In July 2024, one presidential campaign initiated a messaging effort to label their opponents as “weird.”
In hindsight, this does not seem to have been an effective political move. As far as I can tell, it backfired in a big way. I’m no political strategist, but I am interested in the cultural significance of this episode.
Many Americans were characterized in various forms of media as “weird” for holding traditional ideas about marriage, family, children and parenting. Those who believe young people ought to get married, married couples ought to have kids, and kids ought to be protected and instructed (not exposed and indulged) were labeled “weird.” This seems to have exposed a significant cultural divide in America.
Today, many fundamental and traditional Christian ethical standards are considered weird, strange and undesirable for those Americans who perceive Christianity to be oppressive and restrictive. This is not new, and many Evangelicals in America have been straining themselves to make historic and biblical Christianity more appealing and more attractive to non-Christians by softening the rough edges.
From my perspective this effort to make Christianity more likable for those who seem to hate it is futile and counterproductive.
It’s futile because even if Christians do accommodate unbelievers in one area, many of them will simply shift the focus somewhere else. If Christians soften their rhetoric against the sins of abortion or homosexuality, for example, many non-Christians will just accuse Christians of being bigoted or judgmental on some other ethical matter. We would do well to remember the gospel itself is an offensive message, and any effort to make Christianity inoffensive to non-Christians is futile.
It’s also counterproductive. The Bible teaches that Christians are exiles or strangers in the world. In fact, it is precisely that strangeness (or weirdness) of character that distinguishes Christians as Christ-followers (1 Peter 2:9-12). Christians are those who live holy lives, because the God they love and obey is holy. Christians are those who live according to a transcendent standard, because the God they know and serve has given His law for all people everywhere. Christians are those who carry an other-worldly hope, because they know that this life is not all there is.
There is a sense in which Christians ought to embrace the label “weird.” It is right and good that Christians are different from unbelievers around them. Christians who live differently from non-Christians actually bear witness to Christ and reflect the character of God.
