Have You Got Good Religion Part 4 - Bishop B.K. Watts

·47 min·4 clips

Bishop Watts reveals 'CINOs'—Christians in name only who attach faith to nationalism and replace love of Christ with love of country.

This episode is part four of Bishop B.K. Watts' series 'Have You Got Good Religion,' delivered as a sermon at Shiloh New London church. The bishop opens with prayer and scripture from Micah 6:8, setting the theme of justice, kindness, and humility. He immediately addresses contemporary anxiety, linking stock market fluctuations to political rhetoric. Watts introduces the acronym 'CINO' (Christian in name only), arguing that many have co-opted Christianity for nationalist and supremacist movements, replacing love of Christ with love of country. He describes 'cold love' as indifference and insensitivity, tracing it from historical lynchings where churchgoers participated to the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and recent immigration enforcement actions. Watts references Pastor Martin Niemoeller, who was imprisoned by Nazis after initially supporting them, reciting his poem 'First they came...' as a caution against silence. He contrasts this with Jimmy Carter as an example of genuine faith. The sermon then shifts to a metaphorical trial where God questions Israel's abandonment, urging listeners to remember their personal testimonies of divine intervention. Watts emphasizes that fulfilling God's requirements involves a heart decision, not just head knowledge, citing the Shema prayer and Jesus' commandments to love God and neighbor. He argues that the high demand of loving even the unlovable tests true Christianity, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and insisting on dignity for all people regardless of identity. The conclusion focuses on 'holy discipleship' as decreasing self to increase Christ, involving total surrender of will, possessions, and prejudices. The episode ends with an invitation for listeners to join the church, accompanied by celebratory music.

As heard by us

Micah 6:8 becomes a practical test of whether faith can be seen in daily conduct.

Micah 6:8 is framed as a courtroom scene, with Israel called to answer for the distance between public profession and visible conduct. The sermon keeps asking what shows up in a person's fruit: love, joy, peace, kindness, justice, mercy, and humility.

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Why you'd press play

You want Micah 6:8 turned into a spiritual courtroom, with a little curly-juice comic relief.

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