Why Christianity Scares Me

Disclaimer: this post is probably of no interest to anyone but me.  Feel free to stop reading now and go listen to this song to put a smile on your face and get a wee bit of Christmas cheer.

Earlier today, my mom and I went to Wight's nursery to see the trees and the decorations and eat a cookie.  Then we popped in the Christian bookstore next door because she wanted to get a few stocking stuffers for the cousins.  I wandered, remembering how much I used to love this store, how I couldn't escape without buying a book or a journal or some sheet music.

But now... but now...

There are things that scare me about Christianity in this time, in this place.  Like how Laura Bush and Sarah Palin's books are sold alongside Biblical commentaries.  Like how living the American dream is synonymous with living the Christian life.  Like a lot of other things.

I was looking at board games because my roommate has quite a fondness for them, and ran across this one.  Faith & Redemption.  Now I know I have this nasty habit of over-analyzing the theology of anything in front of me to a point that's probably unhealthy.  But this game utterly terrified me.  The goal of this game - as I gathered from a detailed perusing of the back of the box - is to journey from the Garden of Eden to the Judgment Day while gathering followers.  The more followers gathered, the more prayers and miracles granted to that player; and "in the end, the player with the fewest amount of sin conquers Satan and wins the game."

Is this concerning to anyone else?

Anna, calm the hell down, it's a board game; let's relax.

I know, I know, I know, but hear me out.  If these are the messages that are being portrayed to young kids in Christian homes or Sunday School, this is what's going to form their theological understanding for their future lives.  The more people you convert, the more likely it is that God will answer your prayers?  And if you sin as little as possible, you win?

It scares me because evangelism looks like the opposite of reconciliation.

Concerned rant over.

PS: Em, don't worry.  I didn't get you this game for your Christmas present.  I was tempted, though.