It's something called "Social Christianity." Riddled with questions like, "I know the most important thing is to love God. So if I love God while I'm sinning, it's ok, right?", this weak version of Christianity replaces a personal dynamic relationship with God with a social community relationship. If the peer group is Christian, so is the person in question. Instead of the Bible as the final authority, Social Christianity looks to friends to find the answers. The relationship with God is reduced to a "friend" or "buddy" level, effectively dethroning God and making Him "one of the guys."
Personal dissastisfaction with this adjusted version of Christianity is rampant, often leading its members to abandon all faith, and causing its adversaries to scorn its hypocrisy, emptiness, and immorality. Social Christianity has a security similar to a house of cards, with each holding the other. But it only takes a small wind to drop them all.
Leading experts report that upon studying in a secular college, up to 75% of Christian youth abandon their faith, never to return. (1) Did their house of cards collapse?
One analyst claims to have discovered the cure. "True Christianity is a dynamic relationship with an almightly God. Instead of a dependance upon friends, the Christian answers directly to God. The Bible - God's Word - is the final authority, not a discussion starter. Knowledge is granted by the Holy Spirit, as is the power and strength to live above sin.
It is so radically independent that many True Christians have been known to hold their faith even when every friend abandoned them and turned away. Some have gone so far as to die for their faith. (2) They were changed, and they were strong."
Social Christianity is expected to continue its rapid growth despite the rampant loss from members denying all faith. Rev. Isaiah Azariah lamented, "The only thing that will stop it is revival or persecution."
(1) Steve Henderson, A Question of Price Versus Cost. http://www.christianconsulting.net/statistics/CT3-06.pdf
(2) Foxe's Book of Martyrs. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22400/22400-h/22400-h.htm
Jesus Freaks. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1577780728/tnsanet-20
1 comment:
So many of our churches have become "country clubs" which leaves those searching for the real "church" disenchanted as well, or going off the deep end somewhere...
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