Good questions
“Could it be that our own actions are causing the religiously-inclined but nonetheless lost to doubt the existence of God? Is it possible that the Church is pushing people toward unbelief by virtue of its approach to culture and the world? Has Christianity become so politically defined that true faith and the person of Jesus Christ is obscured in the minds of many? Is it possible that Christians are conducting themselves in such a way that the spiritually seeking are looking anywhere but to Christ? I don’t know for sure but I certainly think it is possible and that is enough to make me examine my self in light of these questions. It should cause us all to examine ourselves.”
Read the whole thing. Hat tip: Think Christian.
I haven’t read the whole article (don’t have time yet), but I don’t think it’s a new thing.
Look at the Catholic or Jewish organizations over the last 2000 plus years. People create new organizations when the older order gets too bogged down in details and holding their ‘imagined’ line.
Honestly the politics involved in organized religions is a main problem I have with the entire idea.
Does this mean that it is time for a new ‘order’ to arise? Or is it the real reason behind the growth of ‘pagan’ new age churches?
October 15th, 2007 at 7:29 amWe can definitely be ignorant and horrendous examples of Christ’s love at times . . . but I praise God that He still uses us. (despite the fact that we are undeserving) I pray there will be a renewal and awakening in the body of Christ all over this nation and all over this earth!
I also wanted to let you know that I’m hosting a new giveaway at my site this week! Please feel free to come by and enter for some more great American made products!!
Thank you!
October 15th, 2007 at 5:53 pmMeg – the funny thing is, the early Christian church as started by Jesus’ disciples was not political. It was a family-oriented group of people who ate together, shared with each other, and worshipped together. That’s it. No big programs, no politicizing issues, just a desire to live according to a set of principles and to love each other. I wish so much that was what church was like now. As a Christian, I hope that we will see a return to that early model.
J – thanks for stopping by.
October 15th, 2007 at 6:17 pmBut the early Christians were a reaction to what was going on politically with the Jews.
Studying early Christianity from a Jewish prospective (which I’ve done in a class on Judaism at the college level – at a Jesuit college) puts Jesus in prospective of opening up a monotheistic, but hereditary based religion to outside groups.
The Jews were the ones with the political agenda, Christianity was the reaction you are describing of ‘spiritually seeking are looking anywhere but..’ (obviously still looking in the same general area, but the new testament is still not part of the Jewish faith.)
Martin Luther and the growth of the Protestant churches can then also be described as a reaction to the politics going on in the Catholic church and the desire to find another spiritual solution.
I did take it to an extreme in my previous answer, but I was trying to convey a possible next step and put it in prospective.
October 15th, 2007 at 6:47 pm