This morning I joined a Facebook discussion about the record number of Christians leaving the church. Statistically speaking you can make statistics say anything, and as the great American philosopher Samuel Clemons once said "There are three kinds of lies in this world: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics."
The drop in the number of people identifying as Christians needs to be addressed - by Christians. What's causing the drop? Personally I am of the opinion that the modern church has become a social club where the bible is used to prop up a wobbly card table, preachers have become Joel Osteen and Beth Meyers wannabe's, and God has become Barney the purple dinosaur singing "I love you, you love me..." People need and want real theology, they need and want to know why Jesus was tortured and murdered, why his death atones for our sins, what is salvation through grace. This is becoming rare indeed, instead many churches are dedicated to self centered nonsense like this:
When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really. You’re doing it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. - Victoria OsteenA friend started a Facebook discussion on whether these people were still "spritual" and traded in their tired old religion to seek Universal Truth. That's when I chimed in:
What is “Universal Truth” to begin with? We’ve learned from people like Joseph Smith & Brigham Young and Muhammad that you can make up anything you want and it becomes a new Universal Truth. Or as Vladimir Lenin said “A lie told often enough becomes the truth” Look up “Universal Truth” on the Internet and you get fluffy nonsense like “Your intuition is your inner GPS” or “If you are not living with aloha, you are under-performing”. There is ONE universal truth, no exceptions: “You are going to die.”
As for people leaving the Christian church – most of them were never IN the Christian church to begin with. I’m not talking about “Easter bunnies” who show up to a church twice a year out of habit, I’m talking about people who sit in churches that have fallen away from God’s word and think they’re doing just fine. I’m talking about churches who think that sin and repentance and salvation are evil scary topics and instead spout half-truths that God is Love so sin all you want. These churches evolve from places of learning and worship to social clubs whose only purpose is teaching self-actualization sprinkled with the word “god” enough to keep their tax-free status
The Presbyterian Church USA has fallen so far that they actually have an atheist preaching every Sunday about “beliefless Christianity” - is there possibly a more blatant oxymoron? Churches across the USA are no longer teaching the word of God, they’re teaching a man-made concept of “social justice” and if they bother to open the bible it is to use the first two words of Matthew 7:1 (Judge not) far, far, far out of context
Hypocrisy is rampant in Christianity today. Preachers in these social clubs will stand in front of their congregations and tell their flock that sin is wrong… with the following exceptions. Then they will go on to explain how some sins, clearly defined as sins in the bible, must be accepted because… because some person said to accept them. You can bet your life savings and the farm that this person was not God or of God. How can you blame people from leaving a hypocritical social club? I dare any female preacher to do a full study of 1 Timothy, then explain to the congregation how it does not apply to her. If you’re a preacher either you believe that the Bible is the word of God or you don’t. If you don’t – then get out.
Christianity is the most unique religion in the world. While most religions tell their followers “Believe what I tell you or else” (‘else’ generally means beheading when talking about Islam) Christianity says “Check it out, look around, see what’s out there”
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
While some religions teach you that you’re too stupid to understand the sacred texts (Roman Catholic church is big on this one – CCC Para 85) Christianity is proud when you dig into the scriptures to verify what you’ve been taught
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)
Other churches do not want you daring to correct the pastors or elders (excommunication will ensue) where Christianity invites this (Matthew 18:15-20)
The big thing is that all churches (except Christianity) teach that salvation is earned by doing things, it comes from performing prescribed works. In all Churches you must do prescribed things by yourself to reach heaven. Christianity teaches that your works are not good enough, (Isaiah 64:6) you can’t possibly reach salvation by your own efforts BUT you can reach salvation by God’s grace in return for having faith in Him.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8)
I’m not going to go on about how Christians are now the most persecuted people on the face of the earth, but even our persecutors are becoming aware of that fact.
Lastly, and most importantly, we Christians have deep mixed feelings about the throngs of people leaving. For us it’s sad, because we’re losing friends for eternity, but on the other hand we rejoice because this is a 2000 year old bible prophesy that is coming true right before our eyes
1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)Praise the Lord for His truth and wisdom!
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