An interesting read from the LA Times.
A couple of quotes:
When a church doesn't take itself seriously, neither do its members. It is hard to believe that as recently as 1960, members of mainline churches — Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and the like — accounted for 40% of all American Protestants. Today, it's more like 12% (17 million out of 135 million). Some of the precipitous decline is due to lower birthrates among the generally blue-state mainliners, but it also is clear that millions of mainline adherents (and especially their children) have simply walked out of the pews never to return.
When your religion says "whatever" on doctrinal matters, regards Jesus as just another wise teacher, refuses on principle to evangelize and lets you do pretty much what you want, it's a short step to deciding that one of the things you don't want to do is get up on Sunday morning and go to church.
5 comments:
Succinct and well-written.
I think that not only Christians, but members of any religious group, often feel they need to walk a tightrope in our pluralistic society. We (rightly) don't wish to give the impression that we think we're better than anyone else, but the result of that is often we find we don't stand for anything and don't believe in anything.
We need to give ourselves, and to give those who disagree with us, the freedom to believe.
The shortcoming of many religious groups is one of misplaced priority and focus. Rather than emphasizing Christ's love and all consuming forgiveness, churches spend all their energy trying to make God's laws sound lawless, trying to make everything sound "okay", when in fact, from start to finish, God's word is all about love. God's love in the beginning, the prophecies of Jesus's love, and the manifestation of Jesus's love on the cross and ultimately in our lives.
We were created by God to love and obey God. Just wanting God's blessings and benefits while being unwilling to OBEY and to stand for His truths, is a fruitless pursuit. Shocking how selfless Christ was and how self-centered we are.
Maggie
Is that the same Maggie that doesn't read the blog?
That's two posts if I remember correctly.
Marriage: it changes people.
Marriage: I am more like my husband now. Bad? I think not. I did take HIS last name after all.
~Maggie GRANLUND
I see wisdom and understanding in Maggie's comment. Such that I hardly see in Christians anymore. I agree with what she is saying.
-Andy
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