The Great Distortion: From Compassion to Cruelty

Rediscovering Lost Treasures - Part One

"What may we reasonably believe to be God's design in raising up the Preachers called Methodists? A. To reform the nation and, in particular, the Church; to spread scriptural holiness over the land."

-John Wesley

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.” This iconic line from “The New Colossus,” a sonnet by American poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), is forever etched onto a bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. The words capture a vision of America as a “Mother of Exiles,” a nation synonymous with compassion—a refuge for the poor, the immigrant, the displaced, and the suffering. This vision, once considered by some a cornerstone of American identity, reflects the ideal of a compassionate nation, one grounded in empathy and support for marginalized populations.

Are we witnessing the erosion and collapse of compassion in the U.S.? Is this a vision now lost?

The United States is navigating a sociopolitical landscape marked by division and uncertainty. Gallup polls indicate that personal economic advancement and immigration were the top two issues influencing voter choice to inaugurate a second Trump presidency (Brenan, 2024). This “America first” position reflects a national priority on individual economic gain and restrictive immigration policies, which may reflect a broader decline in empathy and compassion, as highlighted by previous research (Twenge, 2012; Zarins & Konrath, 2017).

Exiling Empathy

Last week, Elon Musk said the quiet part out loud… “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” The richest man on earth, could help alleviate poverty and systemic oppression, but he has chosen to use his platform and wealth to move in the other direction. Let’s pray his heart is “strangely warmed” in a way that puts him in touch with the pain of others.

Musk is not alone here. He is towing the party line. Allie Beth Stuckey, a conservative commentator summarizes the position in her book Toxic Empathy. Stuckey argues that while empathy is vital, it can become harmful when it leads to self-sacrifice, blurred moral lines, and an inability to confront difficult truths. The book critiques what she perceives as a cultural trend where unchecked empathy undermines personal responsibility, promotes victimhood, and stifles accountability.

Stuckey has an undergraduate degree in Communications from Furman University and has worked as a publicist and social media strategist. She is now a podcaster and blogger, as well as a recurring guest on Fox News.

Sadly, Stuckey grossly oversimplifies the complex nature of empathy by framing it largely as a negative force to critique the “far left liberal agenda.” The book is theologically anemic, virtually ignoring multiple streams of historic Christian thinking on the matter. The book is also a case study in exegetical malpractice, cherry-picking and distorting Scripture to make her point. Sociologically, the book lacks any sign of scholarly rigor. For example, there is no peer-reviewed academic research to support Stuckey’s claims. The significant body of scientific literature on the topic is absent from the book.

Stuckey is only one of many conservative voices calling for the exile of empathy.

Collectively, it seems we are moving from compassion to cruelty. The rising loneliness, political division, and inequality is contributing to what some researchers have called a “compassion gap,” or the erosion of empathy in response to societal challenges (Block et al., 2006; Murthy, 2023; Torres, 2023; Vieten et al., 2024). The decline in religious affiliation in the U.S. is linked to reduced social cohesion and prosocial behaviors, as religious institutions have historically provided moral frameworks for compassion (Lewis, MacGregor, & Putnam, 2013; Gervais & Najle, 2018).

The Empathy of God

In academic literature, compassion is widely defined as a sensitivity to suffering in oneself and others, coupled with a commitment to alleviate and prevent it, encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions such as noticing, understanding, empathizing, and acting to reduce suffering. I have translated some of the research here for the Passional Church Substack.

The core of the passio Dei (passion, empathetic suffering of God) is that all theology and church practice should be rooted in Jesus’s compassion, which is defined as suffering with others to alleviate their pain. This compassion is demonstrated in Matthew 9:36, where Jesus’s gut-wrenching love prompts him to act, creating a compassionate church that embodies this response and serves the disinherited and oppressed.

Ministry done in the name of Jesus but not in the way of Jesus can cause harm. The Passional Movement seeks to address this by reawakening a theology of compassion, rediscovering the praxis of Jesus, and forming emotionally healthy, Jesus-like leaders to refound congregations in Christ’s compassion, urging a theological shift towards a ministry rooted in agape love rather than success-driven strategies.

This is a theology located in the empathy of God. A vulnerable God who feels with us. Who weeps in us when we weep. Who delights in us when we delight. A God who feels and responds.

Christian Nationalism—The Great Distortion

Let’s be clear, a church that advocates cruelty over compassion, is a distortion called Christian Nationalism, which merges religious and national identity. Rooted in the idea that America is a “Christian nation,” this movement draws on historical, cultural, and political influences, including the “doctrine of discovery” and early European settlers’ belief in “manifest destiny.”

It is promoted through colonialist rhetoric like that within the presidential address to Congress on March 4, 2025… “Our ancestors crossed a vast ocean, strode into the unknown wilderness, and carved their fortunes from the rock and soil of a perilous and very dangerous frontier. They chased our destiny across a boundless continent. They built the railroads, laid the highways, and graced the world with American marvels, like the Empire State Building, the mighty Hoover Dam, and the towering Golden Gate Bridge.”

Notice that “our ancestors” do not include the indigenous peoples who inhabited these lands for tens of thousands of years, or the over 12 million Africans who were forcibly shipped to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade, or the countless South Americans who were exploited through economic manipulation, political interference, and military interventions, or the anti-Asian immigrant policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act or Japanese Interment Camps. All of these people are also our ancestors, and they played a vital role in building this nation with their blood, sweat, and tears.

