True Discernment

Will evangelical Christianity take over the world? I do not think it will, but then I would say that, because it is not my sort of thing. That, however, has little relevance. I do not have a television, but still television has taken over the world. I do not belong to Facebook, but Facebook has still taken over the world.

In South America, where I live, we have a great deal of evangelical Christianity. Brazil has seen Pentecostal churches like the Assembléia de Deus stride across the country with giant steps, dwarfing the historically enormous Catholic church (to which I belong). Here in neighbouring Paraguay, we are behind the rest of the continent in the Pentecostal advance, but it is growing. This Sunday I went to the biggest evangelical church in Asunción, called the Centro Familiar de Adoración, which has a new building seating ten thousand people (yes, ten thousand). People from the CFA do excellent work, in particular running a chain of lunch clubs for the children from the poorest barrios.

I was greeted at the door with an information leaflet and an affirming greeting, “Blessings on you, sister”. Inside what was going on was like a television show: five young men and women with microphones were dancing and singing on an enormous stage while electric guitars and drums pumped out loud music. Close-ups of the faces were projected onto huge screens, and the congregation were waving their arms in the air. The song changed to an emotional slow movement, with words of yearning to express the sanctity of the Almighty. Then there was a time of healing – “God is doing something big, now, in this place, now, now, now…” (whoops of excitement from the floor). And then all the first-time attenders were called forward for a blessing, and shepherded out for counselling from a team of church leaders in small rooms, where they were given a leaflet, “Advice for a new life”.

There is no sacred symbol of any kind in this megachurch: no cross, no coloured focal point, no pulpit, just a vast stage, a clear perspex, movable lectern with a bible on it, and banks of seats behind for musicians and choir. A team of about 30 pastors were presented, coming in husband-wife couples – a pastor and a pastora. The men were all in suits and the women were all elegantly dressed – as though for a show. The preaching was all done by men, who used a lot of gestures and body movement to get their message across. There was a condemnation of Marx and of Nietzsche. The phrase “The bible says…” was often repeated, and the texts projected onto the walls were lacking in any inculturation, using the vosotros form for “you”, which is never used in South America unless in church texts imported from Europe. The service lasted two hours. . . . .

read the full article here