"The greatest single cause for atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle". Brennan Manning. I have to confess that I have not heard of this guy, but what he says is true.
Trying to live your life in the best way, is not easy. It takes a lot of backbone at times, because you tend to find yourself at odds with what is accepted as 'normal' and mainstream. As the quote says, 'we deny Him by our lifestyle'. Oh, don't get me wrong, I certainly don't mean that we should live like Monks and Nuns, although these folks are commendable in their commitment. No, I mean living IN this society, but being noticeably different.
I was brought up (and still attend) a church which in its early years was known by the things they did not do. Now, we have gotten away from that and have adopted a new philosophy of looking for, and emphasising, the positive side of Christianity. This is good as far as it goes, but I sometimes think we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Our churches are now full of good people who are no different than any others who are not church goers (and in some cases, worse).
We have started to accept and practice all those things which set us apart originally. I am reminded of the story of the man who asked his friend if he saw him as different in any way, hoping to show the difference to allow him to ask his friend to come to church with him. The other man thought for a moment and said, yes you are different, I can see it, you are a vegetarian aren't you? He had made a good impression, but not the one he wanted.
The best judges of our lifestyle, and if it is Christ-like, are the non church goers. One thing that is never heard now is, 'I thought you were a Christian, and I didn't think you did that'! Now we do anything and almost everything those around us do, so where's the difference now?
Church leaders of all denominations are bemoaning the decline of membership and attendance. Maybe that's because there is so little difference between us all now, and whose fault is that? Answer: the same churches who lowered their standards in the first place. Maybe we need to get back to basics, and that's the stuff that makes us different, not the same. It is not an exaggeration then to say there is a short step from belief to atheism.
Trying to live your life in the best way, is not easy. It takes a lot of backbone at times, because you tend to find yourself at odds with what is accepted as 'normal' and mainstream. As the quote says, 'we deny Him by our lifestyle'. Oh, don't get me wrong, I certainly don't mean that we should live like Monks and Nuns, although these folks are commendable in their commitment. No, I mean living IN this society, but being noticeably different.
I was brought up (and still attend) a church which in its early years was known by the things they did not do. Now, we have gotten away from that and have adopted a new philosophy of looking for, and emphasising, the positive side of Christianity. This is good as far as it goes, but I sometimes think we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Our churches are now full of good people who are no different than any others who are not church goers (and in some cases, worse).
We have started to accept and practice all those things which set us apart originally. I am reminded of the story of the man who asked his friend if he saw him as different in any way, hoping to show the difference to allow him to ask his friend to come to church with him. The other man thought for a moment and said, yes you are different, I can see it, you are a vegetarian aren't you? He had made a good impression, but not the one he wanted.
The best judges of our lifestyle, and if it is Christ-like, are the non church goers. One thing that is never heard now is, 'I thought you were a Christian, and I didn't think you did that'! Now we do anything and almost everything those around us do, so where's the difference now?
Church leaders of all denominations are bemoaning the decline of membership and attendance. Maybe that's because there is so little difference between us all now, and whose fault is that? Answer: the same churches who lowered their standards in the first place. Maybe we need to get back to basics, and that's the stuff that makes us different, not the same. It is not an exaggeration then to say there is a short step from belief to atheism.
I don't believe that denial is always a conscious decision on our parts. Often there are forces at work; battles within, which can make us deny our faith, not unlike Peter. Peer pressure can have a lot to answer for at times.
ReplyDeleteThe very fact that churches are full (of good people or otherwise) is a good thing for the very reason these people are IN a church at all, and perhaps searching for a need to be met. We are all at different stages of our christian walk. Only God knows our hearts and our struggles. Church is, hopefully, a hospital for sick souls and everyone of us is diseased in some way.
The difference between a person who is saved and one who is not, may still be emerging. We are works in progress. Yes perhaps the church has lowered its standards. The matter of the rule book is another issue entirely. Coming from someone who grew up with and struggled with it all through my youth and beyond, I would much rather attend a church which preaches and teaches the grace of God balanced with a holy lifestyle than the emphasis being the other way around. Christ is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever. The church may have changed its stance, but He has not, and that is where I focus. I disagree that there is a short step from belief to atheism. I believe it is a long and confusing path for a believer to turn his or her back entirely on the Creator of all things. In the darkest times of my life, I may have fallen from grace but I never once veered towards atheism or anywhere near it.
Our God works from the inside out, and there may be a transformation about to happen. Maybe just maybe, the decline in membership and attendance is that people don't want to set foot inside a church where they cannot bridge the gap between who they are, and who they are expected to become to "fit in". We cannot change anyone but ourselves and I used to be very wound up looking at other people's lives and what they did and did not do as Christians. I have much more peace now that I can realise it's not for me to deal with these issues, but to leave them with One who knows better and to focus on my own walk and to change where I am led to do so.
This is a well written and thought provoking comment on a very deep topic. Thanks! I wonder where Karen got her probing mind, and the ability to transfer it to print? I accept the points well made!
ReplyDeleteI have re-read Karen's blog reply, and think she should get a website, and take up blogging. She's good!! Hope she agrees, and gets in touch again :)
ReplyDelete