William Graham Tullian Tchividjian was elected to follow Dr. D. James Kennedy as Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Flordia, about 6 months ago. He was then the pastor of the 500-member New City Church. Presumably, those folks came over to Coral Ridge.
Pastor Tchividjian is 37 years old, prefers contemporary music to organ music, dropped the weekly TV program and doesn't give altar calls.
But his real crime seems to be that he doesn't believe political action is the way to change the country.
Dr. Kennedy's daughter, Jennifer, was banned from Church property, along with 5 other members, back in August for distributing flyers critical of the new pastor.
About 400 members signed a petition requesting a Special Business Meeting to decide whether or not to keep him or fire him. That meeting was held on Sunday morning, September 20, 2009.
Critics faulted him for not maintaining the Kennedy legacy and for altering traditions. Supporters noted that Church membership was increasing and congregation should stay united.
How would you have voted? I suppose if you preferred organ music to trap-sets, you might have tended to vote for firing him. And, if you were convinced The Church is ordained to bring in the Millennium, you might have been tempted to vote against him.
But, what if you really believed The Bible? What if you saw "Church" as something distinct from politics? What if you saw "Church" as a uniquely Christian thing, not structured for, nor oriented toward unbelievers? You'd probably vote to keep him.
This congregation voted to keep him, by a ratio of 2 to 1.
It's a bright spot in an otherwise dark world. Too many churches, today, have abandoned their biblical heritage for Seeker Sensitive, Contemporary, Marketing plans. They make no apologies for trying to attract as many unsaved people as possible. To do so they have brought in as much of the world as possible, to make unsaved people feel comfortable.
I would suggest this philosophy will destroy "Church" as we know it. If that hasn't already happened. Theirs is a wonderful plan. The only problem is: There is No Bible to support it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Golden Rule In Our Political Rhetoric
A local newspaper editor emailed to ask: Why do you think the current political discourse has gotten so coarse lately? She's doing an article and wanted my perspective.
I answered: The short answer is that people are coarse by nature. But, the larger issue is our political history and the immensity of what's at risk, today.
Politics in America has been strewn with really awful rhetoric, personal attacks and in some cases even physical attacks. I guess we think politicians are "Fair Game," since they put themselves "out there."
Adding to that tradition, I believe what we're seeing and hearing, today, is the clash of worldviews. We heard it for years, when the conservative (so-called) agenda was being supported -- now it's the "other guy's" turn.
What's ramping it all up is a combination of altering over 200 years of American tradition and law, and then telling critics they don't matter, or worse. [Pelosi's "Nazi" comment and Carter's "Racist" comment are but two illustrations]
Over the last 50 or so years, in America, our leadership has steadily moved us away from our moral roots onto the slippery slope of humanism, which is to say a relative morality. The result is a population that no longer pays any attention to what's right or good, in an absolute sense. Everything is now relative! And our public discourse reflects that.
For example, to support abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court found a "Right" in the Constitution that isn't there and over 45 million babies have been legally killed, since 1973. Science has since found that the fertilized egg in a woman is not part of her body, at all. Once fertilized it becomes something distinct from it's parts. Apparently we were too quick to legalize this awful thing. And, some of the same people who are critical of Obama and the Liberal Left, were not happy with that decision, either. They see this as more of the same.
To support National Health Care, the President and Congress are finding more "Rights" that aren't there....arguing that it's compassionate. Americans aren't buying it, for the obvious reasons -- cost and principle.
A minority of politicians are pushing through a massive spending bill, on top of the already massive spending this government sees as necessary. Locally, the same is true. In a down-economy, our State and local governments have actually increased our costs through fees and taxes on essential items.
In our Church, we cut our 2009 budget by 15%, in anticipation of a difficult financial year, and have seen NO reduction in spending -- everything went UP. This is unconscionable. And it upsets people.
Add to that the arrogance of Democrats, at Town Hall Meetings, and you get an over-reaction.
Golden Rule? When our leadership operates by this standard, the population will follow. It's a Truism that the leadership sets the tone. And they are constantly showing us how they expect to be treated.
There are Two Americas: One that wants us to be like Europe: Social Democrats, the other wants us to be what we've always been: a Capitalistic Republic. The minority is winning this debate and it upsets the majority who will be left to pay for it.
Underlying all this is Religion. America was founded on biblical principles of government, economics and social standards. Pulling us away from that to the Religion of Humanism is going to create serious reaction, even from people who aren't particularly religious.
It's our Tradition. It has sustained us and made us great. The French Revolution was an exercise in Humanism -- and it was barbaric. The American Revolution was an exercise of Contract Law, supported by biblical standards. Great Britain had reneged on her agreement. And the Colonists had spent 10 years trying to get Great Britain to honor her contracts before issuing their Declaration of Indepence. There are many parallels in our current turmoil.
I expect this coarseness to continue. There are few social controls left. You hear it in the preachers who rail against politicians in less than kind ways and with monstrous comparisons. Men who should know better, but are frightened at what they see.
I also expect to live long enough to see America a Humanistic, Socialistic society. We're already there, in the areas that count. It's just a matter of legitimizing it in law and practice. In the end: You get what you reward.
We've been rewarding indolence and greed; self gratification and individual morality. Those are the "chickens" that have come home to roost. It has been fascinating to listen to men who make no pretense at religious conviction spout Bible verses and principles in defense of our liberties in the public square. All the while living opposite that rhetoric in their private lives.
They don't see the disconnect; the hypocrisy. And that's America in the 21st century.
I answered: The short answer is that people are coarse by nature. But, the larger issue is our political history and the immensity of what's at risk, today.
