Church Group Think and the Power of the Shun

Russell Moore, a former Southern Baptist Convention official and now an executive at Christianity Today, wrote a biting but inciteful piece about the SBC. He explained why its internal power structure is much like that of the mafia.

Moore told of a practice within the leadership of Southern Baptist where when someone with a high office is thinks you have not conformed to the acceptable SBC narrative, he sends you flowers with only his name, no explanation. The meaning of the gesture is "You have ceased to exist for me. You are shunned."

In the gangster world, this would mean you are marked for death. In the SBC it means death of a career and social life.  

This power play was an important variable in sexual abuse. Publicity about sexual abuse by SBC officials was thought to be so damaging to the denomination any hints about its existence were met by threats of terminated careers. Black balled preachers are unemployable.

The rule was, information harmful to SBC could not be leaked by those inside the organization. Once you were kicked out, you had no business complaining about what went on within the organization because you are not part of it. 

This is not unlike the experience I have had writing this blog. I write about Christianity and its organizations. When I write something critical, I am told in comments I have no business writing about a denomination or about the faith in general because I'm not a member. Of course, there have been centuries of Christians criticizing atheists, Pagans, witches, Jews, Hindus and others. This was justified by Christians being right and everyone else wrong. Southern Baptists and Catholics may have been the most critical of all others. This while sexual abuse inside their organizations went on unpunished. 

Christianity across the board is drenched in power. There is the power of who is allowed to stand behind the pulpit (men only in many branches). It is the power to squelch information not favorable to the group. It is the power of clergy to endorse political positions and leaders. For successful TV preachers it's the power to raise money and where to spend it. Ultimately, it has been about the power of men to impose themselves sexually on women. 

To anyone caught in the web of power, remember somewhere near you is a atheist willing to be your friend.