Where am I? What's happening here? The questions are always rising. Until two years ago I had no ontic referent. But more so I didn't care about any ontic referent. It's difficult, when your world gets turned upside down. But some things do now finally make sense. And I do have an ontic referent, an objective reference point by which to gauge the world around me.
I was so blind before. Truly, truly. I can't say I see very well yet though either. This is revolutionary. It's truly a revolution happening inside my head. The old lies are being cast out. But it's a long journey.
It's exhausting too. I feel like I could rest for about a thousand years. But that will have to wait until later. Culture shock, for sure. It's nothing new. I've always been driving through different worlds, different scenes, different locales, a vagabond, a wanderer, a rebel without a cause.
I worked as a journalist. I wrote as a novelist. I won awards for poetry, journalism, and essay writing. Those things were a powerful expression of my own inner thoughts. They were very important to me. But they didn't explain the world.
It wasn't until I read the Bible that I began to see. The Bible adequately explains the world around me. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but today I'm ok with that.
The world is a difficult place to live in. We all know that, or we should. The data does not support the idea that things are consistently getting better. The data shows just the opposite. But we tend to see what we like to see. So does the world around it.
To be a Christian in this world, at this time in history, during this age of unprecedented luxury is to face a world full of lies and half truths. Can you see through the illusion? I could write for untold pages on the illusions and half truths in this society. And I could point to so many things we probably don't notice, that detract from our worship of God, Jesus Christ. There are many things we don't notice, because we've been raised in the cultural context so effectively that we are blind to it.
As a political journalist at the University of Wisconsin I had to analyze issues from multiple angles to find the truth of a given situation. Perhaps God armed me with that to use today in analyzing the United States culture and social practices against the moral teaching of the Bible.
In this essay I'd like to look at the overall mindset and vague values and thoughts that seem to pervade our society. For a more direct approach that takes on clear examples of idolatry and false beliefs within the USA cultural context please view this essay: Recipes for the Babylonian Captivity: Guarding Against Temptation in a Consumer Society.
Let's see if I can nail the national, typical mood mindset in the air. Let's see here.. Life is about pursuing a career, having a family, and preparing for retirement. College is expensively important. Credit score is vital, debt is good but not too much. Buy a house, have kids, don't hurt anyone but yourself. Shop until you drop, capitalism is fun. Work 40 hours a week, the job is the most important thing. Money, money, and more money. Sex within the first year of the relationship is no big deal. I'm not religious, I'm spiritual. Church is for hypocrites. Science explains everything. Evolution is a fact. Only dumb, simple people believe in a personal God. Gay marriage is good plus lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, metrosexual, no problems there we need to endorse these things and stand up for our rights. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus aren't evil or wrong, they are just expressing themselves and should keep doing so. The media does not raise our children, kids remain entirely unaffected by the sex, drugs, and booze culture on the screens. Violence on television, movies, and in music is harmless, people who think otherwise are backwards old weirdos. Democrats vs. Republicans always and forever, no one is really in charge or on the same team everyone just fights over which way is better. Tolerance of everything. Cognitive behavioral therapy and psychology of me and getting what I want. All roads lead to heaven. Who is to say what is right or wrong? There is truth in everything. Every man with his own idea of truth. All religions are basically the same and all people are basically good, aside from the terrorists and the people in the other political party. The mainstream media is right, I need to hear about all the latest celebrity gossip and new everything. Just wars are good things, keep spending, spending, spending. All life is relative, so nothing matters anyway.
Yeah, that seems to be about it. How much of all that is true? As a Christian critical thinker I find none of it to be true. Not one of those statements. Yet most would believe at least some of those statements to be true. That's the mood we're in, in the west right now. I could go back and look at why or how these views have come together, but I don't want to go in that direction today. The point is those views are not working. They are not the views of a moral society capable of sustaining itself. They are lies perpetuated from many sources intent on pursuing their own beliefs at the expense of reality.
I don't follow Christ because I like how it makes me feel. I don't follow Christ because it was how I was raised. I don't follow Christ and believe the things I do as a crutch or because it's hipster or trendy. I follow Jesus Christ as Lord because based on the evidence from all areas and disciplines I study, as well my personal experience with Jesus Christ, Christianity is the most plausible answer. I follow Jesus Christ because unlike many things I used to tell myself, Jesus Christ is actually real and Christianity is actually true. If something else appeared to be more true, I would follow that. What matters is the truth, and not ordering what I want from a numbered drive through menu display like McDonalds, but what is actually the truth!