Christian Nationalism blurs the lines between faith and patriotism, often using religious rhetoric to justify political and imperial actions. This fusion has led to exclusionary practices, such as white supremacy, racism, and militarism, which contradict the teachings of Jesus.

American exceptionalism is the spirit of the antichrist, not the Spirit of Jesus. “America first” is the polar opposite of “the last shall be first” and “blessed are the meek.”

The movement is further perpetuated by the intertwining of church and state, where both institutions collaborate to uphold a system that prioritizes power and control over the values of the gospel. Ultimately, this great distortion of Christianity harms the church’s ability to authentically follow Jesus, leading to a culture of consumerism, nationalism, and divisiveness.

Rediscovering Lost Treasures

In a world that feels increasingly divided—politically, socially, and economically—it can often feel like there’s little hope for unity or healing. Our collective struggles seem more pronounced than ever, with people at odds over everything from political ideologies to social justice issues, and economic systems that seem to favor the few over the many. In these turbulent times, what is the church’s role, and how can we respond in a way that brings real, lasting change?

The mission of the Methodist movement, was to “reform the nation, especially the Church,” and spread “scriptural holiness” across the land. Initially envisioned as a reform movement within the Church of England, Wesley sought to address spiritual decay and moral decline in both the church and society through revival and the promotion of holiness—a spirituality of compassion. The Wesely’s ministry was not limited to spiritual concerns but extended to social justice, including care for those experiencing poverty, the sick, and imprisoned. Through extensive travels and preaching, Wesley established Methodist societies, fostering community and spiritual growth.

Early Methodism was deeply rooted in the missional impulse of God’s love, emphasizing a heart-centered ministry over theological disputes. A key focus was on orthopathy—right experience of God’s compassionate heart—highlighting the self-emptying, sacrificial love of Jesus, particularly seen in his passion. An overemphasis on orthodoxy or orthopraxy, without considering orthopathy (right experience of God), misses the essence of Jesus’ teachings. The passion of God, revealed through Christ’s suffering and death, is central to understanding sanctification, reminding us that true mission flows from experiencing God’s grace.

In our book Treasures Old & New: Wesleyan Faith for Life Today, Steve Harper and I suggest that rediscovering the wisdom of early Methodism in fresh, relevant ways, is a path forward through this sociopolitical wilderness. The message of early Methodism offers a roadmap for renewal, one that combines the wisdom of the past with the urgent needs of the present. This book invites us to look back at the deep wells of faith laid by the Wesley’s and their movement, but to do so with new eyes—seeing how their principles can speak into the crises of our current age.

Why Early Methodism?

You may be wondering, why look back to an 18th-century revival movement for answers to today’s challenges? The reality is that early Methodism, rooted in personal holiness, social justice, and deep communal living, had a profound impact on the world in its time. It wasn’t merely a denominational movement; it was a transformation of society itself. Methodism helped to give birth to a new form of church that met people where they were—especially those on the margins of society—and transformed their lives in powerful ways.

Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves facing a similar kind of spiritual and social landscape. Our world is broken, fragmented by political polarization, social unrest, and economic inequality. But like the Wesleyan movement of the 18th century, the church has the potential to bring light into this darkness. We need a vision that is both deeply rooted in tradition and responsive to the new and evolving needs of the world around us.

This requires a blending of the old and the new. The “old treasures” of the Wesleyan tradition, grounded in Scriptural Christianity, are a firm foundation upon which we can build. These treasures include the call to holiness (which we suggest is synonymous with a spirituality of compassion), the commitment to loving our neighbors, and the focus on personal transformation through the power of God’s grace. These are timeless truths that can provide the grounding we so desperately need.

But equally important are the “new treasures”—the fresh expressions of faith that meet people where they are today. Early Methodism was innovative in its approach, creating new forms of worship, community, and outreach that connected with people who were otherwise ignored by the institutional church. In the same way, we need to find fresh ways of being the church that are not bound by old structures but rooted in the same missional heart of Jesus.

The Present Crisis and the Wesleyan Response

Today’s crises demand a response that is both faithful to the past and forward-thinking. The political divisions we face, for instance, require a church that transcends partisanship and works for reconciliation. The economic systems that favor the wealthy over the poor call for a church that advocates for justice, equity, and care for the marginalized. The social fragmentation we experience calls for a church that is willing to be present in the lives of real people, showing the love of Christ in tangible ways.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be exploring how early Methodism’s blend of doctrine and discipline—its unwavering commitment to scriptural truth, personal holiness, and social action—can provide the framework we need to navigate the complexities of our world. We need a vision that is both rooted in tradition and open to innovation, that invites people into authentic community, and that empowers us to be agents of change in our neighborhoods, cities, and beyond.

A Call to Action

As we dive into this series, I want to invite you to reflect with me on the lessons we can learn from the Wesleys. How can we reclaim the spirit of early Methodism, not as a historical artifact but as a living, breathing movement of God that can transform our world today? The stakes are high, and the challenges are many—but the treasures of old and new offer a way forward.

Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll explore how the mindset of early Methodism can offer us the clarity and vision we need to engage the world around us with renewed faith and purpose.

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