To the editor:

I recently read an illuminating article in Harper’s Magazine (August 2005) titled “The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong,” by Bill McKibben. The article begins by citing a statistic: “Three quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that ‘God helps those who help themselves,'” an idea McKibben describes as “uber-American.” These words, uttered by Benjamin Franklin, appear nowhere in the Bible, and are completely antithetical to Christ’s radical message of “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

McKibben demonstrates how Jesus’ message of “love thy neighbor as thyself” is lost on today’s brand of Christianity, with its megachurches (all amenities included) and sermons that emphasize the self. The article describes suburban congregations in the thousands and preachers, like the popular Joel Osteen and Jerry Johnston of Overland Park, who deliver sermons on how to live your best life, how to improve your self-esteem and how to reach your professional goals.

McKibben brilliantly labels this new wave of Christianity as “comfort the comfortable, personal-empowerment faith.” The message is appealing, but nonetheless contradictory to Christ’s core law of “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Loving thy neighbor as thyself, an idea that has never enjoyed much popularity, implies an obligation to others, a concept conspicuously absent from sermons delivered in these megachurches.

The Journal-World recently quoted Johnston as saying, “if I can’t connect (to people) with declaration of the Gospel, I hope to connect with athleticism for children, marriage enrichment for young couples, success enrichment for businessmen.”

Proof positive of McKibben’s point.

Kimberly White,

Lawrence