He Gets Us campaign

[Clare73]

I assume many of you saw that "He Gets Us" Super Bowl commercial

or maybe some of you have experience with the organization

seem like it was very controversial--I am curious to hear your thoughts on it

The focus is not Scriptural, it's not about him getting us, it's about us getting him.

 

[RDKirk]

Yes, I'm certain that you indeed have, RD. But I'm concerned that so many others here haven't, even though they give lip service to that very thing.

In our case, this was a congregation I've mentioned before. It was a very small Church of God congregation in rural Maryland in the late 80s. Not only were we the only black (or even non-white) family, the pastor and I were the only men still young enough to be wage earners. All the other members were retired farmers and their wives...not even Boomers, they were Silent Gen and War Gen people.

And yet, they were probably one of the most actively accepting congregation we have been members of. Our current congregation--which is also mostly white people older than we are (and I'm 70 now) about equals them.

So, when I say having them gladly wash our feet was an interesting experience, you probably don't get it unless you're our age or you've watched "To Kill a Mockingbird."

 

[RDKirk]

The focus is not Scriptural, it's not about him getting us, it's about us getting him.

Ultimately, as it's been said, "Jesus accept you as you are, but He doesn't leave you as you are."

Ultimately, the necessity of changing who you are is still going to drive the majority of people away.

 

[RDKirk]

With regard to the secularized idea that Jesus was in doctrinal dispute with the Pharisees...He wasn't. In fact, Jesus endorsed their doctrine to the Jews. He told the people the Pharisees were correct in the doctrine they preached, but failed in following it themselves.

 

[Merrill]

This is laughable. You're committing the "interpretive right leaning skid" that I was alluding to earlier.

You can do better than that, Merrill. You have a PhD. Use it, brother!

I am not sure how you think what I said was an "interpretive right leaning skid"

the faith is not social work with some lip-service to Jesus. You are going into the realm of works + faith = salvation

no Christian here says that we should not love our neighbors, act charitably, help the poor, etc. Those are the fruits of faith, and the impulse of Christians.

 

[Merrill]

Many Christians are thriving on their free ticket to heaven......their "salvation". Believing that when they accept Jesus as the Messiah, they are free and clear of all sins they have or might commit. All they need to do is ask forgiveness if they do wrong, and get it. Problem is, they'll do it again, and again, and again with the "I can do what I want and always be forgiven...no problem".

IMO, that is evident in the attitudes and actions of today's far-right evangelicals and the "christian nationalism" that oozes out of their pores. They want to believe only the things that comfort them as far as their religion. That is why the lies and distortions of the truth they listen to prevail in their minds.

This is a common slander of Christians

John 14:15 states quite clearly "If you love me, you will obey my commandments".

Christians have the obligation to avoid sin, and there is a judgment in the after-life. Christians also love Jesus, who is "the law", and are compelled to keep his commandments. In the fullest sense, the acceptance of Christ is transformational, and the fruits of this faith are good works and living a life God wants us to live.

this idea that Christians are simply seeking a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, or want a faith that allows them to behave with depravity, and yet earn forgiveness, is simply not true

 

[MForbes]

This is a common slander of Christians

this idea that Christians are simply seeking a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, or want a faith that allows them to behave with depravity, and yet earn forgiveness, is simply not true

Read my post again. I didn't say "all Christians". I said "many". As I stated, their behavior is evident in far-right christianity. Although you may not believe this is Christian behavior, they do......and this gives the Christian religion a black-eye and keeps many folks at arms distance from it. The "He gets us" message will bring folks closer to Christianity than the gospel of the far-right.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

In our case, this was a congregation I've mentioned before. It was a very small Church of God congregation in rural Maryland in the late 80s. Not only were we the only black (or even non-white) family, the pastor and I were the only men still young enough to be wage earners. All the other members were retired farmers and their wives...not even Boomers, they were Silent Gen and War Gen people.

And yet, they were probably one of the most actively accepting congregation we have been members of. Our current congregation--which is also mostly white people older than we are (and I'm 70 now) about equals them.