Today I don't drive up to the world's religions and say yes I'd like a number 4 Buddhism with a side of Hindi, and two extra servings of New Age and a little bit of Islam sprinkled on top. And a number 11 Prosperity gospel from the desert menu. No, I must be humble and say yes some of those beliefs are tempting and appealing, but what is actually true and real? What adheres to reality?
C.S. Lewis was a fan of allegory. He compared Christianity to a sort of holy resistance movement. He compared it somewhat to the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. Christians are kind of like the Maquis, the french resistance. A resistance fighter approaches you at a table and asks you to join the resistance. It will be very difficult and most will be against you. In fact it might sometimes appear like the one in front of you is working for the enemy, but you need to trust that there are grand schemes taking place and ruses are being set about to allow for acts of sabotage against the enemy. C.S. Lewis wrote that before he was a Christian he was a rebel. In effect when he surrendered to God he had to admit that God was, in fact, God, and he wasn't. He was a rebel in the field, and he had to peaceably lay down his weapons. As a result he called himself a resistance fighter ordained to acts of holy sabotage against the kingdom of the enemy.
In modern times one could compare being a Christian to living in the zombie apocalypse. Ever feel like you're living among the walking dead? Even before I was a Christian I felt that way. Maybe even more so then. Maybe there are some hints of truth in all those zombies movies, shows like The Walking Dead. Maybe that's what it's like on Earth. Most are walking dead, destined for disconnection from God, believing whatever everyone else is believing. And then there's us, the Christian survivors. Armed to the teeth by God, but overwhelmed and outnumbered. Sometimes Christians fall away, and get turned into zombies by all the temptations around them. Kind of like in the movies and series when a survivor gets bit by a zombie, he dies and then comes back as a zombie. Maybe zombies are like non-believers, trying to get us to join them in sin. And we're like the groups of survivors, tattered and struggling against the horrors of the sinful world, hoping and dreaming of some island or safe zone, some green paradise where no more zombies will appear in the shadows to attack us and steal our life.
We are suppose to be decidedly different from the world around as followers of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The idea of a "god" or "God" of any sort is becoming more and more alien to our country. That is not because the evidence is leading elsewhere, it is because the interpretation of the evidence is being pushed in a different direction based on an agenda to evade the possibility of an intelligent designer. In fact the scientific evidence tends to more and more so point to a finely tuned universe, finite in nature with an absolute starting point.
Our society tends to see scientists the way they used to see priests. Anything a scientist says is true, because science says so. In addition, scientists are very objective while religious types are very rigid and dogmatic. Both of those statements are false. As Frank Turek puts it, "Science doesn't say anything, scientists do." There is only scientific data, and then it must be interpreted within possibly cumulative theories. While some religious types have been known for dogmatic views, more and more so it seems scientists and atheists seem to be working from an intense set of dogma's within doctrines that cannot be questioned. If a scientist ever thinks to question the theory of evolution, they are often rejected from popular circles of the sciences.
Similar things have happened in Christian history, when certain groups would adhere to a doctrine regarding the interpretation of scripture and dissenters pointed out flaws in the interpretation, one group would label the other "false teachers" or even "heretics." Some of the same even goes on today. The point is, whether it's theological debates, political debates, or scientific debates, the same sort of corruption takes place. Scientists are not necessarily non-dogmatic pure truth seekers who are entirely unbiased. In fact many of the most noted scientists in history have been Christians. And many of the scientists behind developments in the last two hundred years of science have been atheist or agnostic reactionaries attempting to push in a direction away from an intelligent creator. It's just a fact.
My point here is we need to study and be well read people. We can't just trust scientists to give us the truth, or the mainstream media to give us the truth, or our governments to give us the truth. I've begun studying many of these topics in science, history, statistics, and apologetics. It's amazing the truth that comes out just beneath the generalizations of the culture.
Turns out that when you get right to the heart of meaning, within the pages of the Bible, Jesus Christ, and what life is really about, that whole block of generalizations and beliefs within our culture turns out to be entirely false, and turned upside down on it's head.
