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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   12362 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 10, 2026

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Before straining to love enemies and the outgroup, Christians should first aim to love friends and brothers. I’ve seen many discussions online about the antisocial climate of American churches, that they lack a genuine community, and my relatives have had similar complaints. The studies on church attendance are grim. If the average churchgoer does not find brotherly love at his church, that’s a more serious problem than whether his love extends to enemies and tribe-traitors and the like. Loving enemies is the great heroic ask of Christ within the context of giving away clothes and willingly being slapped. Augustine (iirc) mentions this rule and is adamant that yes, it’s really possible and we have to do it, which is evidence that in his time it was considered somewhat improbable. But preceding it in importance in the Sermon is the rule about brotherhood:

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

How many today have true “brothers in Christ” for whom this would even be applicable? I think very few. Friends who happen to be Christian, of course, but it’s uncommon to have Christian brotherhood, ie an intense fraternal bond mediated by religious camaraderie. Yet this was supposed to be the characteristic social relationship of the faith. Tertullian in 200ad wrote —

“Look,” they say, “how they love one another” (for themselves hate one another); “and how they are ready to die for each other” (for themselves will be readier to kill each other). Yes, their indignation at us for using among ourselves the name of “Brothers” must really, I take it, come from nothing but the fact that among them every name of kinship so far as affection goes is false and feigned

Well, modern Christian statements about love seem “extremely false and feigned”. There’s not a lot of love in churches. There’s more love at a Juggalo gathering or a Grateful Dead parking lot. That is my read on it, at least.

Well, modern Christian statements about love seem “extremely false and feigned”. There’s not a lot of love in churches. There’s more love at a Juggalo gathering or a Grateful Dead parking lot. That is my read on it, at least.

That is true, however I do not think that church is the best place to create brotherly bonds. At least men create them shoulder-to-shoulder, doing specific activities and not just visiting church during mass. At the end of each mass priest invites people to various activities from pilgrimages, charity events, outdoor masses with live music and anything in between. This is where you have to step up. Or you can even join international fraternities such as Knights of Columbus.

I'm reminded of the New Model Army as an example of Christian brotherhood. They were really serious about Christianity and almost incomprehensible doctrinal issues to us moderns like what books of prayer there should be and how exactly churches should be organized.

Their fervour and discipline and conviction gave them such battlefield strength that they held Britain and Ireland in their hands, marching around and smashing any rebels they found.

Also extending the lifespan of the British monarchy by 1000 years by trying to ban secular Christmas celebrations.

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