If you were one of the 113 million people who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday, you probably saw the “He Gets Us” ads that aired twice during the show, wedged between your chips and dip and the beer and new car ads. What an apt time to show these Christian ads as this Super Bowl was the third most-watched television program of all time. The conservative, pro-life Christian group, Servant Foundation, based in Kansas, thought it was worth $20 million to run the two ads recasting Jesus in a contemporary light. But, many conservative Christians, not surprisingly, are angry because they say it doesn’t carry their message nearly as far as they would like it to.
The Servant Foundation, with a total fiscal 2020 revenue of $405 million, prides itself on conservative Christian values. It is partially supported by Hobby Lobby as they are one of the main donors behind the ad campaign which had an initial budget of around $100 million. You remember Hobby Lobby, the arts and crafts store that won a case on religious grounds to refuse to cover contraceptives and the morning after pill in their employee health plan. And, to note in full Christian-like behavior, the Servant Foundation has also donated $50 million to the Alliance Defending Freedom, an organization that is designated as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Now that’s Christianity at its best, isn’t it!
At this point, we must note that not everyone in this country is Christian. As evangelical and far-right groups try to take over a small college in Florida and other diverse organizations throughout our country, you would think that their numbers were trending upward. The truth is that church attendance is going down and the number of church-going Christians are decreasing. All the while, a desperate move is being made to maintain and increase far-right Christian influences in many sectors of our country, including on television.
A study by the Pew Research Center shows that the US Christian majority has been decreasing for years. Fifty years ago, the number was 90% and in 2020 this dropped to 64% and is still trending downward. It is projected that the number of Christians in the future could make up less than half of the US population within a few decades.
Why is this the case and why are the number of people who identify as “religiously unaffiliated” rising and projected one day to be the majority? Some say it is because of conflicts between their faiths’ teachings and their personal identity. They are leaving to follow their values. What does that say about religion and its values?
Could the exodus from churches be due to the turmoil religion is creating in the name of Jesus? Could it be because, in the name of God, some evangelical Christians have chosen to condemn and are in opposition to various segments of our population? Is it because Christianity is being used by some today as a political tool and its true teachings are being abandoned? Could it be because religion is being politicized and weaponized?
Religion is tricky to write about because some see it as not of the real world and some remain real believers. Whatever your beliefs, everyone should have the right to practice their own faith. But the negative and discriminating religious teachings of today don’t make sense to us and couldn’t be any more far-wrong in concept. Yes, religion is tricky and man has made it that way.
For us, we are going to stick with the teachings of Kindness for Kindness is our religion. We know many of you attend wonderful churches and synagogues where peace and compassion are taught. We honor those places of worship that teach love, equality, and the importance of accepting a higher power that embraces all.
In the ideals of Hindu wisdom, ahimsa symbolizes love, genuine care, and compassion towards all living beings. This extends into avoiding physical harm and any harm imposed by speech and thought towards any creature. One does not have to be Hindu or go to church to practice this. The cool thing about ahimsa is that it is totally transportable and can be exercised anywhere no matter what faith you practice. We say “Amen” to that…
“The whole purpose of religion is to facilitate love, compassion, patience, tolerance, humility, and forgiveness.” — Dalai Lama
