The condition of the country and world today, as it is not as we wish it to were, would normally be a great time for evangelizing. That seems like the way it always worked. We called them awakenings, revivals, or God moments.
People do need hope, faith that there is something bigger than the potpourri of devastation we see around us while the country disintegrates from that shiny city on a hill. All is not lost, God is still on His throne and nothing these people do will change that. He is in the capital Pronoun business. That is the message all right.
So if ever there was an appropriate time and need for a message, this would seem to be it. Except for one thing. Where are the people to spread it? I don’t mean just a few or handful of evangelicals telling the great salvation story. Don’t get me wrong, God can work in a few and look what disciples did once they got the hang of it.
But when I look at what many mainline churches are doing, I shake my head. No, this is not a critique of churches……. or is it? I’m not really sure, but the more I see the more I see at least some churches as part of the problem. That hurts me. It bothers me and it makes me feel uncomfortable about some fellow Christians and about the future. No, I don’t want to complain too much here. Wouldn’t be prudent, you know, or productive.
Then maybe that is what is needed? I mean every quadrant of society takes criticism from different sides these days. It is open season on the right folks or groups. Should churches be exempt from criticism? I know people probably don’t want to hear it. After all, churches are supposed to be part of the solution, and they often are, not the problem.
But the same age-old story you would get if you really broaden the scope to look at everything objectively (without inherent biases which seems harder and harder), then you cannot ignore the one stunning thing staring you in the face that does not go away.
That is, as bad as times are for culture and the rest in civil society, it screams to what is responsible for it. You have to admit if churches were doing a better job, then how could things be this bad? That would seem impossible if churches were very effective. So you must draw the conclusion that part of the blame is on the churches. Yes it is people themselves but the church is an organ of God that should stand up for and be doing something. No, this is not about church building for me. It is about being effective.
See if we all must take some of the blame for the way society is — or the country by extension — then churches cannot escape their share of blame either. I believe people are responsible for allowing much of this to happen. We can claim to be victims of it all but we allow it, even if we do not condone it outright. But churches are in that mix, too.
I know, it is an issue/story many people don’t want to hear, aren’t interested in, or don’t care about. I get that. But who can stand up for churches to defend them from blame? I don’t know who can make that case? Maybe I am doing the easy thing by throwing some criticism their way — rather than attempting to defend them.
Sure churches have missions and they do a lot of good. But that is not what I am talking about. When do we start, as people, taking responsibility for the society we live in? And where is the effort to change and fix it? Maybe this is all a cultural indictment and not about the individual. We like to hide behind the individual responsibility thing. But if things are the way they are, what does that say about us all as individuals?
I don’t mean this as a rant, just being serious because we know there are serious consequences to it all. We know that much. Just look at the way Democrats downplay or parse abortion. (most of those politicians) They claim they are personally not for abortions themselves, but they completely endorse having as many as society can provide, even demanding our government pay for it. Abortions on every corner, without limits. Does it make sense? There is a layer of excusing themselves in all that .
Like oh, I don’t personally rob banks or assault people but I will not stand in the way of anyone who does. “It’s their thing.” I don’t light fires, riot and burn down buildings when I am mad at government but I will not condemn the “love summer” of riots, political violence and crime. ‘It’s sometimes necessary.‘ So they stood there and watched cities burn and said nothing about it. They donated to the no bail or arrest cause for those that did it. ‘No, I don’t believe in it but I don’t believe in accountability for it either.’
Only a few classic examples. Where are the churches in all this? Or where are the churches when innocent people are being spied on or targeted for their religious and political beliefs, or for who they voted for? When forced to take a gov’t shot or pill or else lose their job? Oh, that’s where they would claim “but separation of church and state.” So we are to stand by to allow this weaponization against people of faith and do nothing?
It is a selective thing to churches as it is to the rest of society. They choose their fights when it is for ‘poor immigrants’ or downtrodden. When it is for standing up for illegals flooding the country through open borders, they are right there with their compassion buckets. But when it is our own citizens being discriminated against or attacked for their faith, they are silent. Show me a left-wing issue like climate change and they are on it.
How is it they can break barriers of a phony “separation” when they feel like it and it’s welcomed by society, too? But if churches stand up for people’s personal belief and faith, that is not acceptable to defend. We have become very accustomed where those lines are, where they intersect and contradict each other. We accept it. What can we do about it?
So those ‘good’ folks can have charities, organizations, marches and fundraisers to help illegal aliens who broke the country’s laws to get here; but when it comes to those here that need help in hard times, they fall through the cracks. People who are not intentionally and knowingly breaking the law do not make the priority cut. Sorry, just not enough compassion in our tanks for that; but show some more love for illegals. Get with it.
Do you think churches deserve some of the blame for the way things are going? I’m really curious. I don’t see anyone who has made a great defense for the status quo. Am I being a little too hard on blaming Christians and churches? Maybe. But aren’t we supposed to be the salt, not the wine-chaser for everything the world concocts?
Could it be that some of these churches are doing this selective advocacy (I’ll call it) for a reason? Maybe it’s to keep the finger of blame from pointing at them, by pandering to the world and the woke in one stroke? Just a question. That’s all and I fear that is enough.
In Critical Defense:
Someone may say I just want to politicize churches in general, because that’s what liberals always do and say. No, churches have already politicized themselves more than anyone cares to admit. It’s been done. They also follow the lead of some corporations.
And I never said all churches but I don’t have a number. True, some aren’t in that camp.
But for other mainline ones, they advocate political issues much the way some corporations have. So they gladly take positions on gun control, climate change, critical race theory, revising history, BLM, abortion, biological debates, border control, illegal immigration, LGBTQ advocacy, demonstrations, civil disobedience resistance, on crime, police and bail defunding issues, social justice activism, even some union policies.
They also incentivize illegal immigration through their advocacy.
Why does that almost feel sort of like Luther with a list of Theses?
That is to say basically all the hot button issues or controversial ones you commonly hear about. Green and environmental as well, And many of those in official capacities, in missions or raising money. They participate in marches, protests and sometimes have political leaders speak on them. All those are highly politicized issues. So yeah, they’ve become political. But no one points out those contradictions. Strange about that.
(So keep the pews warm… and I’ll leave a light on for you).
Right Ring | Bullright | 2022
Like this:
Like Loading...