A recent Christianity Today article raised an issue within the church. Here are the lead paragraphs.
Who do we blame for this attitude? Whoever is not teaching that there are consequences for sinful behavior. Whoever is not teaching that your sin is so heinous that Christ died on the cross to atone for it. Whoever is not teaching that there is a Savior to whom we can go and confess sin having the promise of forgiveness. Did I miss anyone?
Two weeks ago, younger evangelical leaders gathered in Washington D.C. to reflect about the shape Christianity should take in the world. Q, the conference hosted by Gabe Lyons, is one of the more interesting spots in the evangelical landscape. Self-conscious in its cultural (which is to say, not political) orientation, conference attendees are an interesting cross-section of the evangelical world. Some might be emergent, others might be Reformed, but no one talks much about all that. It's concern about social issues, rather than distinctive theological ones, that attendees seem to gather around.The result of this instant poll is disturbing but reflects how greatly the world has infected the church. How is it that so many attendees had no qualms of affirming contraceptives for singles? Did they not realize the overriding concern is the whole area of personal holiness, or had they accepted the lie that "regardless of what young people are taught, they will do it anyway?"
In a breathtaking moment of unity, however, conference attendees affirmed that churches should advocate for contraceptives for the single people in their midst. After a panel discussion on the best ways to reduce abortions in the church (tacit answer: contraception), an instant poll put the question to attendees: "Do you believe churches should advocate contraception for their single twentysomethings?" The question is ambiguously worded (Advocate how? From the pulpit? Which twentysomethings? All of them?). But even so, 70 percent of respondents understood enough to say "yes."
Who do we blame for this attitude? Whoever is not teaching that there are consequences for sinful behavior. Whoever is not teaching that your sin is so heinous that Christ died on the cross to atone for it. Whoever is not teaching that there is a Savior to whom we can go and confess sin having the promise of forgiveness. Did I miss anyone?
2 comments:
Perhaps they should remember Jesus' comment about the millstone around their necks!
"Christianity Astray" is what that magazine should be called. It has been apostate for a very, very long time.
True enough about CT, but at least the author was wise enough to say this pragmatic solution was a really bad idea.
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