There is a strange trend going on in some parts of the Evangelical church and it is hard to ignore how far away from what the Bible teaches some people are getting. The Gospel Coalition (TGC) is a part of this problem. They persistently present pop culture as though it is something the church should admire and embrace.

First, they tried to force a gospel message into the Barbie movie, and now they are shoving Taylor Swift down our throats. It makes no sense, biblically speaking, to try to make the church fit in with the world. It’s terrible for the church. But so is TGC.

The Gospel Coalition recently published an article and then deleted it (still available at archive.org) that warrants nothing but mockery and scorn, if only to expose its bewildering attempts to continue to spiritualize secular pop culture. The piece, titled 7 Things Christians Can Learn from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, aims to reveal how pro-LGBTQ, anti-Christian secular pop icon, Taylor Swift’s music tour is apparently fertile ground for Christian edification.

First, the article claims, “We were created to be seen and known. Part of what makes Taylor’s music so powerful is that it leaves many saying, ‘She gets me.’” TGC is trying to draw a parallel here between the emotional highs Taylor Swift’s fans, repeatedly referred to as “Swifties,” experience through her music and the deep, intimate knowing that is possible only with God. The comparison is completely ridiculous, and worse, it trivializes the relationship God seeks to have with us.

Further down, the article continues, “Witnessing tens of thousands of Swifties flooding Chicago’s streets and shops hours before the show was surreal.”

Then comes the comparison to Christians:

“One of the great joys and privileges given to Christians is to ‘put on … Christ’ (Rom. 13:14)—to put his sparkling attributes on display to a watching world.”

Now, even setting aside that dubious choice of vocabulary, the comparison itself is scary. They are comparing Christ followers, who are called to represent Christ before the world, to pop star fans. What does such a comparison do to the image of Christ Himself?

Perhaps most bewildering is the article’s assertion that “The object of our greatest affection will be more beautiful than we imagined.” The piece uses the description of Taylor Swift appearing from “beneath a giant canvas of pink petals” to segue into a meditation about the day Christ is revealed to his followers. This juxtaposition, comparing the revealing of Christ to his followers to a stupid pop star is not only startling in its audacity, but completely demonic—suggesting that the unveiling of a pop icon could in any way compare to the eternal glory that will be revealed in Christ.

We can’t ignore the repeated use of the term “Swifties” in TGC’s article. As dumb and as petty as it is, describing the pop star’s fan base this way while comparing them to Christ followers minimizes the call for Christians to “be separate” from the world. Secular pop star fandom is not comparable to how the Scripture calls Christians to be. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. It’s idolatrous.

The overarching message of TGC’s “Swifties” article is troubling, as it suggests that there are deep, meaningful spiritual truths to be gleaned from a secular music tour. And the implication is that such worldly events deserve the church’s focused attention and contemplation.

They do not—they deserve our scorn and rejection. And our calling them to repentance. And Christians deserve to be warned that such filth should be marked and avoided. That’s about it.

But what should we make of this? I want to say that I can’t believe a Christian organization wouldn’t publish such foolish scurf, but TGC has shown, time and time again, that its priority is appeal to the world, and has largely abandoned the second word in its name—the “gospel.”