Modern Pressures and Religion

Why is society so prone in recent years toward ultra-conservative politics and religion? Why is the SBC taken over by power hungry control freaks who insist on biblical inerrancy as a creed and conformity as a practice?

A newly graduated pastor, recently called to a typical conservative SBC church in this area, is raising eyebrows each Sunday with what flows from the pulpit. Two quick examples: the second sermon dealt with corruption among us. His primary text was the Belk lingerie insert in that Sunday’s paper which was described as “pornography.” Another sermon for communion used numerous passages to tell people how sinful they were and that none should take the elements unless they had become perfect enough under his standards. A friend of mine was there and said, “I don’t think anyone but him was good enough to qualify that day!”

Let’s be honest. We have always had this element in Christianity and Southern Baptists, but why is it they seem to rule the day?

I have been watching this “stuff” in every corner of life since 1979. Red flags keep saying, “Something is wrong.” Recently I revisited some basic things I learned about human personality. The term “Reaction-Formation” keeps coming to mind. See if it makes sense to you.

Whenever forces attack our personality, it fights back with “defense mechanisms” that protect from insanity. One of these defenses is termed Reaction Formation—it replaces in the conscious mind our subconscious urges with a showy opposite.

A passage from an Abnormal Psychology text says:
Some people reduce their anxieties and feelings of personal conflict through the method of strengthening repression by denying the conflict. The so-called “old maid’s neurosis” (the fear of finding a man under the bed) is a thin disguise of a repressed wish. Similarly, childhood prudery is a reaction formation against growing sexual interest. The reformer and the vice crusader are also examples of reaction formation. They are reacting in many cases against their own erotic interests and inclinations. (The Disorganized Personality, George W. Kisker, PhD., 1964, McGraw-Hill, NY, pp. 150-151.)


I like the old saying, “Only God is perfect—and, quite frankly, I am uncomfortable with people who think they are gods.” In one of my early churches we hired a summer youth worker known for his enthusiasm and piety. During the first Bible Study he berated the girls for wearing halter tops. Some were emotionally to the point of tears. This fellow was engaged at the time and married in the fall. His new wife’s roommate happened to know for a fact she was pregnant when they married. The only explanation for this dedicated and righteous young man’s action is Reaction-Formation. He was not insane, but his life was terribly unhealthy and dishonest at that time.

Every day we are confronted with more psychological pressure. Why is it that “Baby Boomers” (born 1946-1966) with college degrees and supposed intelligence are so drawn to a “Reaction-Formation” unhealthy religious interpretation? Here I speak from personal knowledge as a 1946 Baby Boomer.

The difference between sanity and insanity is one of degree. All of us have crazy moments, but healthy people recover quickly. People who are emotionally immature or over-stressed often do not see it. Even worse, these sick people often seek out others who are equally sick so they do not feel like strangers. At one time you could feel confident an SBC Seminary graduate was mature enough to help sick or immature church members grow. You hoped the lay leadership in a healthy church would, by example and teaching, help others grow. This may no longer be the case. Whenever a society or church has more sick than healthy personalities, the whole group could make a sane person think he is crazy because he is not willing to agree with the crowd.

Try this theory on for size: World War II made everyone live in trauma, but “we” won. Those coming back quickly joined churches and started raising families (the golden 50’s of SBC growth). Many had found God in the foxholes. On the other hand, our churches always reflected society and the sick side was that when jobs were plentiful and money good, we joined the church, raised families, but soon forgot the spiritual God who saved us from death and began to worship the God of American material success. Ignoring racism and prejudice, every white Southern Baptist church built bigger buildings and was “SUCCESSFUL.” Children were supposed to join too because “it was the right thing to do.” Many joined at age 6-10, but never grew beyond that first commitment.

Soon the sweet post-war babies became teenagers and the popular thing was to rebel. By-and-large my contemporaries preferred to read Playboy over the Bible, substitute booze for communion grape juice, and burn flags or smoke pot during Viet Nam. Only the “dumb few” went to church each Sunday or discussed things religious. My contemporaries at Emory University were more concerned with becoming rich Doctors, Lawyers, etc. than anything else. I assume most were church members, but few showed any evidence of a personal commitment with any understanding of the cost of discipleship.

Now those “Baby Boomers” are 40-60 and suddenly everyone is “getting religion.” What kind is it we want—notice I said “want” and not “need.” How much of religion in mega-churches is entertainment rather than servanthood? How much of it is personal and unique to the individual or regimented and dictated by the new “king-pastors’ and TV preachers? How much of it is healthy and normal or so showy that many ask, “Is this real?” Yet we glorify it as “successful church growth.” Reaction-formation more often comes to my mind.

I propose that what we are calling a revival of the masses is, instead, a showy opposite of the drug-infested, flag-burning, anti-authoritarian 60’s. Herein lies the sickness: it is a public show trying to offset the emptiness of early adulthood. If it was real and filed with love and compassion, it could be great. If it is empty and faked, it is a showy opposite which only covers inner insecurity and lack of faith.

As I read the Gospels and the Psalms or Prophets, I see much good therapy and direction. The same personality problems existed, but with no fancy modern names. Conservative and pious religious persons hated Jesus. He preferred to walk with bare-footed and smelly working folk rather than dress nicely and smell incense at the Temple. He was a centered and sane reflection of worshipping God. It had nothing to do with the traditional, superficial, reaction-formation religion of his day—partly for this they killed him.

Jesus, to me, was that perfectly centered god-man rather than a perfect god pretending to be human.

Without his help and direction we are always pretending, some more and others less. The more we pretend to be something we are not, the sicker we become.

I wish that we could chart a new course for free Baptists that is not pretentious or sick, but honest, directed by faith, and full of mutual respect. I believe Jesus made a comment about the sick needing a physician. It would be good if the physician is sane and normal rather than breathing psychotic germs across those he pretends to help.