Christianity is no stranger to mass critique and scrutiny. The mainstream media has normalized this in the past two decades using through music and film. With Sabrina Carpenter and Lil Nas X’s recent inflammatory use of the religion’s imagery, it poses the question: Why do people hate Christianity?
Carpenter and Lil Nas X’s videos were almost certainly made more for shock value than genuine critique. The latter played the devil in a basketball game while dressed as Jesus, which doesn’t seem to carry any deeper message about Christianity’s role in the world. Still, it’s hard to imagine another major religion being used in this way without massive backlash.
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That sentiment can be seen the growing exodus from the church. Pew Research Center predicts that the religion’s community will continue its rapidly decline.
With its membership in a more fragile state than ever, the Church has a few possible solutions. However, Christianity has a long and convoluted history with one of these outreach methods.
Its long history of colonization and mission trips correlate to its negative perception today. A mission trip is the mobilization of a church to spread its faith in another country. While this doesn’t sound bad in theory, mission trips have been known to be extremely harmful, considering that most churches target developing countries.
While it may seem like these mission trips are good acts of service, they often disguise their religious agendas by emphasizing the aid the missions provide to underserved communities. Typically, missionaries go to build churches or schools, spread Christian influence and then leave.
This is harmful because it introduces people to the religion while perpetuating the idea that they need to be saved. Most modern-day evangelism reeks of self-righteousness and a savior complex.
Things like this can result in religious trauma and turn people away from Christianity altogether. Ranging from Mormonism to non-denominational, about 33% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of religious trauma, according to the Global Center for Religious Research
The “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” documentary gave people just a peek into what this looks like.
The documentary series highlights polygamy, child molestation and other forms of abuse within the Duggar family as well as in its faith. Church leaders used the bible as justification for these horrendous acts.
Most people’s disdain for the religion stems from its manipulation of the Bible to inflict pain onto others. Slavery and racism have been justified in this country using the Christian faith. The Antebellum Christians claimed that men were to be the heads of their households, in charge of their homes, wives and property.
And because they didn’t see Black people as humans, 400 years of slavery was justified.
The constant misrepresentation has only evolved over time. Through politics, twisted Christian ideals are pushed onto citizens of different religions, races and cultures. While Christianity is the most practiced religion in the U.S., allowing religion to influence policy is unethical. It also goes against the ideal of “separation of church and state” that this country was founded on.
Ron Desantis, Ted Cruz and other conservative politicians have constantly used religion as a way to usher in new legislation that imposes on the rights of others. The “Don’t Say Gay” bills, the Roe V. Wade decision and the recent statewide abortion laws are blatant attacks from people using Christianity as justification.
Looking at the Christianity’s near omnipresence in culture and politics, it’s not too hard to see why it receives such a negative response from people. The disrespect of Christianity within mainstream media will continue as long as these problematic factors exist.
Jemiah Clemons is a 20-year-old kinesiology sophomore from Miami, Florida.