Originally we had looked at it and had concluded the mood was this: Life is about pursuing a career, having a family, and preparing for retirement. College is expensively important. Credit score is vital, debt is good but not too much. Buy a house, have kids, don't hurt anyone but yourself. Shop until you drop, capitalism is fun. Work 40 hours a week, the job is the most important thing. Money, money, and more money. Sex
within the first year of the relationship is no big deal. I'm not
religious, I'm spiritual. Church is for hypocrites. Science explains
everything. Evolution is a fact. Only dumb, simple people believe in a
personal God. Gay marriage is good plus lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transexual, metrosexual, no problems there we need to endorse these
things and stand up for our rights. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Miley
Cyrus aren't evil or wrong, they are just expressing themselves and
should keep doing so. The media does not raise our children, kids
remain entirely unaffected by the sex, drugs, and booze culture on the screens.
Violence on television, movies, and in music is harmless, people who
think otherwise are backwards old weirdos. Democrats vs. Republicans
always and forever, no one is really in charge or on the same team everyone just fights over which way is better. Tolerance of everything. Cognitive behavioral therapy and psychology of me and getting what I want. All roads lead to heaven. Who is to say what is right or wrong? There is truth in everything. Every man with his own idea of truth.
All religions are basically the same and all people are basically good,
aside from the terrorists and the people in the other political party.
The mainstream media is right, I need to hear about all the latest
celebrity gossip and new everything. Just wars are good things, keep spending, spending, spending. All life is relative, so nothing matters anyway.
Let's see what the truth looks like for the Christian follower of Jesus Christ, and believer in the teachings of the Bible:
Life is about pursuing God, reliance on Jesus Christ for salvation, loving and caring for your family, and loving your neighbor as yourself. College may be important, and it may not be important for the believer. Credit score is meaningless, and debt is unwise for a believer. Serve the Lord with your house, care for your family and support them, try not to hurt anyone, but more so, serve others and show mercy to those in pain or lost. Think about others more, me less. Love. One cannot serve two masters, money is a means to an end, and Jesus Christ is the one who is served. Capitalism is the reality, so working is important. But spending should be limited and family time should be a priority. Pre-marital sex is wrong, and I refuse to practice it. It's not about religion, it's about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Church is for lost sinners, and healing believers. Science is useful, but cannot explain reality. Evolution is a theory. Turns out some of the most well educated people in history have been Christians. Gay marriage is wrong, and any sexual orientation outside the revelation of the Bible is sinful and wrong. Depravity in media has a strong effect on children, and celebrities so deeply involved in such sin could possibly be under the influence of evil spirits. Democrats have an agenda, Republicans have an agenda and many politicians serve only special interests, banks, and big business. Tolerance is important, but it goes both ways. There is only one way to heaven, his name is Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). Truth is not relative, truth is objective. We can tell what is right and what is wrong because we have a conscience, a gift from God, and we also have a Bible full of teaching on right and wrong. All religions are fundamentally different and at best superficially similar. Life is not a random occurrence of time plus matter plus chance. In fact, the possibility of the human enzyme coming about by chance is 1 in 10 to the 40,000th power. At such odds, life coming about by chance is statistically impossible. Therefore all life is created, and if created then there must be a creator, who is God, therefore, life is a gift from God.
The imperative of every Christian is to follow Jesus Christ, relying on his work on the cross for the forgiveness of all sins and a beautiful road to heaven, progressively through life. The Christian submits humbly to the care of others and even more so endeavors to love God the creator with everything they have and everything they are. The Christian serves God and serves others, and lives by example a humble life of service and self sacrifice for the good of others and the good of the society around them. The Christian shares his or her faith with kindness, respect, and most of all love. The Christian adheres to the teachings of the Bible, and over life falls more and more in love with God, finally at death meeting his or her creator face to face, in a remade world where humanity will live in peace with God forever.
Amen.
Related Posts:
The Mainstream Media, Tolerance in American culture
American Traditionalism vs. Actual Biblical Christianity
Religion or Relationship? Good deeds or Jesus Christ?
Using our Unique Talents to Impact Culture
Objective Truth on a Spiritual Battlefield
Robin Williams filled a wonderful part of my life in a very real way. In this day and age so much time is spent enjoying media, movies. As a child I saw many movies featuring Robin Williams. I most deeply recall his roles in the 1990s. Mrs. Doubtfire of course. The Dead Poets Society. Hook. Good Will Hunting. His cameo on Wilfred was hilarious, more recently.
Why would such a wonderful entertainer want to hurt himself?
Robin Williams was an alcoholic and addict. It was something he struggled with greatly, and for that reason I am able to deeply identify with his struggle.