That's an awesome account to hear, RD. But where I live, the opposite sort of church among the Silent Generation and War Gen was, back in the day, preponderant. In fact...........well, I don't want to go into the grisly details. I'll just be thankful to know that you've been a part of a congregation that was somehow able to get around that racial mess.

So, when I say having them gladly wash our feet was an interesting experience, you probably don't get it unless you're our age or you've watched "To Kill a Mockingbird."

I'm old enough, and yes, I've seen "To Kill a Mockingbird," so to some limited extent, I get what you're saying and I can appreciate its value.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The focus is not Scriptural, it's not about him getting us, it's about us getting him.

Actually, it's clear from the Scriptures that the Gospel was, and has always been, meant to cut both ways .........

And I'll argue that into my grave if need be. Sure, Jesus is Lord; He is the Lord who came down to Serve in ways most of us only dream about, especially if and when there is an "American Dream" entering in and clouding up and obscuring the clarity of who He has always been.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

This is a common slander of Christians

John 14:15 states quite clearly "If you love me, you will obey my commandments".

Christians have the obligation to avoid sin, and there is a judgment in the after-life. Christians also love Jesus, who is "the law", and are compelled to keep his commandments. In the fullest sense, the acceptance of Christ is transformational, and the fruits of this faith are good works and living a life God wants us to live.

this idea that Christians are simply seeking a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, or want a faith that allows them to behave with depravity, and yet earn forgiveness, is simply not true

You're right. Many Christians on the right today are simply seeking an affirmation that God is fully on, and only on, their side and is ready to just hand over the political reigns in full to them.....................if they just hold on in faith.

Yeah, I'm sorry. That's not likely to happen via the road of American Politics (or the politics of ANY modern nation today, for that matter).

 

[Merrill]

Read my post again. I didn't say "all Christians". I said "many". As I stated, their behavior is evident in far-right christianity. Although you may not believe this is Christian behavior, they do......and this gives the Christian religion a black-eye and keeps many folks at arms distance from it. The "He gets us" message will bring folks closer to Christianity than the gospel of the far-right.

This doesn't make sense

"Far-right people", are generally motivated to uphold tradition, strict gender roles, and behavioral norms. They would not be the ones sleeping around, doing drugs, and robbing stores, and then praying for forgiveness (or if they are Catholic, going to confession).

what you describe is more common in progressive Christian denominations, where homosexuals want affirmation and forgiveness, but also want to go live their permissive, gay lifestyle

(I am not saying that far-right people do not sin--they certainly do, just like anyone else)

 

[2PhiloVoid]

This doesn't make sense

"Far-right people", are generally motivated to uphold tradition, strict gender roles, and behavioral norms. They would not be the ones sleeping around, doing drugs, and robbing stores, and then praying for forgiveness (or if they are Catholic, going to confession).

what you describe is more common in progressive Christian denominations, where homosexuals want affirmation and forgiveness, but also want to go live their permissive, gay lifestyle

(I am not saying that far-right people do not sin--they certainly do, just like anyone else)

The problem with the right is that they often forget that in addition to sins of commission, there are also sins of omission (often justified all in the name of the mission, or even the Great Commission).

I'm sorry to have to sound like John the Baptist, but............... if we're going to apply Jesus' mandates to all of life, then we need to probably take the entire Sermon on the Mount into consideration all at the same time instead of doing what so many modern American Christians do by not only cherry-picking their favorite bits from that Sermon (or the rest of the New Testament), but also mangling those very same cherry-picked pieces into a nasty mis-interpreted mush that probably isn't quite the anointed salve that Jesus was wanting us to administer into society.

 

[QvQ]

No Boundaries
There is a current secular theme that is seeping into Christianity that boundaries on land (borders) behavior (sex/abortion) or private property (theft) is hateful and unChristian. There shouldn't be any boundaries. People should be "Free."
Secularists claim a person can do whatever that person does and then the Christian follow along chanting: "Jesus loves you just the same."
It is an inane, insipid and incorrect vision of Christ.
That "image of Christ" is not going to convert anyone. The message is "you are wonderful no matter what you do, Jesus loves you and all you have to do is be yourself." "Jesus is following you around waiting to wash your feet and take you to heaven because Jesus is love."
What is the message there? "Jesus as a wooing lover?" A beggar for belief?
I was repulsed by the commercial. If I were an atheist I would have laughed at it.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I am not sure how you think what I said was an "interpretive right leaning skid"

the faith is not social work with some lip-service to Jesus. You are going into the realm of works + faith = salvation

no Christian here says that we should not love our neighbors, act charitably, help the poor, etc. Those are the fruits of faith, and the impulse of Christians.

