The Christian Insurrection that never happened

For most Australians, the vax wars are over. But there are those – including Christians who can’t let it go. They are still disappointed that a mass movement, led by churches, did not overturn vaccine mandates and rules that, for a short while, kept unvaxxed out of gatherings including churches. Most (nearly all, in fact) churches took a pragmatic line essentially, following government guidelines. Some leaders lobbied governments to have churches as open as possible, but there was little defiance.  

Some people refused to get vaccinated despite working in jobs where the Covid rules required vaccination. They saw this as a heroic stance and expected some sort of mass support, especially by Christians. It never happened. (Taking Victoria as an example, some 420 teachers refused vaccination, about 1 per cent of the workforce. In NSW 182 teachers were sacked and 690 temporary contracts terminated. NSW, Vic and Qld are allowing these people to re-apply for jobs.)  

A short and nasty internet debate took place in the last month. It was ostensibly responding to a mild article on the Gospel Coalition Website, by Presbyterian writer Amy Isham. It was a plea to conservative Christians to treat transgender people with respect. https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/love-across-the-divide/

No, the reaction did not come from lefties, who might be expected to disagree with Gospel Coalition, a conservative evangelical site. Rather it came from people on the right.  

If you missed it, be glad. Most of the people involved – from both camps have posted that there was an enormous amount of over-reaction and name-calling. The word “unedifying” was used by both groups.

One comment struck this writer as showing insight. It’s from a writer on what we might call the “very conservative (VC)” camp. He has asked me not to use his name – the authorities have punished him for speaking out before. But he has the cred to give the VC perspective.

(We have omitted some of his inflammatory wording – we are not trying to rev things up here)

“I cringed majorly at Amy’s article. But I see it as an error of judgment or mis-step rather than evidence of the deep error. My personal analysis of what is happening is that there is ongoing hostility between “CP people” [the very conservative side, referring to followers of a particular website, Caldron Pool, who fired back at Isham] and “Australian big Eva” [he means the evangelical mainstream] coming out of the covid and vax disputes. I think that this Amy Isham article has acted as a lightning rod for that hostility. The warfare that has erupted over Amy’s article is therefore out of proportion. I don’t think even a dispute over trans pronouns would ordinarily ignite such a large fire; ordinarily, it could be debated considerably more calmly. The fire is big because it is fueled by the unresolved chronic anger between the two sides. Our side remains pissed off with au-big-Eva for approving the Government …… and segregation of the church, and they remain indignant at CP for failing to fall in behind their self-appointed leadership and instead taking a popular (and righteous) stand. Their anger could possibly be even greater now that they can perceive (at some level) that they chose the wrong side.”

Passing over the claim that the anti-vax view was “righteous” this analysis is a credible explanation of the feelings of a group of right-wing Christians.  

The use of the term “big Eva” suggests that the VC side sees themselves as a minority within evangelicalism and most likely as having underdog status.

A McCrindle survey showed a vast majority of Christians supported the restrictions on unvaxed people attending gatherings during the lockdown period. It was clear then that those that saw the vax debate as a base for a culture war were going to be disappointed.