I think there’s truth in that in modern America. It wasn’t like this 30 years ago. Growing up, religion was a big cornerstone of social life & had very specific impacts to your upbringing: confirmation, Sunday school, etc.

I think Evangelicals likely represent the main example of your critique. As someone who reads the Bible often & someone who respects the focus of Christ’s works, a lot of sermons against empathy that I’ve seen have felt disgusting. Christ washed the feet of prostitutes. He was angry at the money lenders / capitalists in the Temple. The story of treating the poor man equal to the rich man (or maybe better) is another example.

In Luke, people turn the disciples away, and they ask Christ to smite them. He reprimands the Apostles for wanting to enact vengeance.

I’m a Unitarian Universalist. I’m informed by Christ, I go to church every Sunday (went earlier today), and I do consider my faith a meaningful aspect of my life. I was an atheist for the 20 or so years prior. I do think religion can have greater importance than surface level, but I also believe that what Christianity was 30 years ago has mostly eroded or been hijacked by monied interests.

Great song about this.