May 04
The bait and switch of contemporary Christianity
By Richard BeckTo start, a story.
A few years ago a female student wanted to visit with me about some difficulties she was having, mainly with her family life. As is my practice, we walked around campus as we talked.
After talking for some time about her family situation we turned to other areas of her life. When she reached spiritual matters we had the following exchange:
“I need to spend more time working on my relationship with God.”
I respond, “Why would you want to do that?”
Startled, she says, “What do you mean?”
“Well, why would you want to spend any time at all on working on your relationship with God?”
“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
“Let me answer by asking you a question. Can you think of anyone, right now, to whom you need to apologize? Anyone you’ve wronged?”
She thinks and answers, “Yes.”
“Well, why don’t you give them a call today and ask for their forgiveness. That might be a better use of your time than working on your relationship with God.”
Obviously, I was being a bit provocative with the student. And I did go on to clarify. But I was trying to push back on a strain of Christianity I see in both my students and the larger Christian culture. Specifically, when the student said, “I need to work on my relationship with God,” I knew exactly what she meant. It meant praying more, getting up early to study the Bible, to start going back to church. Things along those lines. The goal of these activities is to get “closer” to God. To “waste time with Jesus.”
Of course, please hear me on this point: Nothing is wrong with those activities. Personal acts of piety and devotion are vital to a vibrant spiritual life and continued spiritual formation. But all too often “working on my relationship with God” has almost nothing to do with trying to become a more decent human being.
The trouble with contemporary Christianity is that a massive bait and switch is going on. “Christianity” has essentially become a mechanism for allowing millions of people to replace being a decent human being with something else, an endorsed “spiritual” substitute. For example, rather than being a decent human being the following is a list of some commonly acceptable substitutes:
— Going to church
— Worship
— Praying
Comments
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I couldn’t agree more. When I was with the Beachy Amish I did my best to observe ALL those things that were supposed to make me a ‘good’ Christian. I battled against my gender dysphoria, as I had always done so that I could be a ‘good’ Christian. Well, guess what? - Since transitioning to female I am just as close to God. In fact doing less religious ‘things’ and worrying less about my relationship with God, I have found myself interacting with a marginalized, hurting and stigmatised transsexual community who behave more like Christians are supposed to do. They care and look out for each other, and have shown me much love and caring. I receive and give more hugs with them than I have ever received from any church congregation. I receive and give visit with the Transsexual community and receive no visits from my congregation, (I live on my own). The transsexual community is truly made up of decent human beings. They accept me and my faith as they find me – no judgment.
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Good article. "I exaggerate of course" you say. No, Mr. Beck sadly you do not exaggerate. You hit the nail on the head. Good church goers very often simply don't seem to get that working on their relationships with their fellow humans is working on their relationship with God. Erika also makes a good point. But does anyone care? We're all so busy working on "our relationship with God".
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Gots to agree with you, Wulfnoth. If each of us simply responded to the need we see around us every single day, I believe opinions and attitudes about so-called Christians would improve dramatically. An example? A few weeks ago, The Husband and I took a little time to listen to our waiter tell us about his medical problems - no health insurance, wife's problem pregnancy, dental needs. I made notes, then came home and made a few phone calls -- I'm old and retired and have the time, after all. I found a low-cost medical office for uninsured folks like Alec and his family, got the name and number of someone who could help at the hospital billing office, found answers to his questions about Medicaid for his children. Dropped the information off at the restaurant. A couple weeks later, he came to our table and with tears in his eyes, said, "The United Way medical office was incredible and they have dentists! I've got the kids on Medicaid and I'm working on the hospital bill. You've restored my faith in the human race!" All it took was a few minutes of listening, a few phone calls, a little digging. Restored his faith. How about that?
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I have to say that your article is the most depressing thing I have seen come from a "Christian" publication in a long time.
Yes, "Christians" are bad tippers, rude, self centered broken people. But, you have the cure all backwards! "Do these things and prayer and worship will come alongside to support us." No, God does not come alongside to support us when we are being good people, he comes alongside to support us when we are growing closer to Him. Without the Holy Spirit in our lives we can do nothing. We need to live a life where every part of our life is led by the spirit and transformed by the spirit. If we all lived that way, we would not have the problems that you have mentioned in your article.
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another." Galatians 5 Jesus wants us to be free, not bound by the law. There is no freedom outside of Christ.
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"God does not come alongside to support us when we are being good people, he comes alongside to support us when we are growing closer to Him"...or so Karen says
mmmmm I remember Jesus saying something about "as you do to others you do to me". We grow closer to God as we grow closer to others - not our Bibles or our routine (perfunctory) prayers - which can become idols. Our actions are our prayers, our lives are our worship, not (just) our words or how close we 'feel' to God, (which is a HIGHLY subjective experience - "away from me - I never knew you"). Our words are all too often cheap rather than useful. I can pray all I want, and 'feel' close to God, but if my friend is about to blow her brains out or overdose because no cares or visits her, what use are the words of my prayers? As James says, "what's the use of saying 'keep well - if you do nothing about it?"
The early church grew because of what they did, not just what they prayed. In the early church and Anabaptism, actions always preceded words. Jesus associated with prostitutes and tax collectors, and the people of the street, not with the righteous in their little religious ghettos which He delighted in slamming for their hypocrisy. Besides, it is God who judges sin, not us. He calls the sinner, 'Just as I am', as the song goes.
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The article sounds great, but unfortunately can't be supported by scripture. On the contrary, scripture declares "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast." Eph 2:8-9
Clearly, our being good to those around us (works) has nothing to do with our salvation. However, because of the incredible gift of salvation, good works naturally pour out of our lives into those around us.
Scripture declares "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).
The love toward one another is evidence of what has already taken place.
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On the contrary, James says without works your faith is dead. Without works you have no faith, thus no salvation - it is lost. What you have put forward is pure Calvinist theology. Menno Simons consistently encouraged people to show their faith.
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Now that I am fully awake I will add:
If "The love toward one another is evidence of what has already taken place" -
then why is it that it is sometimes so hard to get people to serve the community through the church? Why it that church organizations, such as peace makers, go begging for money from the members of the church to complete their goals? If works naturally flowed from faith, why are so many church services cut back, staff made redundant? Why did Menno have to encourage his followers to stay behind to care for those affected by the plaque? So, as you can see works are the evidence of faith. One can’t be saved by good works, but one can’t have a faith without them – where is the evidence of faith without good works? As Menno said, “the true fruits of faith are”….the love and service or our neighbours” (The complete Writings of Menno Simmons p.333).
'what has already taken place' as Stan puts it, doesn't take place until we put it in place.
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I think the point of the observations, simply stated, is that for the Christian, the whole purpose of religious practices & disciplines is to develop within us the likeness of Christ. Any religiosity which is not to that end is a form of idolatry. We are to worship the Lord revealed in the Book, not the book itself. We are follow the Savior, not to try to lead Him. If our goal is the likeness of Christ, we won't be so inclined to justify our self-centered lifestyles. Righteousness - not self-righteousness.
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In a sermon on Sabbath years ago, I suggested to the congregation that they should tip extra on Sunday, so that all could rejoice in God's Sabbath. Be extra generous, no strings attached. Don't say why you're doing it. Just do it because it pleases God -- this kindness you are doing.
The negative responses coming afterwards were stunning.
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