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Has the Religious Right Gone terrible Wrong?

by Richard Young on 12/17/10

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." - 2 Timothy 2:3, 4

Has a failure to teach and understand basic Christian doctrine relagated the Christian voice in America to being less one of reconciliation as commanded by scripture, and more of reviling rhetoric under the guise of "moralism?"

Further, has this shift in focus "unequally yoked" those who have accepted the biblical Christ with those who have perverted biblical truth for the cause of said moralism?

Lastly, are Christians called to proclaim salvation TO the unsaved, or to save their culture FROM the unsaved?

Your thoughts.

Comments (6)

1. Sandy B. said on 12/31/10 - 03:57AM

No they haven't. Someone has to stand up to the powers that be in post-christian America!

2. Jordan P. said on 1/24/11 - 12:33AM

This is certainly a deep topic you bring up right here. I think largely there HAS been a failure to teach and understand basic doctrine. Many denominations have bent passages and taken them out of context to mean what they want them to mean rather than what it is actually saying. As far as your last question, that is a very tough topic to answer. The short answer for me would be that if we wish to hold others accountable for their actions, we first have to hold ourselves accountable. This, in many cases, means admitting that though we have Christ, who is perfect, we ourselves are imperfect. It's by the grace of God that we are saved, not by our own doing. So I think one of the best things we can do is just explain to people that it's not about us being perfect or considering ourselves to be perfect; it's about striving for that. Sometimes we will fail in that quest, but fortunately for us God is forgiving. What's your take on this Rick?

3. Steve Weber said on 3/21/11 - 10:19AM

As members of the Body of Christ, any preoccupation we have with "making things right" by fighting against "the powers that be" basically says one thing, i.e., that we do not trust that the very One Whom we embrace as our Savior--Christ--will Himself, one day, settle accounts with every last individual who has not truly received Him as his/her Savior ... imposing a punishment on them far more harsh than we ourselves could ever have wanted them to receive. "...Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19

4. aDisciple said on 2/10/12 - 04:44PM

As for the doctrine question, we need to get clear on who Jesus is, and who we are as defined by what the Holy Spirit has caused to be recorded in the Bible. But here should be the goal of our doctrine and teaching, as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. In other words, the focus is on Christ Himself, the rest is in Christ Himself and His finished work, the love and forgiveness is a result of realizing how great this gift of life in Christ is, and how desperately we need to receive it. But you have folks like Joel Olsteen saying, he does not feel he needs to focus on Jesus Christ, just teach people how to live the life God wants them to enjoy. And that's the problem, Jesus is the way, truth and the life. You can't teach about the Christian life without Jesus without the teaching becoming just another prescription of religious or spiritual methods. Religion is now big business because people are chasing the latest successful looking idol hoping to learn how to get the material goods and success they feel will give them peace and contentment. Popular religion is chasing the crowds, few who are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God out of a real hunger and thirst for His righteousness. As long as all we offer is the promise of loaves and fishes, we will draw crowds, but we will not make true disciples until we learn truly what it means to abide in Christ, and be clothed with Him rather than identifying with our place in the fallen world system.

5. aDisciple said on 2/10/12 - 04:45PM

As for the doctrine question, we need to get clear on who Jesus is, and who we are as defined by what the Holy Spirit has caused to be recorded in the Bible. But here should be the goal of our doctrine and teaching, as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. In other words, the focus is on Christ Himself, the rest is in Christ Himself and His finished work, the love and forgiveness is a result of realizing how great this gift of life in Christ is, and how desperately we need to receive it.

6. aDisciple said on 2/10/12 - 04:45PM

But you have folks like Joel Olsteen saying, he does not feel he needs to focus on Jesus Christ, just teach people how to live the life God wants them to enjoy. And that's the problem, Jesus is the way, truth and the life. You can't teach about the Christian life without Jesus without the teaching becoming just another prescription of religious or spiritual methods. Religion is now big business because people are chasing the latest successful looking idol hoping to learn how to get the material goods and success they feel will give them peace and contentment. Popular religion is chasing the crowds, few who are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God out of a real hunger and thirst for His righteousness. As long as all we offer is the promise of loaves and fishes, we will draw crowds, but we will not make true disciples until we learn truly what it means to abide in Christ, and be clothed with Him rather than identifying with our place in the fallen world system.