... oh, I don't know. I've heard quite a few supposed Christians aver toward charity all the while doing the Right-Wing interpretive skid ..........

... then, after they do so, they pull out the ol' False Dichotomy ruse and assert that "if you don't agree with me, you MUST be on the LEFT because there's no others options to choose." Yeah............that's clearly false when time and time again in the New Testament, we see a dialectic being worked through rather than simply a direct, forward dichotomous presentation of Black vs. White, Sin vs. Holiness, Liberal vs. Conservative, or be Christian like us or you're not one ...

 

[2PhiloVoid]

No Boundaries
There is a current secular theme that is seeping into Christianity that boundaries on land (borders) behavior (abortion) or private property (theft) is hateful and unChristian. There shouldn't be any boundaries. People should be "Free."
Secularists claim a person can do whatever that person does and then the Christian follow along chanting: "Jesus loves you." just the same.
It is an inane, insipid and incorrect vision of Christ.s
That "image of Christ" is not going to convert anyone. The message is "you are wonderful no matter what you do, Jesus loves you and all you have to do is be yourself." "Jesus is following you around waiting to wash your feet and take you to heaven because Jesus is love."
What is the message there? "Jesus as a wooing lover?" A beggar for belief?
I was repulsed by the commercial. If I were an atheist I would have laughed at it.

And there were indeed atheists who thought it was a joke.

 

[MForbes]

This doesn't make sense

"Far-right people", are generally motivated to uphold tradition, strict gender roles, and behavioral norms. They would not be the ones sleeping around, doing drugs, and robbing stores, and then praying for forgiveness (or if they are Catholic, going to confession).

what you describe is more common in progressive Christian denominations, where homosexuals want affirmation and forgiveness, but also want to go live their permissive, gay lifestyle

Don't assume I'm promoting progressiveness. You tend to believe that the "He gets us" is doing this, but I don't believe it is.

Would a "Believe in Jesus or Go to Hell" commercial be more to your liking?

 

[QvQ]

Would a "Believe in Jesus or Go to Hell" commercial be more to your liking?

I won't post it as I would probably get banned but you might listen to this song:
"
If you don't love Jesus, go to hell"

It is a song posted on youtube by Billy Joe Shaver.

Get thee behind me Satan is another good song by Shaver.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

I assume many of you saw that "He Gets Us" Super Bowl commercial

or maybe some of you have experience with the organization

seem like it was very controversial--I am curious to hear your thoughts on it

The organization aligns with anti-LGBTQA+ and anti-abortion causes that I don’t support, so I think they’re being deceptively inclusive for financial gain, so I’m not interested in them. Bait and switch religious practices for financial gain is not my jam.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The organization aligns with LGBTQA+ and anti-abortion causes that I don’t support, so I think they’re being deceptively inclusive for financial gain, so I’m not interested in them. Bait and switch religious practices for financial gain is not my jam.

Don't you mean to say "aligns with anti-LGBTQA+ and anti-abortion causes"?

The FAQs: What You Should Know About the ‘He Gets Us’ Campaign

He Gets Us is spending millions to talk about Jesus, yet the campaign is being criticized by secularists and Christians on the left and the right. Here’s what you should know about it.

www.thegospelcoalition.org

 

[Clare73]

Actually, it's clear from the Scriptures that the Gospel was, and has always been, meant to cut both ways .........

And I'll argue that into my grave if need be. Sure, Jesus is Lord; He is the Lord who came down to Serve in ways most of us only dream about, especially if and when there is an "American Dream" entering in and clouding up and obscuring the clarity of who He has always been.

There is danger in these slang expressions.