Lazy, Boring, Bland, and Dull. Part Two

To Recap….In an article by a Pastor Lillian Daniel in the Huffington Post, written a year and a half ago and recently expanded into a book, Daniel labeled those who have fled the church and begun calling themselves Spiritual but Not Religious (SBNR’s), lazy, boring, bland, and dull.

Of course, defining groups who do not believe as you do as lazy, boring, bland, and dull, is itself…..well…..lazy. Once I’ve done that I’ve relieved myself of the responsibility to listen with an open mind, to take seriously the complaints being lodged against my beliefs and rituals, and I’ve closed any opportunity that might exist to seek common ground, to persuade.

I’m not going to waste my time listening to a lazy neer-do-well, and if that man or woman I’ve just labeled as lazy happens to be a hard working single parent, or a victim of sex abuse by a pastor or priest, or simply someone appalled at the hypocrisy they too often see in the pulpit, I’ve just confirmed their already low opinion of religion with my self righteous condemnation. Might I have just  “shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces?” Mathew 23:13

When I see attitudes like those expressed by self-important religious elites like Pastor Daniel I wonder, “Have you ever sat down with one of those so called “Spiritual But Not Religious” people for a heart to heart talk about matters of faith? Have you ever sincerely asked them why they feel the way they feel about religion, not to start a debate, but just to listen to what they have to say?

I have, and the experience is extraordinary.

Turns out, many of them have a deep yearning for a close relationship with God, and an even deeper belief that God needs to be a central part of their life. And they’re not at all convinced they need to be in church to achieve that. Now the issue for a guy like me isn’t whether they’re right or wrong, but rather the incredible opportunity they represent for the Harvest. They, by a vast majority, have a high opinion of Jesus, they spend a lot of their time thinking about their relationship with God, and they love talking openly and acceptingly with others with similar goals. They’re perfect for us.

So why do we insult them? What deep flaw in our souls causes us to condemn them instead of engage with them? Mathew 23 might be a chapter many of our leaders need to read.

Lazy, Boring, Bland, and Dull.

So I’m at the gym, riding the stationary bike cause my knees are completely shot and it’s the only way I’m gonna get some cardio exercise, and this televangelist/ healer/almost certainly gonna rot in hell, dude is on the TV asking for donations to support his scam/ministry. The offer is amazing, send money and you will receive by return mail some sort of holy fluid (I’m guessing tap water) in a…..wait for it……re-purposed ketchup packet like you find at the convenience store when you’re buying a hot dog on the run.

Now I tell you this not just because it’s wrong on so many levels. I tell you this because yesterday I came across an article by a Pastor Lillian Daniel in the Huffington Post, written a year and a half ago and recently expanded into a book, in which she labeled those who have fled the church and begun calling themselves Spiritual but Not Religious (SBNR’s), lazy, boring, bland, and dull.

Apparently she’s had too much holy fluid.

The “Nones” are fleeing the church in record numbers, and while like some of those in the pews, there are probably a few boring, lazy folks in that bunch, what if a lot of them have seen the same religious scam artist I watched this morning? What if they or someone they know has been the victim of sex abuse by a pastor or priest? Or maybe they’re disgusted by the multi-million dollar palaces going up across the country cleverly disguised as sanctuaries while the communities they’re built in suffer from high unemployment and hunger?

If we can just label those fleeing the church as lazy neer-do-wells we never have to look in the mirror, never need to actually listen to the SBNR’s, or ask them why they are so disgusted with religious folks. More importantly, we can just go smugly along and never have to contemplate changing. Much like the cop at the crime scene we can just say “Move along folks, nothing to see here.”