What is "Old Time Religion"

[Luke2427]

We hear fundamentalists (by that slippery term I refer to IFB type people) speak of "Old Time Religion" a great deal.

I came up in such a movement and heard it at camp meetings and in church constantly.

I preached for it vigorously for the first five or so years of my preaching ministry.

Like my mentors I loved to take a text like Jeremiah 6 and preach "Return to the OLD PATHS!!"

Now, I am convinced that my doing so was in complete ignorance of facts both biblical and historical, and am also convinced that most preachers I've heard harp on that issue didn't know what they were talking about.

Can someone define "Old Paths" and "Old Time Religion" from a "fundamentalist" perspective?

 

[dcorbett]

I think that an interpretation of "Old Time Religion" is from a personal viewpoint. In my opinion, it is the Gospel, presented pure and simple, in a pure and simple setting.

 

[Luke2427]

I think that an interpretation of "Old Time Religion" is from a personal viewpoint. In my opinion, it is the Gospel, presented pure and simple, in a pure and simple setting.

So is Saddleback Church part of the "Old Time Religion" in your perspective?

Churches with electric guitars and drums and preachers who wear turtle necks- can these type churches be considered part of the "Old Time Religion?"

 

[convicted1]

We here fundamentalists (by that slippery term I refer to IFB type people) speak of "Old Time Religion" a great deal.

I came up in such a movement and heard it at camp meetings and in church constantly.

I preached for it vigorously for the first five or so years of my preaching ministry.

Like my mentors I loved to take a text like Jeremiah 6 and preach "Return to the OLD PATHS!!"

Now, I am convinced that my doing so was in complete ignorance of facts both biblical and historical, and am also convinced that most preachers I've heard harp on that issue didn't know what they were talking about.

Can someone define "Old Paths" and "Old Time Religion" from a "fundamentalist" perspective?

Bro. Luke, I think that this is topic that's needed addressed on here for a long time!! Kudos for bringing this up!! :thumbs:

"Old time religion" to me, is people going to church and putting their watches in their pockets, not being in a hurry to make it home in time for "game time", or Nascar, or to eat a big meal, stretch out on the couch, and taking a big nap.

"Old time religion" is when the church had a bounch of kids there because they went to church with their parents, whether they liked it or not.

"Old time religion" is when you went to church and didn't worry about what Sister So-in-so was wearing, because they knew to dress modest in the church house. ( I said that because too many women wear mini-skirts, emphasis on "mini" to church, and to me that's not modest apparrell). Men went to church looking like men, and women went to church looking like women. I am not stating that y'all don't, my BB Brothers and Sisters, I just see those who are on TBN, TCT, The Word Network, etc. They go looking like homeless people, with all the holes in their clothes.

"Old time religion" is when you went to church and didn't have to worry about the church van breaking down with the drums, guitars, bass guitars, tamborines, amplifiers, microphones, all the makings of a "rock n' roll band", before they could sing.(I am not lambasting those who use "music" in church, but things do tend to get out of hand at time.)

But most of all, "Old time religion" is a time when people had time to see each other, moreso than they do now. What I mean is that in earlier days, a family could make it on one salary, but now, they can hardly make it with two. So the days when you could go visit a Brother or Sister are fewer than years ago.

This is what "Old time religion" is to me. I am sure others can state this better than I can, but this is just off the top of my head, just like my "point". :laugh:

 

[dcorbett]

So is Saddleback Church part of the "Old Time Religion" in your perspective?

Nope - not at all.

Churches with electric guitars and drums and preachers who wear turtle necks- can these type churches be considered part of the "Old Time Religion?"

That would be an emphatic NO. Whats old timey, pure and simple about that??

IN MY OPINION, Rock n Roll has a worldly place - not church. My son (the drummer) goes to a Evangelical Free church so he can be in a praise band. He doesn't like their lackadaisical attitude about soul-winning, so he struggles between his fleshly desire to play drums and his spiritual need to witness and help people find Christ.

There are no Baptist churches around here with praise bands, by the way. Just the Nazarenes, Presbyterians, and the EFC which he attends.

 

[convicted1]

An adendum to what I posted earlier:

"Old time religion" was a time when the preacher preached what must happen for you to be saved!!! They preached a godly sorrow being set up in one's life(per 2 Cor. 27:10), and that salvation was a complete surrender unto God's marvelous grace. That you "don't find Jesus", but rather, "Jesus finds you in a waste howling wilderness, in a desertland(Deut. 31:6??). We are the ones who were lost, and not Him, so He finds us when we are saved. That none of us can be saved until He draws us, that we can't come to Him just at any time, but only when He is bidding us to come.

"Old time religion" was a time when the church wasn't worried about when and where the next "revival" was going to take place, but be engaged in prayer for all that lost, that He would draw them by His Grace, love, and mercy. They weren't worried about the "no response" to the altar call, because the preacher's message contained the invitation, because it was God anointed preaching.

"Old time religion" didn't have to contend with the health/wealth message polluting the churches nowadays. They didn't preach "if you give God a $1,000seed, He will give you a $10,000 harvest, per Rod Parsley. "Old time religion" was concerned for the welfare of the lost, and not was in their pockets.

