Political Gaps Strain Churches, Pulpits vs Pews, Mainlines vs Evangelicals

Institute on Religion & Democracy and American Spectator ^ | 24 Feb 2010 | Alan Wisdom of the IRD

[xone]

Church unity there, as in the oldline churches, will have to come through the teachings and work of Jesus Christ.

Would solve any problems.

[miele man]

What better way to change society is there than to infiltrate the mainline churches with Marxist and socialist teachings to change the thinking of the clergy and then ultimately the belief of the laymen? This certainly has happened to the mainline churches beginning in the 1950s and especially in the 1960s.

[RinaseaofDs]

Outstanding analysis, actually.

Ear ticklers. Pastor in my ELCA church very recently gave a sermon about the difficulty the rich would have entering the Kingdom of Heaven. The implication was that surely the bankers on Wall Street weren’t getting in, but all you good people in the pews were.

I turned to my wife and said, “As he abjures the rich, does he not realize that there isn’t a single truly poor person in the building, or does he know that and is putting one over on them in the hopes that they realize THEY are the rich sometime in the coming week?”

[Takethathill]

I didn't want to start a "churches are Satan" argument with that person. If he thinks that is what church is he has probably spent too much time in an "old-line" church. I think many people, especially those in this forum may find themselves fitting in very well in an evangelical church. I've been in the Assemblies most of my life, I've found that Christ's teachings come out clearly through its politics. The only political arguments the A.G. gets involved in is; abortion, feeding the poor and fighting for the souls of sinners. If these things enter the political arena then Christ will be served. That is why we love Sarah Palin, one of our own.

[Takethathill]

No, I am deeply involved in the Assembly of God. My mother gave birth to me in this faith; but, she was a Kennedy democrat. She was one until about 2000 when I finally got through to her that her affiliation was giving the party funding. Even though she had been a democrat since 1968 she probably had not voted for a democrat since 1970. I think many of these democrats in the pews are just as good a Christian as any other, they've just always been a democrat. So, I just encourage them to vote the conscience God gave them.

[Anti-Utopian]

I've got an even better example.

If churches are such terrific learning environments, why did your church search for a college-educated Pastor? Why is a stranger who studied for four or so years in a university a superior Bible teacher to the dozens of men who have been sitting in church pews for 20+ years in a supposedly terrific learning environment? If "evangelicals" are supposed to be "evangelists," why do only the Pastors need "evangelical degrees?"

Could it possibly be that one half-hour lecture per week (or 26 hours per year) is a lousy way to learn anything?

[RedDogzRule]

I understood his point to mean that there is always a danger in taking one’s faith too complacently, and just going to hang out with friend and socialize. That is where one’s faith just becomes another part of your “culture”, and I believe it can potentially affect everyone, no matter their denomination or religion (look at the nominal/cultural Jews, for example). I’m not casting aspersions, I just think it’s human nature to always take the easy way out. Christ called us to follow Him, and told us it would not be easy. If I’m in a church that doesn’t consistently challenge me spiritually and even make me squirm in my seat, then I’m probably in the wrong church, and have found myself in a church that is playing to popular culture, instead of being the guiding shepherd. But, maybe I’m just too old-fashioned and conservative in this regard.