The problem with alcoholism and drug addiction is not necessarily the drugs or the alcohol or being on those substances. The problem is when the addict is clean and sober, that's when life is really unmanageable. If alcohol or drugs was really the problem, all an addict would have to do is toss them in the garbage and be done with it. The real problem occurs in the addicts mind. Without a true spiritual experience, without Jesus Christ giving me a reason to live, a holy power to regenerate and sanctify my personality, and build me up in new faith, I very quickly become a suicide possibility. That is the way of it.
A person is not born into a manageable position, not really. Some people can keep it up longer than others, but the fundamental fact of the matter is that humanity is made for connection with God. That's the truth. That's why atheists wrestle with suicide. That's why nations war. That's why abortion continues. That's why the world is a mess. Humanity is not capable of existing as the power unto itself. It is constant degradation no matter how you look at it! Spiritually, mentally, and most obviously physically.
The roll I'll always remember Robin Williams for will be Hook. I loved Hook when I saw it. I was only six years old but I still remember it. I suppose I identified with it because I felt like the kid in that movie. I had a father who didn't know I existed. In a way I ended up joining Hook on his pirate ship. For a long time I was a rebel without a cause, a total mess. My father never came to save me though. I was a long term pirate. But eventually my heavenly Father did save me. Robin William's roll as Peter Banning reminds me of how someone can change, and believe, and become part of a new family. Kind of like becoming a Christian.
We won't ever know exactly why Robin Williams chose to commit suicide, but we can remember him for the laughs he gave us over the years. And we can pray for his family.
Jesus said to his disciples, "My peace I give you." He said be at peace. And I have felt that peace. It comes and goes you know. My God gives baffling peace, from a blank despair. Because my God is a great God and he delivers me from every trouble I face. And there are many troubles in this world. And there are more to come, I'm sure of that.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (ESV) Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.
My mind often goes to dark places. I've lived in dark places, many I care not to remember. That's how it goes on Earth. Lots of trouble, lot's of sadness. Things don't always go as we plan.
I was very troubled recently. Things were difficult at the homeless shelter where I work, staff were down, and I felt boxed in and overworked. I almost quit my job over it. Worked six days in a row, and by the end I was just starting to get sick I had been working so much. I refused to work two third shifts, called in sick, and almost was fired over the whole incident.
Isaiah 12:2 (ESV) “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
It was very difficult. Because being sick, flu like symptoms I was already feeling emotional and uncertain. Depression comes easily during times of sickness. But I finally overcame that, and came back in to work. Spoke to the Director and the Lead, and it was all worked out in a very positive manner. They were very kind about it. But I felt my rights had been trampled on. It's a hard thing to say, how much can the employer dictate when I work, when I need to come in? Am I required to answer calls from the boss to come in on my day off? Is the employer allowed to void agreements we've made in the past based on the necessity of the moment? Those questions were on my mind. But it was resolved. Finding that balance you know, between maintaining my dignity and rights, but also being part of a team and helping out when needed. That was the tough part of it.
Colossians 4:2 (ESV) Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
I prayed through those days a lot. But I was right on the edge. It's amazing how very difficult situations can come about and they don't make a great impact. But when my emotions get jumbled, wow, it's very deadly to recovery. Thankfully I'm still afloat today.
Hebrews 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
I walked to my car, feeling the overwhelming peace of Jesus Christ that day. And I sat down, incredibly grateful. I love my job at the Salvation Army. I love having the chance to help people, to pray with people, to meet needs, to give away Bibles, to share the gospel, to host AODA workshops and on and on and on. It's wonderful! What a blessing from the Lord, to have a ministry so close to those in trouble! It's a dream come true. It's answered prayer. And he helped me. But he didn't remove the incredible pain, the emotional chaos, but he did help me bear it and he did orchestrate events so I wouldn't explode in emotion and quit. But it felt like it was a hair away.
So there I was, feeling the peace of Christ. Because I chose to face the music head on. And it all turned out alright. Then I turned the key in the ignition. And it wouldn't start. That was five days ago. My car, the 92' mercedes benz is still sitting in front of the shelter broke down. And I'm checking ads for used cars on craigslist. Welcome to planet Earth, fix one problem, here's another one. Oh well, just another day in the life of a sinner saved by Grace, seated on the throne with Christ, yet broke, in debt, depressed, overweight, with serious mental issues, recovery problems, few friends, a stuffy nose, matted greasy hair, and a laundry list of to-do's. Until next time!
Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV) I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Today, In high school, kids learn materialistic naturalism.
In college, post-modernism and relativism.
Traditionally the church has been a place of worship and Bible reading.
In the last fourty years children asked why God, and they were told to shut up and believe because we say so. Most rebelled from that.
That's not working. Thankfully the reason for God is incredibly compelling, why? Because God is real.
The answer: The Church must show why God, or fade away and die.
Secularization is the process by which religious institutions have lost their social significance. Generalizations have overtaken the entire culture of the West in regard to the church. Words like "church" "christian" "priest" and "evangelical" are synonymous with curse words carrying so much ugly flavor it's hard to get past the stereotypes. There are some legitimate reasons for this, but in many more cases the truth has been lost and false generalizations keep the gates locked to the path to Jesus Christ.
This is an unacceptable state of affairs. Christianity can be redeemed because the truth is on our side, not theirs. When the generalizations about Christianity are examined with the facts, guess what? We don't lose, we win every time.
It's often stated that religion has lead to so many wars and chaos, this is an extremely popular view of religion, you could ask random people on the street and many would know and hold that view. Yet it's not even true! According to the Encyclopedia of Wars religion has been the cause of only 7% of the wars on Earth in the history of mankind. And if you remove Islam from that total it drops to 3%. And many Christians believe that lie. I had someone confront me about the hundreds of thousands of witches burned by Christians in Salem. After checking the history records I responded that the number killed was 18, and there is nothing in the Bible about burning witches.
One that I've often heard is that religious people are intolerant and hypocrites. Is that true? If so, of whom? Small churches in rural areas? A specific denomination? High profile mega-churches? Or maybe just the televangelists? The catholics? All of the above? Where do these ideas come from and is there anyway to prove them?
Christianity is struggling in Europe and the United States. It's not struggling in the southern part of the western world (central america, south america), and it's growing tremendously in parts of the East like China and India. But Christianity struggles in Europe and the United States, 1st world regions that have embraced modernism and post-modernism. The world shifted in 1945 and again in 2001. The new state of rapid globalization and the decline of regional specific culture has changed the mood and setting greatly. The result has been the slow decline of Christianity in the USA and it's rapid decline in Europe.
Many great Christians have addressed this issue. On the cutting edge of this issue are men like Tim Keller, Os Guinness, Ravi Zacharias, Frank Turek, William Lane Craig, as well as many others. The church has always been in a process of reinventing itself over it's history. I firmly believe that must continue. And churches must always be versatile in presentation, music, and application yet firm on the root principles and central message of the Christian faith.
How can a church as the body of Christ set out today, to be relevant today, but not just today, relevant tomorrow and into the foreseeable future as well?
Adoption of a platform of reinvention and adaptability. The church has always adapted, and often adapted in incredible ways. The church began as a growing movement that exploded out of Judaism in the middle east. It was recorded in the book of Acts when Christianity was just a small movement of a few thousand believers. There was an issue that could make or break the church discussed at the Jerusalem council recorded in Acts 15: Will the church require all believers in Jesus Christ to submit to circumcision and the entire Old Testament laws of the prophets? Thankfully the right decision was made, and new believers were not required to be circumsized or forced into strict obedience to the OT laws, but instead were encouraged to abstain from certain clearly immoral practices. The message was and is, of grace. With that decision, with that adaptation to the new circumstances, Christianity exploded. Imagine if they had decided to force believers to follow Jewish traditions? Christianity to this day would probably be nothing more than offshoot sect of Judaism with maybe a few million adherents at most.
The church expanded into Greece and eventually throughout the Roman empire. But from the first days they were persecuted and slaughtered by Roman Emperors like Nero. So they adapted, and used secret symbols like the fish and often met in secret. Once again, they adapted. But they always kept the central doctrines strong, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, the life and there is no other.
Eventually Christianity was legalized, and made the official state religion of the Roman empire. There were great divides between the Christians and the stoic philosophers, so naturally apologists like Justin Martyr rose up to point out the intellectual coherence of Christianity and Christianity's superiority over the old gods of Greece which were so often explained as immoral monsters. The Church adapted.
Then wham, the Roman empire fell to barbarian invaders. I'm sure the Christians of that time were terrified, how do we deal with this situation? This has never happened in the history of the church! But they did great things. They converted the barbarian tribes! They gained respect, and the church held together the region as wars raged and new leaders moved in to conquer.