 

[DiamondLady]

For me Old Time Religion is attending church on a regular basis and that church becomes your family. It is pitching in and getting your hands dirty in the work of the Lord not sitting back in the pew waiting to be entertained and demanding more programs. It is hearing the clear, unvarnished, scriptural messages of God preached from the pulpit. It's not trying to convince me that I'm okay because God loves me, it's teaching that I'm a sinner but thankfully there's a payment for my sins through the blood of Christ. It's music that is focused on God not on myself and how I feel.

COULD a church have a worship team, drums and guitars, and a preacher in a turtleneck instead of a suit and tie and still be a Old Time Religion church. I suppose they could, I don't see a reason why they couldn't, BUT I've yet to see one that is.

 

[Luke2427]

Nope - not at all.



That would be an emphatic NO. Whats old timey, pure and simple about that??

IN MY OPINION, Rock n Roll has a worldly place - not church. My son (the drummer) goes to a Evangelical Free church so he can be in a praise band. He doesn't like their lackadaisical attitude about soul-winning, so he struggles between his fleshly desire to play drums and his spiritual need to witness and help people find Christ.

There are no Baptist churches around here with praise bands, by the way. Just the Nazarenes, Presbyterians, and the EFC which he attends.

So please define for us "old timey".

What is to be preferred about simple?

 

[Luke2427]

Bro. Luke, I think that this is topic that's needed addressed on here for a long time!! Kudos for bringing this up!! :thumbs:

"Old time religion" to me, is people going to church and putting their watches in their pockets, not being in a hurry to make it home in time for "game time", or Nascar, or to eat a big meal, stretch out on the couch, and taking a big nap.

"Old time religion" is when the church had a bounch of kids there because they went to church with their parents, whether they liked it or not.

"Old time religion" is when you went to church and didn't worry about what Sister So-in-so was wearing, because they knew to dress modest in the church house. ( I said that because too many women wear mini-skirts, emphasis on "mini" to church, and to me that's not modest apparrell). Men went to church looking like men, and women went to church looking like women. I am not stating that y'all don't, my BB Brothers and Sisters, I just see those who are on TBN, TCT, The Word Network, etc. They go looking like homeless people, with all the holes in their clothes.

"Old time religion" is when you went to church and didn't have to worry about the church van breaking down with the drums, guitars, bass guitars, tamborines, amplifiers, microphones, all the makings of a "rock n' roll band", before they could sing.(I am not lambasting those who use "music" in church, but things do tend to get out of hand at time.)

But most of all, "Old time religion" is a time when people had time to see each other, moreso than they do now. What I mean is that in earlier days, a family could make it on one salary, but now, they can hardly make it with two. So the days when you could go visit a Brother or Sister are fewer than years ago.

This is what "Old time religion" is to me. I am sure others can state this better than I can, but this is just off the top of my head, just like my "point". :laugh:

Where did it come from?

What is it based on?

What makes it preferable?

Is this the way God demands church to be?

Thank you for sharing what it means to you, but please elaborate further by addressing these questions.

 

[Luke2427]

For me Old Time Religion is attending church on a regular basis and that church becomes your family. It is pitching in and getting your hands dirty in the work of the Lord not sitting back in the pew waiting to be entertained and demanding more programs. It is hearing the clear, unvarnished, scriptural messages of God preached from the pulpit. It's not trying to convince me that I'm okay because God loves me, it's teaching that I'm a sinner but thankfully there's a payment for my sins through the blood of Christ. It's music that is focused on God not on myself and how I feel.

COULD a church have a worship team, drums and guitars, and a preacher in a turtleneck instead of a suit and tie and still be a Old Time Religion church. I suppose they could, I don't see a reason why they couldn't, BUT I've yet to see one that is.

What about a robe? Have you ever known a church that meets your definition of Old Time Religion in which the pastor wears a long robe.

What about a church that is extraordinarily organized with numerous programs?

One that does not sing Bill Gaither type music but rather plays a massive pipe organ?

Are churches like this within your scope of Old Time Religion?

 

[Old Union Brother]

Luke did you read Convicted1's second post? I think he answers your questions there

 

[Luke2427]

Luke did you read Convicted1's second post? I think he answers your questions there

I did, brother. I couldn't see how that post answered those questions though.

 

[Luke2427]

Here's what I figure most folks mean when they speak of "Old Time Religion"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UiJMhy6oSs

 

[Don]

[deleted; I wasn't making any sense]

 

[convicted1]

I did, brother. I couldn't see how that post answered those questions though.

I think this is what you're driving at. "My Father is a Spirit, and they who worship Him, must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

That's as "old time" as it gets.

 

[menageriekeeper]

My definition of "old time religion"?

Judgmental, legalistic, and more worried about appearances and traditions of men than the heart of God.

Its the kind of religion that had one of my great-grandfather's convinced that he was destined for hell with no relief because he was a bastard.

It was the kind of religion that allowed one of my grandmothers to die from undiagnosed liver disease because my grandfather thought it was a sin for a woman to be examined by a male doctor and in those days there were no female doctors because females weren't allowed in medical school because all a female could do was get married and have kids.

