"He Gets Us" A Manifestation of Virtually Every Catholic Heresy
Introduction
The "He Gets Us" campaign presents itself as an effort to make Jesus Christ more relatable to contemporary culture. It portrays Christ as an empathetic figure who identifies with human struggles, often emphasizing His humanity at the expense of His divinity. While this approach may seem pastoral, it ultimately distorts Catholic doctrine, leading to grave theological errors. The campaign, through its modernist reinterpretation of Christ, embodies nearly every significant heresy condemned by the Catholic Church. This article will demonstrate how "He Gets Us" echoes ancient and modern heresies, culminating in its ultimate alignment with Modernism, which Pope St. Pius X called the "synthesis of all heresies" in Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907).
I. The Arian Heresy: A Christ Stripped of Divinity
Arianism is a heresy that arose in the early 4th century, named after Arius, a priest from Alexandria. It denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ, claiming that He was a created being, distinct from and subordinate to God the Father. Arius taught that "there was a time when the Son was not," contradicting the Church’s doctrine of the eternal consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. The heresy was condemned at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which affirmed that Christ is "of the same substance" (homoousios) as the Father. Despite this condemnation, Arianism persisted for centuries, influencing various groups, including some Germanic tribes, before eventually fading.
Denial (or Minimization) of Christ’s Divinity
Arianism, founded by Arius, taught that Jesus was not co-equal with the Father but rather a created being, greater than humans but less than God.
The "He Gets Us" Campaign focuses almost exclusively on Jesus as a moral teacher, social revolutionary, or an example of human suffering. It largely avoids emphasizing His divine nature, thus echoing Arian tendencies.
Jesus as a Mere Example, Not the Redeemer
Catholic doctrine teaches that Christ is both fully God and fully man (Hypostatic Union), and that His mission was primarily one of redemption through His Passion and Resurrection.
The campaign’s portrayal tends to depict Jesus as a relatable figure who understands human struggles, rather than the divine Savior who came to redeem mankind from sin. This emphasis can align with Arian thought, which saw Jesus as a moral guide rather than the eternal Word Incarnate.
Downplaying of the Trinity
Arianism rejected the co-equality of the Trinity, viewing Jesus as subordinate to the Father rather than consubstantial (homoousios).
The campaign often avoids explicitly Trinitarian language, making its Christology susceptible to interpretations that lean towards an Arian perspective rather than orthodox Catholic doctrine.
Modernist Influence
The Modernist heresy, condemned by Pope Pius X in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, is a continuation of earlier errors like Arianism. It often reduces supernatural truths to mere human experiences.
The "He Gets Us" Campaign follows a Modernist approach by portraying Jesus primarily as a historical figure with human struggles, rather than as the God-Man who is Lord and Judge.
The Catholic Response
The Council of Trent (1545–1563) reaffirmed the necessity of recognizing Christ as both true God and true man. A Catholic response to such a campaign should emphasize:
Jesus as Lord and Redeemer, not just a relatable moral teacher.
The necessity of faith in His divine authority and the sacraments.
A Christology rooted in Sacred Tradition, rejecting any Modernist distortions.
St. Thomas Aquinas, in the Summa Theologica, warns agaIinst interpretations of Christ that diminish His divine nature:
"To confess that the Son is of the same nature as the Father is necessary for true faith; whoever denies this has deviated from the truth of the Gospel" (ST III, q. 16, a. 8).
By emphasizing only Christ’s human experiences—His hunger, loneliness, and rejection—without due regard for His divine mission, the campaign falls into a practical Arianism.
II. Nestorianism: The False Separation of Christ’s Natures
The "He Gets Us" Campaign can also be seen as reflecting Nestorianism, a heresy condemned by the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent in its teachings on Christology. Nestorianism, promoted by Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople, separated the divine and human natures of Christ to the point that it treated them as two distinct persons rather than a single divine Person with two natures.
Implied Separation of Christ’s Divine and Human Natures
Catholic teaching (Hypostatic Union): Jesus is one Divine Person with two natures (human and divine), perfectly united.
Nestorianism falsely divided Christ into two separate persons—one divine and one human—rather than a single person.
The "He Gets Us" Campaign focuses heavily on Christ’s humanity (His suffering, struggles, and social activism) while largely ignoring His divine authority. This risks presenting a divided Christ, as if His human nature is separate from His divine mission.
Jesus as an Exemplar Rather than the Incarnate Word
Catholic teaching: Christ’s human experiences (hunger, suffering, emotions) are fully united with His divine nature. Every act of Christ is an act of the Second Person of the Trinity.
Nestorianism: It tended to see Jesus' human actions (suffering, prayer, etc.) as belonging only to His human nature, separate from His divine identity.
The campaign’s portrayal of Jesus as merely an inspiring human who "understands our struggles" aligns with Nestorian tendencies, treating Him first as human, as if His divine nature is detached from these experiences.
