How Capitalism Turned Christianity Into a Numbers Game

The Quiet Shift That Traded Grace for Growth Metrics

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I grew up earning gold stars for God.

Literally.

In Sunday School, there was a giant star chart pinned to the wall — a bright, glittery poster board with every kid’s name neatly written down the side in thick black marker. The rules were simple: memorize a Bible verse, get a gold sticker. Bring a friend to church, get another. Say your prayers every night, another one. If you were really on fire for Jesus, your name would trail a whole comet of gold across the board — a shimmering arc of proof that you were doing well.

I still remember how hard I worked to memorize 1 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” I must have recited it a thousand times under my breath, pacing my bedroom, terrified I’d forget a word when it came time to say it out loud. Even now, all these years later, that verse still lives somewhere just under my tongue, ready to surface without warning.

Back then, it all felt normal. Fun, even. You learned early that loving God looked a lot like racking up points. You could measure it. Track it. Celebrate it. And if you were…