Young people turn against their parents' 'church lite'

Lexington Herald Leader ^ | 5/16/04 | John Leland

[Mr. Silverback]

These guys are telling us that faith and hearing come by being cool enough to relate to today's youth.

No offense, but unless you're twelve years old, you're old enough to know that the media never, never ever gets it right about religion, especially Christianity.

The reporter is playing up the cool angle rather than dealing with the substance of belief. Note how he goes out and gets a poor misled soul from the anti-Christian rock crowd to get a balancing quote. This poor reporter twit thinks these guys are all going to be a major force of leftists because they don't look like conservatives, so that's how he wrote his story. It's wishful thinking on his part. Just because somebody is a little less interested in fighting the gay agenda doesn't mean they're going to go become a leftist. How many people who really care about Christianity would read Indymedia or even Ellen Goodman or Maureen Dowd and says to themselves, "Now that's what Jesus would write!"

Whether these alt-churches are good churches depends totally on what is being taught in the services, not on what these people are wearing. The stuff my church does would have been looked down on in the same way if we'd been doing it fifty years ago, and we are a hard-core Bible-believing church.

[luckystarmom]

But it is up to us to spread the word.

No one would hear it if we all just sat on our butts and did nothing.

I'm not a big fan of the movie "Passion of the Christ", but many people are, and I am very pleased that it has touched so many lives. It seems like God has used that movie. Like I said, different tastes for different people.

I am moved by things like Handel's Messiah, and some people are moved by a Michael Smith song. Both are Christian songs, just different. I'm pleased that God can use both.

[george wythe]

As a Catholic gen-X-er, I find the Latin Mass very appealing.

My regular parish does not offer a Latin Mass, but I try to enjoy the beautiful Latin language at least once a month at another church.

Yes, the Bible studies and other informal meetings are great, but I crave the formality and reverence of the Mass.

As the article points out, the fact that I can connect with ancient Christians via religious rites is important to me.

[Mr. Silverback]

Excellent point.

[kjam22]

But it is up to us to spread the word. No one would hear it if we all just sat on our butts and did nothing.

I agree with that completely.

[jtminton]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are a pretty staunch Calvinist.

[Protagoras]

Packaging Christ in a Nirvana style package is what is wrongheaded.

Packaging Christ in a way that leads people to love him is never wrongheaded.

but it all comes down to the idea that "they might not be saved if we don't find a way to reach them". And that simply isn't true, according to scripture.

And that's the gospel, according to KJAM.

So,, don't go tell anyone the good news because it doesn't matter.

That's scriptural. < /sarcasm>

[CatoRenasci]

Mainline refers to the traditional nationally-based (as opposed to more regionally oriented) Protestant churches, almost all of which accepted the 'higher criticism' in the 19th and early 20th centuries, did not reject science where it clashed with the Bible, and most of which, to one degree or another, were involved in the 'social gospel' liberalism in the 20th century. They were, and to a large extent are, the churches of educatated opinion in the United States. The most generally agreed "mainline" Protestant Churches are: the Episcopal Church in America, United Church of Christ (Congregational in New England), Presbyterian Church USA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Sometimes the United Methodist Church is considered mainline, sometimes not, likewise the northern Baptists. If there are any Dutch Reformed Churches still around (mostly NY), they're mainline. The Southern Baptists are not mainline, nor are the Missouri Synod Lutherans. If the Unitarians (19th Century derivative from Congregational) are considered Christians, they'd be mainline.

Everything else is not 'mainline': Assembly of God, Disciples of Christ, Covenant Church, Pentacostals, etc., etc.

[kjam22]

Is it any wonder that even church leadership today believes that the chruches are packed with people who don't truly know christ?

The attitude that as long as we're growing in numbers we're doing something right......right?

[stainlessbanner]

"For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.
Acts 13:36

Let us act like David and serve our own generation. In Heaven we will hear those words, " Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

[sleeper-has-awakened]

Critics say this engagement comes at a price. Timothy Williams, 48, a pastor at Sound Doctrine Ministries, a non-denominational church in Enumclaw, Wash., sees flirtation with pop culture as a capitulation to sin. "More and more, the church is seeking to be like the world around it," said Williams, who has written a pamphlet denouncing Christian rock. "But the Bible says that anyone who becomes a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. If we're going to be relevant or on the world's level to draw people, we might as well give free beer in the parking lot."

Personally, I credit the music of Christian heavy metal band Stryper for helping planting a seed in me that was used to open me up to listening to what my Christian friends were saying to me in their attempts to witness to me. When somebody knows nothing about Jesus perhaps it is sometimes best to speak to them in a language they understand, this may be through the types of music they listen to. To say that Christian rock is bad is wrong, Christian rock may be a tool used to speak to a non-believing person and God may use this to bring them to the point of searching for the truth.

Anyone who thinks Christian rock is so bad may want to check out Neal Morse's Testimony album. Very powerful lyrics of one mans journey from rock star to Christian. One of the most inspiring testimonies I've heard.

Did Jesus not teach to go out into the world and be a light to the world, isn't there scripture that tells christians to go out into the world and preach to non believers in their language?

[Porterville]

You don't think the Pope's attire is a little flashy?

Or how about the Orthodox Christians

[nmh]

Yes, adapting yourself VERBALLY and the VERBAL content is right but to lower your standards in dress and how you care for your body is NOT what Paul did. He did NOT lower his standards but sought to RAISE people UP!

Just an example:

i.e. you don't have to dress and hehave like a slut to reach a slut. A slut already knows what that's like. What the slut needs is to know Christ and the better way of dressing etc..

[Protagoras]

going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are a pretty staunch Calvinist.

Ya Think? LOL

A poor interpretation IMO, but surely the background.

[kjam22]

You don't really believe there are people in hell because the christians around them weren't creative enough to reach them in a way that they could relate to... do you?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Missing a soul because of lack of imagination on how a particular person might be given the good news is a shame.

I agree, but beware of crossing lines you never meant to cross. That's my point. God is holy and He is not pleased with sinful worship. What I see in churches these days is exactly that. They are not influencing the world creatively. The world is influencing them. It is desensitizing them, so much so that they are not even bothered by language and nudity. No. You will hear them criticize fellow Christians for being too "pure" before you will hear them criticize sin. At a church near me -- I call it First Church of the Holy Cinema -- they went to see Along Came Polly for a wednesday night church service (the youth group). They had month after month of lessons based on The Matrix, Signs, and some other movies. These people are obsessed with movies. But they issued warnings about The Passion and its violence, Ryan Dobson's book was criticized as being "too anti-culture," etc...

Jesus said to "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If a man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him....for all that is in the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh... these are not from the Father but from the World....and the World is fading away...but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever." We are also told to let our minds dwell on "whatever is true, whatever is right....." God is holy. He wants us to pursue holiness, not entertain ourselves to death.

[Protagoras]

You have to resign your faith and go back and start over because you weren't given the good news in a way that pleases some folks.

[Skooz]

Well, I wouldn't go that far. I was speaking strictly about the liberal churches who make up the "mainline," WCC landscape.

I attend a marvelous Assembly of God church and previously attended a marvelous Southern Baptist church.

Nothing "mainline" about the powerful messages preached in either of those churches. They both preach the Word of God without compromise or giving one rip about what the world thinks about it.

[mel]

That really is a misleading term.

[kjam22]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are a pretty staunch Calvinist.

Actually I accept that the bible teaches "calvin doctrine" and equally teaches "freewill". That both doctrines coexist. Is that a problem? I mean you can read the text for yourself.