Avoidance of Mary’s Title as Theotokos ("Mother of God")
Catholic teaching: The Blessed Virgin Mary is Theotokos (Mother of God) because she gave birth to one divine Person, not a separate "human Jesus."
Nestorianism denied Mary as Theotokos, claiming she was only the "Mother of Christ" (Christotokos), implying that she bore only Christ’s human nature, not the Divine Word.
The "He Gets Us" Campaign avoids any reference to Mary’s divine maternity, which implicitly supports the Nestorian error of dividing Christ into two separate persons.
Modernist Influence and the Reduction of Christ’s Identity
Pope Pius X condemned Modernism (Pascendi Dominici Gregis) for reducing supernatural truths (like Christ’s divine nature) to human interpretations.
The "He Gets Us" Campaign, by emphasizing Jesus only as a human figure who understands suffering, echoes Modernist and Nestorian tendencies by implicitly separating His divine nature from His human experiences.
The Catholic Response
The Council of Trent reaffirmed that Christ is one divine Person with two inseparable natures. A Catholic response to such a campaign should emphasize:
Jesus’ divine nature cannot be separated from His humanity.
Mary is truly Theotokos, affirming Christ’s divinity from the moment of His conception.
The necessity of faith in Christ’s divine authority, not just admiration of His human example.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches:
"If anyone does not confess that the Word of God, in taking flesh, remained one person, let him be anathema."
By presenting a Christ who is "just like us," rather than one who is both fully divine and fully human, the campaign aligns with Nestorian tendencies.
III. Pelagianism: The Denial of Original Sin and Grace
Pelagianism, condemned at the Council of Carthage (418), denied original sin and the necessity of grace. The "He Gets Us" campaign suggests that Jesus’ example alone is sufficient for our salvation, overlooking the necessity of grace, the sacraments, and the Church’s teaching on justification.
How He Gets Us Reflects Pelagianism
Minimization of Original Sin
Pelagianism denied original sin, claiming that human nature was not wounded by Adam’s fall.
He Gets Us presents people as essentially good and merely in need of inspiration, rather than acknowledging humanity’s fallen state and the need for redemption.
Overemphasis on Moralism and Human Effort
Pelagius taught that people could become holy by their own strength, reducing grace to a mere external aid.
He Gets Us portrays Jesus as a moral example rather than a source of supernatural grace, subtly reinforcing the idea that we just need to "try harder" to be good.
Jesus as an Example Rather than a Savior
Pelagianism sees Christ primarily as a teacher of virtue rather than the Redeemer.
He Gets Us highlights Jesus' kindness and social message but omits the necessity of His Passion, death, and Resurrection for salvation.
A Naturalistic, Not Supernatural, Christianity
Pelagianism reduces Christianity to a humanistic philosophy rather than a supernatural reality.
He Gets Us frames Christ’s message in social and emotional terms rather than in the context of grace, sacraments, and salvation.
Conclusion
The He Gets Us campaign echoes Pelagian and Modernist errors by presenting Jesus as a mere moral teacher rather than the divine Redeemer. By downplaying sin, grace, and salvation, it promotes a self-help version of Christianity, which the Church has condemned since St. Augustine’s battle against Pelagius.
Pope St. Pius X, in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, warns of this tendency:
"The Modernists lay down the general principle that in a living religion everything is subject to change and must change. Thus they conceive of grace as nothing but a personal feeling, a mere subjective experience."
This subjective interpretation aligns with Pelagianism, reducing Christ’s mission to moral inspiration rather than the redemption of mankind through grace.
IV. Protestantism and Its Offshoots: The Rejection of Tradition and Authority
While not a single heresy but a collection of errors, Protestantism is fundamentally defined by its rejection of Sacred Tradition and ecclesiastical authority. The "He Gets Us" campaign operates on a Protestantized vision of Christ, one divorced from the Magisterium and the sacraments. It presents a Christ who is approachable but not demanding, one who inspires but does not command.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent states:
"The Church, by divine institution, is the pillar and foundation of the truth; whoever rejects her authority is led into error."
By promoting a Jesus detached from Catholic doctrine, the campaign inadvertently aligns with Protestant errors.
V. Modernism: The Synthesis of All Heresies
In a previous article, we discussed the concept of Modernism and its dangers. As a brief summary, Pope St. Pius X, in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, describes Modernism as the aggregation of all heresies. It denies objective truth in favor of religious sentiment, treating faith as an evolving experience rather than the adherence to divine revelation.
The He Gets Us campaign presents a humanized and relatable image of Jesus, emphasizing His compassion, love, and social message. However, in doing so, it fails to present the fullness of Christ’s mission, particularly His call to repentance. This aligns with Modernist heresy, as condemned by Pope Pius X in Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907), which warned against reinterpreting Christian doctrine to fit modern sensibilities.
