1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Featured Here’s How the New Christian Left Is Twisting the Gospel

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Revmitchell, Mar 10, 2015.

  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Peek behind the curtain of some "progressive" or "hip" evangelical churches, past the savvy technology and secular music, and you will find more than just a contemporary worship service. You'll find faith leaders encouraging young evangelicals to trade in their Christian convictions for a gospel filled with compromise. They're slowly attempting to give evangelicalism an "update"—and the change is not for the good.

    It's painful for me to admit, but we can no longer rest carefree in our evangelical identity—because it is changing. No doubt you have seen the headlines declaring that evangelicalism is doomed because evangelical kids are leaving the faith. It is no secret that there is an expanding gulf between traditional Christian teachings and contemporary moral values. But the sad truth is that the ideological gulf between America's evangelical grown-ups and their kids, aka the "millennials," seems to be widening too.

    Somehow the blame for this chasm is being heaped on traditional churches. They are accused of having too many rules as well as being homophobic and bigoted. Yes, we've heard those false claims from popular culture in its desperate attempt to keep Christianity imprisoned within the sanctuary walls. But now popular culture is being aided by Christ-professing bedfellows whose message to "coexist," "tolerate" and "keep out of it" is more marketable to the rising generation of evangelicals.

    The seasoned Christian soldiers are noticing these distortions of the gospel. But for young evangelicals, the spiritual haze is harder to wade through. Desperate for acceptance in a fallen world, many young evangelicals (and some older ones) choose not to take Christ out of the chapel, and so they are unwittingly killing the church's public witness. In this uphill cultural battle, mired by scare tactics and fear, three types of evangelical Christians are emerging:

    Couch-potato Christians: These Christians adapt to the culture by staying silent on the tough culture-and-faith discussions. Typically this group will downplay God's absolute truths by promoting the illusion that neutrality was Jesus' preferred method of evangelism.

    Cafeteria-style Christians: This group picks and chooses which Scripture passages to live by, opting for the ones that best seem to jive with culture. Typically they focus solely on the "nice" parts of the gospel while simultaneously and intentionally minimizing sin, hell, repentance and transformation.

    Convictional Christians: In the face of the culture's harsh admonitions, these evangelicals refuse to be silent. Mimicking Jesus, they compassionately talk about love and grace while also sharing with their neighbors the need to recognize and turn from sin.

    http://www.charismamag.com/life/culture/22494-how-the-new-christian-left-is-twisting-the-gospel
     
  2. Use of Time

    Use of Time Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2014
    Messages:
    4,705
    Likes Received:
    368
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Another "sky is falling" point of view that fails to realize the three types of Christians described below go back to the days of Jesus himself and aren't quite exclusive to millennials. You know what the bigger problem is? Churches turning on each other over inconsequential things while the outside world laughs. I hear the persecution excuse from traditional churches all the time but for some reason the articles that keep popping up are the ones like this. The mere existence of a contemporary church is not a knock against traditional churches. If people are leaving traditional churches, maybe it would be a good reason to figure out why that is instead of trying to blame other churches.
     
  3. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2009
    Messages:
    19,500
    Likes Received:
    2,880
    Faith:
    Baptist
    :thumbs::thumbs:
     
  4. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2008
    Messages:
    18,441
    Likes Received:
    259
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Then there are pastors who spend most of the day on the Internet instead of taking care of their flock.
     
  5. nodak

    nodak Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2008
    Messages:
    1,269
    Likes Received:
    16
    RevMitchell, you and I butt heads a lot on this forum, but on this post, you are unfortunately

    EXACTLY RIGHT! :thumbs:
     
  6. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2009
    Messages:
    19,500
    Likes Received:
    2,880
    Faith:
    Baptist
    :thumbs::thumbs:
     
  7. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2012
    Messages:
    13,757
    Likes Received:
    222
    We mustn't forget the fourth type of "Christian". It's the mean, nasty, politically driven Christian who talks a good game, but shows nothing of the love of Christ for Him or neighbor and is willing to compromise on every command if it means winning a political election and "returning our country to what it used to be".

