement,” adultery becomes “following your heart,” greed and gluttony become “living the American dream” (p.5).
Douthat does not pull any punches as he outlines some of the areas where American religion has gotten off track. These include:
- A challenge to the canon of scripture, from the rise of “new” gospel revelations (i.e. The Gospel of Judas) to grand historic conspiracy theories (i.e. The Davinci Code), and textual criticism run amok (i.e. The Jesus Seminar).
- The rise of prosperity preachers, who overtly teach that God wants you to be rich, healthy and influential. Faith is the key to unlocking God’s treasures that He has in store for you.
- A blending of new age thought with Christianity that produces a self-centered, feel good religion which purpose is to lift us up into guilt-free bliss. Popular books such as Eat, Pray, Love and Conversations with God illustrate this pseudo-religion.
- The rise in a form of nationalism in the United States where political leaders are viewed as the standard-bearers of our faith, and their opponents are viewed as minions of Satan.
As I reflect on these four areas where Americans have gotten off-course from orthodox Christianity, I believe that the factor that ties all of these heresies together is pride (aka healthy self-esteem, aka self-actualization, aka always wanting to win).
Throughout the history of the church, humility has been seen as a virtue. In Philippians chapter 2, we see that Christ “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death.” Yet, it is self-centeredness, not humility that dominates the American psyche.
American children are brought up being told they are “special.” In our society, being “ordinary” is insulting. Intellectual men and women want to have a special knowledge of a hidden meaning of scripture, or access to a newly discovered revelation. There is an air of superiority in having access to religious text or theory that the majority of the public does not understand.
Biblical doctrines about God’s blessings have morphed into a religion where we serve a God whose sole desire is to make us rich and influential. Instead of humbling ourselves before a Holy God, prayer is viewed as a formula for personal gain. This teaching has even trickled down to more mainstream Christianity, as Christians have prayed “Jabez Prayers” in order to be given a job promotion or to find a larger home.
The blending of politics and religion on the right can be seen as candidates are viewed as “God’s man for the job” and politicians are seen as “protectors of our faith” who seek to restore America as a “Christian nation.” Many White Evangelicals romanticize a pre-1960s America (Black Evangelicals do not, by the way).
Yet, the blending of politics and religion can be seen on the left as well. Christian progressives demonize their conservative brothers and sisters as being hypocrites. They utilize the term “social justice” to put a religious stamp of approval on left-leaning agendas. In turn, progressive church leaders can be just as guilty of using religion to reinforce their political beliefs.
No matter what political side they are on, some Christians get a rush from insulting those who have opposite political opinions. They have infused political partisanship with religious zeal.
I believe that Christians must make a choice. Am I a political partisan first, and a follower of Christ second? Or does my faith challenge my political beliefs?
The apex of narcissism, blended with religion, is what researcher Christian Smith called “Moral Therapeutic Deism” as he studied the spiritual lives of American teenagers.2 In this view, God is a cosmic genie who lies dormant until you need him. This is a God who does not care about sexual fidelity or personal sacrifice. This “Eat, Pray, Love” deity is often discussed on the Oprah network as a God who wants to make your dreams come true. This is a God who gives peace and happiness while asking very little in return.
America is malnourished, religiously speaking. Our citizens may know deep in their hearts that the “broccoli” of dying-to-self and following Christ is the healthier option. But the “ice cream” of feel-good faith is so much more attractive.
1Douthat, Ross Gregory. Bad religion: how we became a nation of heretics. New York: Free Press, 2013.
2 Smith, Christian, and Melinda Lundquist. Denton. Soul searching: the religious and spiritual lives of American teenagers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
About the Author
Stu Cocanougher
10 responses to “I Prefer Ice Cream to Broccoli”
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Thanks for the fun analogy… ironically I just finished an ice-cream sundae and had broccoli for dinner. Best of both worlds:)
Yes, this “Genie in a Bottle” view of God is wearying and sad. Treating Him like we are deserving of our desires and wishes, and between His love and our faith, we should get what we’re asking for. What a disrespectful view of God. It would break my heart if my kids viewed me this way…just someone to bless them but not someone to serve or relate with.
“I just finished an ice-cream sundae and had broccoli for dinner.”
Is FOOD PROPHESY a spiritual gift?
Great post, Stu. Your comment “No matter what political side they are on, some Christians get a rush from insulting those who have opposite political opinions. They have infused political partisanship with religious zeal.” made me recall some recent teaching on Church history. It seems that we have constantly been setting up “we-they” situations. It makes us feel good as a part of the ‘right’ group. There is pleasure in picking on that other ‘wrong group’. I’m not saying it’s just sin; maybe it is. But some definitely feel more secure or something with a group especially if they think that their group has the Biblical texts to back them up.
I don’t know what the answer is. How about broccoli cheese soup with bacon?
Oh, and ice cream for dessert?
Really nicely written post Stu and a great summary of much of Douthat’s argument. I thought Douthat was big on diagnosis but not so much on remedy. I think he is absolutely right on the bad religion that inhabits large swathes of Western Christianity.
“I believe that Christians must make a choice. Am I a political partisan first, and a follower of Christ second? Or does my faith challenge my political beliefs?”
This is an important question for us to ask– where does my allegiance lie? Is my first allegiance to my country? To a particular political party? Or to Jesus and the Kingdom of God? How we live reflects how we respond to that question.
Stu,
Loved your blog. His point on what comes first, I’m a Christian or a particular political partisan? resinated with me. This season of America has challenged many to vote based on who they chose to be first. Although I may lean toward one political party over another, my Christian views override my political choice and cause me to analyze my choices. I must admit sometimes there are just no good choices.
I believe as Christians in the political arena, we must ensure that we use Good religion in our choices, and if we are not in agreement we must stand firm and say so rather than just going along to just get along.
Stu,
Very Good post – I remember first hearing Kenda Creasy Dean (Princeton Seminary) talk about Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, at a Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry, just as Smith’s research had been released and it was like a light-bulb moment.
Immediately after the presentation that day, one of the main points of discussion was that this was not a ‘youth’ problem.
I think Douthat misses just how prevalent this has become in many of the ‘traditional’ cycles he speaks of and as you point out his ‘golden era’ wasn’t universally viewed that way.
Ah ha! I’m delighted you attended a Dean lecture; I assign one of her texts in my youth ministry class– one of the best books on good, deep theology for working with youth.
Stu I would choose Broccoli over ice cream any day! LOL
The question you pose and must be asked is “to whom does our allegiance belong?” This question warrants a complexity of personal assessment and spiritual discernment. In America, we are challenged by this question daily! It is not something we can over simplify or overlook. It is something that we have to wrestle with in community and allow for truth to be revealed to us so that we can apply it daily.