In the following centuries Catholicism developed, and the papacy grew, and eventually became exceedingly corrupt. Once again, the Holy remnant adapted. The result was two great reformations, Luther and the Lutherans, and then the Protestants, with major adjustments in theology, and major changes in the structuring of the church government to better avoid corruption and top down power struggles.
Again and again the church has shifted and adapted. Some refuse to update and change, many in fact, and those churches grow more and more disconnected, their congregations age, and eventually the doors are closed.
Often I feel like Christianity has been hijacked by obstinate fools in the United States. I wish probing, intelligent, thoughtful college students, young men and women knew of a church that wasn't so foolish, dogmatic, condescending, and self righteous. Of course those are generalizations, but I have experienced those attitudes in my own area.
However, there is a rich history of the church that is never talked about, the church in the wilderness. The kind who are like John the Baptist and his followers, or the forming church in Acts, or the persecuted church in China today. They're at work, hard work, and it's dangerous and beautiful things are happening. The loyal, compassionate church that seeks no fame and seeks only to help the lost and defeated. And of course the spotlight is never on them. Only the failings of the churches are put in the spotlight in the media today. There are so many incredible possibilities for ministries to the poor and lost, yet so much is seen of false teaching and mega-churches hogging money for massive stadiums. But the true message is there! I had to do a lot of digging, but it was there.
How can the church return to the true Christian message? How can the church adapt to current circumstances? There are many problems, but just as many answers.
Key Problem #1: Arrogant church leaders, self righteous attitude, theatrics in the church, stage-set attitude, churches spending on bigger buildings and better accommodations instead of serving the lost, all-about-the-money, prosperity gospel, spending, money issues.
Solution: Humility, humility, and more humility in the pulpit. A reimagining of the roll of the Pastor from powerful leader, public figure, television personality, theatrical host/entertainer to the Biblical understanding of a Pastor: a humble shepherd, and a servant. A return to the servant mentality of the pastor with a lowercase p. Lowly servant, slave of all. A refocusing of money and spending by church government from self serving to community serving.
Key Problem #2: Lost relevance. Lost relevance means the church is a failing institution no longer seen as relevant to life by the general public.
Solution: Apologetics, mercy showing, and moving the church back to the cutting edge of social changes and service to the lost. Historically the church of Jesus Christ has been on the very cutting edge institutionally. The church founded the first hospitals, the first universities, the first orphanages, and the church has always been the first responders in regard to diseases, food shortages, and helping out in natural disasters. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. The church failed to respond to the AIDS epidemic, though there are efforts now being made.
Of course the first step is to show the reason for God. Because everyone is a skeptic today. Kids are force fed evolution and materialist philosophies in public education while watching Miley Cyrus twerking in music videos against the crotch of a guy in a black devil outfit and yet we're just so confused, what's going wrong with the kids these days?
The first step is apologetics. Once again, it's about educating everyday members of the congregation and getting them on a mission for Jesus Christ. Because the facts are on our side.
Scientists have really taken on the roll priests used to have in the early 20th century. Anything a scientist or group of scientists say is true. Science says so. False. We need to show kids the apologetics, this is what your science teacher didn't tell you. Because even in and especially in science, scientists are very biased, and they go to great lengths to try and sneak around the idea of God, to the point of just leaving the first cause blank like with the big bang, or by quietly ignoring the lack of transitional forms in evolution. In fact most of the great scientists throughout history were not atheists, but deists, pantheists, and many were devout Christians. And I remember public school, I was taught evolution is 100% fact and that's all. What do you call a teaching that is taught as undisputed fact despite contradictory everyday evidence? You call that dogma. Evolution = dogma.
Get the kids on a mission, they have hungers and desires for leadership, to be heroes, warriors, guess what? That's exactly what we're doing as Christians. We are the righteous heroes, servants of the Lord of the Universe, set with the task of bringing souls from death to life through the powerful free gift of Jesus Christ. That is exactly the heroic mission kids long for!
The church has adapted for over two thousand years, and it will continue to adapt. The churches and groups that refuse to adapt, will close their doors in due time.
Time is a favored instrument of God. For those who continue, adapt, fight for relevance and step out into their communities? They will grow, and prosper and make disciples and lives will be transformed. That is a guarantee.
