How’s that for a Topic Title!!?? This topic idea came about as I’ve been reading Michael Horton’s “Christless Christianity.” I bought his book thinking it was an explanation and an attack on those people who consider themselves “Evangelical Christians” and enthusiastically support Donald Trump, a person who is probably the closest to an actual “Anti-Christ as we’ll ever get in the White House. In my mind, these “Evangelical Christians” aren’t Christians at all, but just “Pseudo-Christian Pagans” who’s twisted and minimalist logic allow them to stick “Jesus” on their beliefs and actions that directly contradict everything Jesus taught.

Well, “Christless Christianity” does attack these people, and it does explain why they exist, but not in any of the ways I was expecting. “Christless Christianity” seems to be a 256 page (I’m a little more than half way through it) of a repeated over and over demand that ‘Christianity” is strictly about obtaining salvation by accepting the “Gospel”. Which is that Jesus alone interceded by his crucifixion in saving all humanity from our absolutely deserved eternal damnation in Hell, because we are worthless sinners otherwise in God’s eyes. ANY message of following the law, following the commands of Jesus, living “for whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers” stuff, is a complete distraction from the only important message of the Gospel. “FLEE TO JESUS” is a message repeated over and over and over again. “Church Lady Morality”, “Prosperity Gospel”, the do the right thing “Emerging Church Movement”…… they all get lumped into the same category as deemphasizing and replacing the only message that matters; The Gospel that Jesus sacrificed himself to keep you from burning in Hell forever, and absolutely nothing else matters. Believe that, or else go to Hell. It’s that simple and straightforward.

So along with repeating that Gospel message over and over again, Mr. Horton continuously repeats how humanity is just a worthless pile of sh*t, forever reeking in the stench of our continuous sinning in thought, word and deed, along with our original sin handed down to us by Adam and Eve. Our “Good works are just rags” is quoted over and over. We are scum, and “fleeing to Jesus” is our only option.

And all that self-hating is getting quoted from Paul’s Epistles. Mr. Horton goes so far as to criticize church movements that strive to view the writings of Paul through the lens of Christ’s teachings! Per Mr. Horton, it absolutely has to be the other way around. The level of self-loathing in “Christless Christianity” approaches sadomasochism in my opinion. “Christianity” for Mr. Horton is actually all about St. Paul. Paul is the one who tells us that our acts are meaningless. Paul is the one who lets people claim “Christianity” while living their lives as far as they want from Christ’s actual example. The admonition of “Faith without works is Dead” from the Book of James, or the “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” of the Lord’s Prayer is simply ignored, and flags saying “Jesus is my Savior and Trump is my President” flew as domestic terrorists stormed the capital.

And I lay this mess, this train wreck, at St. Paul’s feet. The guy loathed himself. He spoke of a continuous, secretive burden that he bore that made him worthless in his attempts to follow God’s Laws. Why did St. Paul demand that are actions were meaningless other than to also give cover for himself? What was that “Secret Burden”? The theory that he was a self-loathing homosexual or sex addict is one explanation I’ve seen. It certainly emulates the exposed lives of current Preachers and Church Leaders. (Jerry Falwell jr. comes to mind right off…) What would Christianity be like if Paul’s letters had never been replicated and Christianity had stuck with the Gospels and the Book of James as their guide?