This is a Roman Catholic commentary.....

[Earth Wind and Fire]

This is a Roman Catholic commentary.....can it also be applied to Baptist's & Protestants?


Thomas Merton courageously wrote in 'The Living Bread' in 1956:

"The great tragedy of our age is the fact, if one may dare to say it, that there are so many Godless Christians - Christians, that is, whose religion is a matter of pure conformism and expediency. Their "faith" is little more than a permanent evasion of reality - a compromise with life. In order to avoid admitting the uncomfortable truth that they no longer have any real need for God or any vital faith in Him, they conform to the outward conduct of others like themselves. And these "believers" cling together, offering one another an apparent justification for lives that are essentially just the same as the lives of their materialistic neighbors whose horizons are purely those of the world and the world and it's transient values."

 

[JonShaff]

It's sounds too philosophical. Even Roman Catholics have a "form of religion." What he aims to express here seems to deal with those who don't conform to RC. Sounds like culture Christianity. In any given "religious system" there Will be those who try to fake it to make it.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

It's sounds too philosophical. Even Roman Catholics have a "form of religion." What he aims to express here seems to deal with those who don't conform to RC. Sounds like culture Christianity. In any given "religious system" there Will be those who try to fake it to make it.

Yea I agree, but what I've seen happen here in NW NJ is Protestants & Baptists, that have changed their names in order to not scare off Catholics that wander in, is creating a nice comfortable place that Catholics could call a home church without all the Catholic tradition & dogma. Therefore they are in fact creating gathering centers to accommodate the unsaved. Then very little or nothing happens to transform these people.

 

[JonShaff]

Yea I agree, but what I've seen happen here in NW NJ is Protestants & Baptists, that have changed their names in order to not scare off Catholics that wander in, is creating a nice comfortable place that Catholics could call a home church without all the Catholic tradition & dogma. Therefore they are in fact creating gathering centers to accommodate the unsaved. Then very little or nothing happens to transform these people.

That is unfortunate. Many churches here in Oklahoma are looking for new customers. It's ran like a business. They look for new ways to get the "unchurched" in. The Biblical method is Go OUT to THEM and preach the Gospel

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

That is unfortunate. Many churches here in Oklahoma are looking for new customers. It's ran like a business. They look for new ways to get the "unchurched" in.

You mean like "Rick Warren Style" ..... I cant abide that nonsense. Still there are those circus style churches..... Google the LIQUID Church in New Jersey.

There is also quite a few that throw out Christian doctrine altogether & when they tell you that they express it as if they are proud of it. I run from those guys.

The Biblical method is Go OUT to THEM and preach the Gospel

That may be the problem......no emphasis on the bible. In fact, I rarely see anyone come to church with their bible anymore. That might be because they focus on Roman Catholics & main line denominations.

 

[JonShaff]

You mean like "Rick Warren Style" ..... I cant abide that nonsense. Still there are those circus style churches..... Google the LIQUID Church in New Jersey.

There is also quite a few that throw out Christian doctrine altogether & when they tell you that they express it as if they are proud of it. I run from those guys.



That may be the problem......no emphasis on the bible. In fact, I rarely see anyone come to church with their bible anymore. That might be because they focus on Roman Catholics & main line denominations.

In Order for a church to be healthy and biblical they must have a high view of Scripture. If scripture is simply for life lessons and weekly encouragement, you will produce a watered down Christian. If you elevate the Word of God to its proper exalted Status...The Word is Christ and Christ is the Word..you will raise people's affections towards God.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

In Order for a church to be healthy and biblical they must have a high view of Scripture. If scripture is simply for life lessons and weekly encouragement, you will produce a watered down Christian. If you elevate the Word of God to its proper exalted Status...The Word is Christ and Christ is the Word..you will raise people's affections towards God.

Again I totally agree but for whatever reason, this exalted scripture stuff doesn't get emphasized in NW NJ.....but then I cant tell you about Swedesboro, central NJ, or NY, I just know my area. The consequences of this are not pretty. People have become cold & distant, not caring about neighbors & neighborhoods....wanting to run out of the state (we are now the top foreclosure state in the country) Its incredible!

 

[JonShaff]

Again I totally agree but for whatever reason, this exalted scripture stuff doesn't get emphasized in NW NJ.....but then I cant tell you about Swedesboro, central NJ, or NY, I just know my area. The consequences of this are not pretty. People have become cold & distant, not caring about neighbors & neighborhoods....wanting to run out of the state (we are now the top foreclosure state in the country) Its incredible!

I live and pastor in Oklahoma now, and it's very similar out here. Praying!