The Missing Call to Repentance
One of the most fundamental aspects of Jesus' message in the Gospels is the call to repentance. From the beginning of His public ministry, Christ made it clear that conversion of heart was necessary:
Mark 1:15 – “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Luke 5:32 – “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Matthew 4:17 – “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jesus did not merely seek to empathize with sinners; He sought to transform and reform them. His message was not just about understanding human struggles but about redeeming people from sin and calling them to holiness.
How He Gets Us Ignores This Essential Teaching
While He Gets Us portrays Jesus as loving, inclusive, and understanding, it fails to call people to conversion. It presents a Christ who “gets” us, but not a Christ who demands reformation.
No Mention of Sin or the Need for Change
The campaign frames Jesus as a figure of acceptance, without mentioning that He rejected sin and called people to turn away from it.
Biblical figures like the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11) received not just forgiveness but an exhortation to “sin no more”, which is absent in the campaign’s messaging.
An Implicit Endorsement of Continuing in Sin
Many of the ads focus on social harmony and empathy for the outcast, which are Christian values, but they omit the necessity of repentance.
A message of "Jesus understands you" without "Jesus calls you to change" risks leading people to believe they can persist in sin without consequence.
The Danger of a Morally Neutral Jesus
The campaign reduces Jesus to a relatable moral teacher rather than the divine Savior who commands people to abandon sin.
This approach aligns with Modernist errors, where doctrine is softened to avoid offending contemporary moral sensibilities.
Examples from He Gets Us Ads
"Be Childlike" Advertisement
Encourages people to embrace childlike humility but does not mention the need for spiritual rebirth through repentance and baptism (John 3:3-5).
"Love Your Enemies" Advertisement
Emphasizes forgiveness and peacemaking, but does not address Christ’s warning about sin, judgment, and the need for conversion.
"The Rebel" Advertisement
Portrays Jesus as a rebel who stood with the marginalized, but does not acknowledge that He rebuked sinners and called them to holiness (e.g., Luke 13:3 – “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”).
Pope Pius X on Modernist Heresy
Pope Pius X warned against this type of distortion of Christ’s message in Pascendi Dominici Gregis, stating:
“The Modernists lay the axe not to the branches and shoots, but to the very root, that is, to the faith and its deepest fires.” (Pascendi, 3)
Modernists reinterpret Christ to fit modern ideas of inclusivity and progress, but in doing so, they reject His divine authority. Pius X further warned:
“They pervert the eternal concept of truth, making it subject to change, accommodating it to the opinions and desires of men.” (Pascendi, 13)
This is precisely what He Gets Us does—it adapts Christ’s image to modern emotional and social values while stripping away His doctrinal authority.
Conclusion: A Half-Truth is a Dangerous Lie
While He Gets Us successfully presents Jesus as compassionate and understanding, it fails to present the fullness of His Gospel. By avoiding the necessity of repentance, it distorts Christ’s mission and risks leading people into complacency in sin.
Jesus did not merely “get us” in our struggles—He came to redeem us from sin. Any message that fails to call sinners to repentance is not the true Gospel but a Modernist distortion that Pope Pius X rightly condemned.
The "He Gets Us" campaign embodies this error in the following ways:
Subjectivism: It reduces Christ to a subjective personal experience rather than an objective reality.
Historical Relativism: It presents Jesus as merely a historical figure rather than the eternal Son of God.
Doctrinal Evolution: It suggests that faith should conform to contemporary social trends rather than remain immutable.
Pope St. Pius X explicitly warns:
"Modernists place the foundation of religious philosophy in that doctrine which is commonly called Agnosticism… it follows that religion, whether natural or supernatural, must, like every other fact, admit of some evolution."
This is precisely what "He Gets Us" promotes—a Christ who changes with the times rather than one who is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).
Conclusion: The Ultimate Danger of the "He Gets Us" Campaign
The cumulative effect of these errors leads to a distortion of the true Christ. By embracing elements of Arianism, Nestorianism, Pelagianism, Protestantism, and ultimately Modernism, the "He Gets Us" campaign presents a counterfeit Christ—a Christ without divinity, without doctrine, without the Church.
As the Catechism of the Council of Trent states:
"There is but one true doctrine, the doctrine of Christ, which is taught by the Church. Any deviation from this doctrine leads to heresy and error."
Thus, the campaign is not merely misleading but spiritually dangerous, as it subtly leads souls away from the full truth of the Catholic Faith.
Pope St. Pius X's warning against Modernism remains relevant today:
"The Modernist is an adversary all the more dangerous as he is the more concealed within the ranks of the Church."
The "He Gets Us" campaign, under the guise of outreach, serves as an instrument of this heresy.
If Catholics are to remain steadfast in their faith, they must reject such distortions and adhere to the unchanging truth taught by the Church. Anything less risks the fate warned of by St. Paul:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." (2 Timothy 4:3)