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Main | Speaking in Tongues »

1.	Sandy B. said on 12/31/10 - 03:57AM
	No they haven't. Someone has to stand up to the powers that be in post-christian America!
2.	Jordan P. said on 1/24/11 - 12:33AM
	This is certainly a deep topic you bring up right here. I think largely there HAS been a failure to teach and understand basic doctrine. Many denominations have bent passages and taken them out of context to mean what they want them to mean rather than what it is actually saying. As far as your last question, that is a very tough topic to answer. The short answer for me would be that if we wish to hold others accountable for their actions, we first have to hold ourselves accountable. This, in many cases, means admitting that though we have Christ, who is perfect, we ourselves are imperfect. It's by the grace of God that we are saved, not by our own doing. So I think one of the best things we can do is just explain to people that it's not about us being perfect or considering ourselves to be perfect; it's about striving for that. Sometimes we will fail in that quest, but fortunately for us God is forgiving. What's your take on this Rick?
3.	Steve Weber said on 3/21/11 - 10:19AM
	As members of the Body of Christ, any preoccupation we have with "making things right" by fighting against "the powers that be" basically says one thing, i.e., that we do not trust that the very One Whom we embrace as our Savior--Christ--will Himself, one day, settle accounts with every last individual who has not truly received Him as his/her Savior ... imposing a punishment on them far more harsh than we ourselves could ever have wanted them to receive. "...Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." Romans 12:19
4.	aDisciple said on 2/10/12 - 04:44PM
	As for the doctrine question, we need to get clear on who Jesus is, and who we are as defined by what the Holy Spirit has caused to be recorded in the Bible. But here should be the goal of our doctrine and teaching, as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. In other words, the focus is on Christ Himself, the rest is in Christ Himself and His finished work, the love and forgiveness is a result of realizing how great this gift of life in Christ is, and how desperately we need to receive it. But you have folks like Joel Olsteen saying, he does not feel he needs to focus on Jesus Christ, just teach people how to live the life God wants them to enjoy. And that's the problem, Jesus is the way, truth and the life. You can't teach about the Christian life without Jesus without the teaching becoming just another prescription of religious or spiritual methods. Religion is now big business because people are chasing the latest successful looking idol hoping to learn how to get the material goods and success they feel will give them peace and contentment. Popular religion is chasing the crowds, few who are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God out of a real hunger and thirst for His righteousness. As long as all we offer is the promise of loaves and fishes, we will draw crowds, but we will not make true disciples until we learn truly what it means to abide in Christ, and be clothed with Him rather than identifying with our place in the fallen world system.
5.	aDisciple said on 2/10/12 - 04:45PM
	As for the doctrine question, we need to get clear on who Jesus is, and who we are as defined by what the Holy Spirit has caused to be recorded in the Bible. But here should be the goal of our doctrine and teaching, as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. In other words, the focus is on Christ Himself, the rest is in Christ Himself and His finished work, the love and forgiveness is a result of realizing how great this gift of life in Christ is, and how desperately we need to receive it.
6.	aDisciple said on 2/10/12 - 04:45PM
	But you have folks like Joel Olsteen saying, he does not feel he needs to focus on Jesus Christ, just teach people how to live the life God wants them to enjoy. And that's the problem, Jesus is the way, truth and the life. You can't teach about the Christian life without Jesus without the teaching becoming just another prescription of religious or spiritual methods. Religion is now big business because people are chasing the latest successful looking idol hoping to learn how to get the material goods and success they feel will give them peace and contentment. Popular religion is chasing the crowds, few who are truly seeking first the Kingdom of God out of a real hunger and thirst for His righteousness. As long as all we offer is the promise of loaves and fishes, we will draw crowds, but we will not make true disciples until we learn truly what it means to abide in Christ, and be clothed with Him rather than identifying with our place in the fallen world system.