In gigantic — like Goliath — numbers, white Americanized Christian adults are failing Sunday School.
That is, children’s Sunday School.
The primary lessons seemed simple enough, well taught and widely repeated. Some were even memorized as Bible verses or catchy songs.
In fact, it was pretty basic stuff of human decency: Tell the truth. Share your things. Treat others fairly.
There was no debate over whether people — especially those who claimed a belief in God — would at a minimum act in those ways toward one another.
Now having reached adulthood, however, many who still make Bible study and worship weekly habits have abandoned those basic lessons in favor of a religious-political ideology of nationalism and nastiness.
Apparently, those early lessons of love, generosity and fairness were not ingrained deeply enough to withstand the devilish temptations of cultural and racial privilege.
More attractive than love of God and neighbor — that which Jesus said was the greatest and encompassing commandment — is the demeaning and dehumanizing of other children of God.
Amazingly, these attitude and actions make one feel more secure and special than reveling in the goodness and grace of God.
I guess it was mere kid’s stuff to believe that God loves all the children of the world.
What wasted lessons from all those years in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and church camps.
The real lesson now being taught to an impressionable new generation of children is that you will grow out of all that kindness and fairness nonsense when you get older. Yet you can still claim to be Christian.
Silly Jesus. Thinking his followers might mean what they once confessed.
John D. Pierce is director of the Jesus Worldview Initiative (jesusworldview.org), part of Belmont University’s Rev. Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership. Please mark October 12-14, 2026 for the second “Life Through a Jesus Lens” gathering in Nashville.