Politics in America has been strewn with really awful rhetoric, personal attacks and in some cases even physical attacks. I guess we think politicians are "Fair Game," since they put themselves "out there."
Adding to that tradition, I believe what we're seeing and hearing, today, is the clash of worldviews. We heard it for years, when the conservative (so-called) agenda was being supported -- now it's the "other guy's" turn.
What's ramping it all up is a combination of altering over 200 years of American tradition and law, and then telling critics they don't matter, or worse. [Pelosi's "Nazi" comment and Carter's "Racist" comment are but two illustrations]
Over the last 50 or so years, in America, our leadership has steadily moved us away from our moral roots onto the slippery slope of humanism, which is to say a relative morality. The result is a population that no longer pays any attention to what's right or good, in an absolute sense. Everything is now relative! And our public discourse reflects that.
For example, to support abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court found a "Right" in the Constitution that isn't there and over 45 million babies have been legally killed, since 1973. Science has since found that the fertilized egg in a woman is not part of her body, at all. Once fertilized it becomes something distinct from it's parts. Apparently we were too quick to legalize this awful thing. And, some of the same people who are critical of Obama and the Liberal Left, were not happy with that decision, either. They see this as more of the same.
To support National Health Care, the President and Congress are finding more "Rights" that aren't there....arguing that it's compassionate. Americans aren't buying it, for the obvious reasons -- cost and principle.
A minority of politicians are pushing through a massive spending bill, on top of the already massive spending this government sees as necessary. Locally, the same is true. In a down-economy, our State and local governments have actually increased our costs through fees and taxes on essential items.
In our Church, we cut our 2009 budget by 15%, in anticipation of a difficult financial year, and have seen NO reduction in spending -- everything went UP. This is unconscionable. And it upsets people.
Add to that the arrogance of Democrats, at Town Hall Meetings, and you get an over-reaction.
Golden Rule? When our leadership operates by this standard, the population will follow. It's a Truism that the leadership sets the tone. And they are constantly showing us how they expect to be treated.
There are Two Americas: One that wants us to be like Europe: Social Democrats, the other wants us to be what we've always been: a Capitalistic Republic. The minority is winning this debate and it upsets the majority who will be left to pay for it.
Underlying all this is Religion. America was founded on biblical principles of government, economics and social standards. Pulling us away from that to the Religion of Humanism is going to create serious reaction, even from people who aren't particularly religious.
It's our Tradition. It has sustained us and made us great. The French Revolution was an exercise in Humanism -- and it was barbaric. The American Revolution was an exercise of Contract Law, supported by biblical standards. Great Britain had reneged on her agreement. And the Colonists had spent 10 years trying to get Great Britain to honor her contracts before issuing their Declaration of Indepence. There are many parallels in our current turmoil.
I expect this coarseness to continue. There are few social controls left. You hear it in the preachers who rail against politicians in less than kind ways and with monstrous comparisons. Men who should know better, but are frightened at what they see.
I also expect to live long enough to see America a Humanistic, Socialistic society. We're already there, in the areas that count. It's just a matter of legitimizing it in law and practice. In the end: You get what you reward.
We've been rewarding indolence and greed; self gratification and individual morality. Those are the "chickens" that have come home to roost. It has been fascinating to listen to men who make no pretense at religious conviction spout Bible verses and principles in defense of our liberties in the public square. All the while living opposite that rhetoric in their private lives.
They don't see the disconnect; the hypocrisy. And that's America in the 21st century.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Children of The State
Amanda Kurowski is a ten year old girl who is being Home-Schooled by her mother. She is excelling academically, is socially active through extra-curricular activities and the public-school courses she takes to suppliment her education.
But Amanda's parents are divorced and her father is not satisfied. He doesn't believe Amanda is getting a well-rounded education. At odds: The "rigid Christian faith" Amanda is being subjected to.
So, off to court they went....in New Hampshire.
The Court found that "it would be remarkable if a 10-year-old child who spends her school time with her mother and the vast majority of all her other time with her mother would seriously consider adopting any other religious point of view."
So...Amanda is required to enroll in a "Public School."
There, she will be exposed to other children and other worldviews. This exposure will make her a better person and a better citizen. Or will it?
You know how this works. Being sheltered from drugs, profanity, nudity, rebellious attitudes, homosexual activism, sex-education, subjective moral standards, dubious science, racy literature, humanistic philosophies, and a curriculum that can't produce High School graduates who are functionally literate will stunt Amanda's development as a person.
If you believe that, you'll believe 50 million Americans are being denied access to medical care.
The Courts in New Hampshire are now mandating what religious beliefs a child can be exposed to....or which ONE they can't! Who do they think they are? Children do not belong to the State! Or do they?
But Amanda's parents are divorced and her father is not satisfied. He doesn't believe Amanda is getting a well-rounded education. At odds: The "rigid Christian faith" Amanda is being subjected to.
So, off to court they went....in New Hampshire.
The Court found that "it would be remarkable if a 10-year-old child who spends her school time with her mother and the vast majority of all her other time with her mother would seriously consider adopting any other religious point of view."
So...Amanda is required to enroll in a "Public School."
There, she will be exposed to other children and other worldviews. This exposure will make her a better person and a better citizen. Or will it?
You know how this works. Being sheltered from drugs, profanity, nudity, rebellious attitudes, homosexual activism, sex-education, subjective moral standards, dubious science, racy literature, humanistic philosophies, and a curriculum that can't produce High School graduates who are functionally literate will stunt Amanda's development as a person.
If you believe that, you'll believe 50 million Americans are being denied access to medical care.
The Courts in New Hampshire are now mandating what religious beliefs a child can be exposed to....or which ONE they can't! Who do they think they are? Children do not belong to the State! Or do they?
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