    Every issue with this type of Christian is about politics.
    The truth about their true convictions is often exposed by their self-contradictions.

    i.e. Pro-life for the unborn, but unloving and uncaring about the living.

    Yes this type of Christian is most dangerous because he fails to see a need for repentance for like the misguided homosexual offender, he thinks he's doing nothing wrong.
     
  8. go2church

    go2church Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2002
    Messages:
    4,304
    Likes Received:
    6
    Faith:
    Baptist
    The author of the article has written for Concerned Women of Amaerica and Glen Beck's The Blaze, so it isn't surprising to read her concerns being expressed in the "sky is falling" dire terms.

    There isn't anything particularly new in the article and the conclusion that "we must uphold the authoritative word of God" is as old school fundamentalist as it gets.

    There are legitimate criticisms that could and should be directed a modern christianity, but the chicken little approach combined with a oversimplified conclusion fails at the task on just about every front.
     
  9. ShagNappy

    ShagNappy Member

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2003
    Messages:
    568
    Likes Received:
    0
    :laugh: :thumbsup:
     
  10. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2003
    Messages:
    38,982
    Likes Received:
    2,615
    Faith:
    Baptist
    That's right Z-man
    Us Pro--birth folks absolutely care nothing about a baby after its born.
    You see all those centers to help pregnant women, those that provide food and shelter, churches who provide assistance to poor families, agy that provide good homes to babies....
    Well, Z-man - you caught us with our pants down - all those so called assistance groups are only fronts to make you think we really care........
     
  11. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Is this a problem?
     
  12. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2008
    Messages:
    4,395
    Likes Received:
    2
    Is there something wrong with upholding the word of God as being authoritative? Didn't know it was old fashioned. I guess Paul was old fashioned too then. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness..."NASB (2 Timothy 3:16)
     
  13. go2church

    go2church Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2002
    Messages:
    4,304
    Likes Received:
    6
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Right belief doesn't mean right approach. Complex culture with complex questions need more than "just belive the bible more" answer.
     
  14. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I'm sorry but the statement you quoted and what you have said here are two completely different things.
     
  15. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2010
    Messages:
    24,988
    Likes Received:
    2,268
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I read the article at the link provided. Where are these churches the author continually references? How about naming some names and some pastor's names? The author name-checks plenty of traditional evangelical leaders but doesn't out a single compromiser.

    Examples:
    1. Peek behind the curtain of some "progressive" or "hip" evangelical churches, and .... you'll find faith leaders encouraging young evangelicals to trade in their Christian convictions for a gospel filled with compromise.

    2. Popular liberal evangelical writers and preachers tell young evangelicals that if they accept abortion and same-sex marriage, then the media, academia and Hollywood will finally accept Christians.

    3. I can offer you is a glimpse into the world of a twenty-something who sees thousands of young evangelicals being spiritually and emotionally targeted on Christian university campuses, in college ministries and at churches nationwide by a growing liberal movement cloaked in Christianity.


    OK, who are these people? I want names.
     
    #15 InTheLight, Mar 10, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2015
  16. Aaron

    Aaron Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2000
    Messages:
    20,253
    Likes Received:
    1,381
    Faith:
    Baptist
    So the unborn isn't living? You've adopted pro-Sodom, pro-death CBT's rhetoric.
     
  17. Aaron

    Aaron Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2000
    Messages:
    20,253
    Likes Received:
    1,381
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Excellent article.
     
  18. go2church

    go2church Active Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2002
    Messages:
    4,304
    Likes Received:
    6
    Faith:
    Baptist
    One of the attractions of fundamentalism is simplicity, left-right, black-white. The problems of the church in the USA are much more complex. To suggest as the author did that just "believe the bible more" will bring about the change needed is an oversimplification. Fundamentalism specializes in oversimplification.
     
  19. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2012
    Messages:
    13,757
    Likes Received:
    222
    If you're asking me the question, I don't need you to answer for me. And if I had intended to say that, you would have READ it.:wavey:
     
  20. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2010
    Messages:
    6,890
    Likes Received:
    1
    :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
Loading...