Useful Idiots

I was interviewed by a conservative talk show host, recently, who trotted out all the old liberal chestnuts about homosexual rights.

They are a much-maligned segment of society.
The government has no business in our bedrooms.
We can't legislate morality.
They have rights, too.

It was sickening! They are a much-maligned segment of society for good reason! They are seeking to destroy this society. Not the average person who engages in homosexual behavior but the Gay Rights Activists. You can't take your children to a Gay Pride Parade, for example. And, if they get their way, the "family" will forever be dismantled and destroyed. This is no small thing, the family being the Basic Building Block of Society!!!!

The government was NEVER in anyone's bedroom! They brought their bedroom out into the street and into our faces! The laws against homosexuality, in the old days, were about sodomy. Sodomy is a physically, emotionally and socially destructive practice, and every government has the right / responsibility to protect its citizens from harmful people and/or practices.

EVERY law on the books legislates morality! Highway speed laws, animal leash-laws, jay-walking laws, ALL legislate morality. In this world there are some things which are right and therefore good and some things which are wrong and therefore bad. Governments pass laws to support the good and limit the bad. That's legislating morality.

Everyone has the RIGHT to be stupid, but it's not a good idea for the majority to be this way. When a person or a society emphasizes Rights, the tendency is toward Anarchy. When Responsibility is being emphasized it tends toward Character. The "Right" to corrupt our children and co-opt the family is not a good thing. Society's "parents" have a responsibility to control for such things.

You know the inmates are running the asylum when 'conservatives' are convinced that the homosexual arguments are valid! They represent about 3% of the population of this country, they are almost single-handedly responsible for AIDS, and the spread thereof and are openly advocating for the right to have sex with children. They call it 'therapy,' in the psychological publications and articles where the idea is floated. I first saw it in Psychology Today, about 10 years ago. Ever hear of N.A.M.B.L.A.?

One day people like me will be put in jail for writing a blog like this. And you will be right next to me for simply reading I Cor. 6:9 out loud, in the presence of other people!

Such is the power of sin that good becomes evil and evil becomes good. And it will happen through the efforts of 'useful idiots' who see themselves being compassionate and tolerant where this vile behavior is concerned.

Where's The Beef?

Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in his blog, references the trend among young Jewish adults who are polarizing between the Orthodox and the Secular. [http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/06/10/the-briefing-from-young-restless-and-jewish-to-peter-singer-and-the-pope/]

It seems, however, that the fastest growth is among the Orthodox. The Secular Orthodox are not reproducing themselves, either physically or spiritually. Dr. Mohler draws some obvious parallels with Contemporary Christianity, at least in this country.

He references Collin Hansen's article in Christianity Today to make his point. [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/september/42.32.html]

Apparently younger evangelicals are being drawn away from the fluff and emotion that constitutes much of the Contemporary Christian scene, just as much as they are from their parents' brand of Church.

The trends seem to support the idea that young people, being idealistic at heart, and yearning for a more significant spiritual expression, gravitate to the Contemporary Churches or those which offer a Contemporary Service and lots of opportunities for ministry as well as social activities.

Having spent some time there, a growing number are becoming disenchanted. The assumption is that the more exciting, attractive and active churches are more 'alive' than the old, dull and dead churches.

But wait! A growing number are being attracted to the Reformed traditions. If you aren't aware what that means, it means churches where the Bible is actually taught, much like in a Bible College! It means Bible Doctrine takes Center Stage! It means these young people recognize the need for spiritual 'food' and where to find it!

If The Lord tarries, we may see more and more young adults growing up to see the emptiness of busyness that characterizes much of organized Christianity today. You can do just so many Missions Trips, Youth Activities and Social Events, before you start wondering "where's the beef?"

Where We're Going? Or Where We Are?

I read, recently, of a Church where the pastor and probably all of the 30 or 40 Staff Members have no Bible College or Seminary training. Where the leadership is learning as they go and where The Bible is viewed more as theory than settled truth.

Individuals are challenged to figure out for themselves what it means. Their worship is not focused on the sovereign, holy majesty of the ineffable God Who rules over the affairs of men, but rather the needs, attitudes and interests of those who attend.

It's man-centered and contemporary.
It's laid-back and "real."
It's populated by seekers, observers and hangers-on.

And the conservative messages presented are not propositional. They do not propose a response from the hearer. Rather they are offered as information, personal testimony and suggestions for serious thought. Folks are left to decide for themselves what these words mean "To Them."

The music is loud and emotionally intense. The environment more like a Night Club or Concert Hall than a Cathedral. And no one cares how anyone dresses or what they might believe.

Oh, and they have 5000 people gathering every Sunday to experience this form of church.

It's a sham and a hoax. But it satisfies the human heart's desire for worship. It's just not the Bible idea of Church. It's an expression of will-worship. And at least one person who attends regularly has said that should the pastor leave, the whole thing would collapse.

Of course, this is not the story of all churches. There are still groups of Christians who gather in the name of Jesus to humble themselves before God and worship in spirit [with their spirit, not with sensual expressions] and in truth [the way God prescribes, rather than their own ideas].

What of them? They are generally smaller, and getting even smaller, and they're membership is aging. The Youth-Culture is not interested in Bible Doctrine nor in submission to God. Maybe because their heart is far from Him.

I say that, not judgmentally, but because these free-wheeling, contemporary mega-churches are not known for preaching The Gospel of Repentance from sin and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And because the human heart, in it's natural condition, cannot understand spiritual things [I Cor. 2:14], nor are they interested [Rom. 3:11-12]