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I still consider myself a Christian, at least in philosophy: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It is an ethic shared in Judeo-Christianity that has at its core a call for tolerance and love. However, I am also cognizant that for most of the history of Christianity, the church and its many offspring often sided against the forces of compassion and used fear, threats and ignorance as their most powerful tools. Cannot change orientation Organized religion can be uplifting, community building, powerful and spiritual.

The ELCA just decided to force a schism over this issue. The ordination of openly gay clergy has driven a rift through the ELCA to the point that my church has already left the synod. Ironically, CORE Lutheran has also, apparently decided to become an independent synod. Why am I brining this up?

The author of this article talks about his being religious, and he still is in philosphy. Then he goes on the cite social justice, which is really the cancer on Christina religion. I have heard many so-called Christians preaching that being Christian is about social justice this, economic justice that, enviromental justice etc, etc, etc.

I work as a physician in a pretty large urban hospital. I am an intensivist. As I was walking past the ICU waiting room one day, there was a pastor, dressed in his cleric collar and blacks holding court. He was saying to the entire waiting room that the calling of our religion (turns out he was an Episcopalian substituting as a Christian) was to insure social justice, choice and all that. I asked him (I most often cannot hold my tongue, just as my sister) what denomination he was -- Episopalian the response. To which I looked at him and said, "That's funny, I thought being Christan was about preaching the salvation of the gospel in Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth." No response ensued.

I have recently become accutely concernced that mainline Christian churches are more interested in preaching the apostasy of social justice than the life saving salvation of Jesus Christ. Jesus certainly had many hard things to say about the unrepentant sinner. and their fate. He warned about chruches that no longer preach the simple fact that salvation is found in Christ alone, and that the unatoned, unrepentant cannot and will not be saved. While it is the "will of the Father that all men should be saved" all too often, the mainline Christian churches have sacrificed their salvation on the altar of political correctness, and as long as people, like this author, get away with calling themselves "Christian, at least in philosophy" without being called on it, so propogates our name through the earth.

God has laid out the plan of salvation for us all, salvation through the Son, sanctified through the Spirit. It is crucial for all Christians to repeat the simple message of salvation whenever and wherever they can, especially in the face of the lie of salvation through the gospel of social justice.

For my Lutheran brethern: This is most certainly true :)

I completely agree with your post. Christianity is not about social justice. If you feed or clothe someone without speaking truth about sin and salvation, what have you accomplished? People are literally drowning spiritually, but many “Christians” are more concerned about the environment, gay rights, government hand-outs, etc?!? If people end up eternally separated from God when they die, what good is social justice for them now?

"Jesus certainly had many hard things to say about the unrepentant sinner. and their fate. He warned about chruches that no longer preach the simple fact that salvation is found in Christ alone, and that the unatoned, unrepentant cannot and will not be saved."

This is definitely worthy of a BUMP.