It was the kind of religion that excused the sin of boys as "wild oats" but threw girls who engaged in the same sorts of things under the bus to "lie in the bed they made for themselves".

It was the kind of religion that saw financial stability as a sign of God's blessing and being poor meant that obviously you weren't "as good" as those who were better off. (ya'll didn't think the whole "word of faith" movement was something new did you?)

It was the kind of religion that focused on punishment rather than reconciliation.

It was the kind of religion that tended to make men dependent on church leaders rather than God.

It was the kind of religion that put the traditions of man before the traditions of God. (this includes music, order of service, choir robes and all the trappings necessary and unnecessary of corportate worship)

It was the kind of religion who placed "following the rules" above "the fruits of the spirit" as the standard for determining who was or wasn't "a Christian".

It was the kind of religion I came out of and have no desire to return to.

Luke, I think we found something we can agree on! :thumbs:

 

[idonthavetimeforthis]

It was good for Paul & Silas, it was good for Paul & Silas, it's good enough for me...give me dat ol' time religion...everyone now!

"Old paths" have become more about preferences & the 1950's in some preacher's preaching. These preacher's rant & rave about keeping themselves unspotted from the world (their definition of it) by being separated from everything & everyone, while the fatherless & widows get neglected. Separation has become the focus instead of the Saviour.

What's the solution? Returning to "thus saith the Lord" but in the right context of each passage - not just taking one verse & making it mean whatever you want it to mean.

 

[dcorbett]

So please define for us "old timey".

What is to be preferred about simple?

Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free....

"Church the way it USED to be" is on our sign out front- and that is what drew me to Lighthouse Independent Baptist Church.

http://www.lbccortez.org/

Sweet memories of old hymns, hand shaking, and a stirring message followed by "Just as I Am" or "Softly and Tenderly" as the invitation is offered. (Those are the things that I grew up with in the Southern Baptist Church that are no longer there because they deemed are old-fashioned and cumbersome)

 

[Luke2427]

Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free....

"Church the way it USED to be" is on our sign out front- and that is what drew me to Lighthouse Independent Baptist Church.

http://www.lbccortez.org/

Sweet memories of old hymns, hand shaking, and a stirring message followed by "Just as I Am" or "Softly and Tenderly" as the invitation is offered. (Those are the things that I grew up with in the Southern Baptist Church that are no longer there because they deemed are old-fashioned and cumbersome)

See, in the grand scheme of church history "Just as I am" and "Softly and Tenderly" is contemporary music- about a 120 years old or so is my estimate.

I have heard people speak of the "old music" and be referring to "Because He Lives" and "He Touched Me" and "Mansion Over the Hill Top".

These songs are just a few decades old. The authors of a couple of them are still alive!!


This is the problem with "Old Time Religion"- IT AIN'T.

It's usually just the styles and songs of old people's childhoods.

That's the sum of it in my experience.

If the people are alive who enjoyed it- IT AIN'T TRULY OLD.

And the INVITATION that I imagine you are referring to is BRAND NEW!! At least comparably.

It is not much more than a hundred years old!

So "Old Time Religion" is really just something that makes us feel nostalgic because it stirs some childhood feelings up in older people- isn't that right?

Simplicity has nothing to do with "Old Time Religion" unless "OTR" is just something old people remember fondly from their younger days.

The Old Paths in the Bible had NOTHING to do with shaking hands or songs barely a hundred years old or simplicity and it SURELY didn't have anything to do with Altar Calls.


So would you be willing to concede that what you think of as old time religion is really just a matter of preference and has no REAL Bible roots?

 

[Luke2427]

My definition of "old time religion"?

Judgmental, legalistic, and more worried about appearances and traditions of men than the heart of God.

Its the kind of religion that had one of my great-grandfather's convinced that he was destined for hell with no relief because he was a bastard.

It was the kind of religion that allowed one of my grandmothers to die from undiagnosed liver disease because my grandfather thought it was a sin for a woman to be examined by a male doctor and in those days there were no female doctors because females weren't allowed in medical school because all a female could do was get married and have kids.

It was the kind of religion that excused the sin of boys as "wild oats" but threw girls who engaged in the same sorts of things under the bus to "lie in the bed they made for themselves".

It was the kind of religion that saw financial stability as a sign of God's blessing and being poor meant that obviously you weren't "as good" as those who were better off. (ya'll didn't think the whole "word of faith" movement was something new did you?)

It was the kind of religion that focused on punishment rather than reconciliation.

It was the kind of religion that tended to make men dependent on church leaders rather than God.

It was the kind of religion that put the traditions of man before the traditions of God. (this includes music, order of service, choir robes and all the trappings necessary and unnecessary of corportate worship)

It was the kind of religion who placed "following the rules" above "the fruits of the spirit" as the standard for determining who was or wasn't "a Christian".

It was the kind of religion I came out of and have no desire to return to.

Luke, I think we found something we can agree on! :thumbs:

I'm really not a bad person if you'll get to know me.

I just debate hard. Most people who know me, love me!