Michael Spencer writing for the Christian Science Monitor wrote the article The coming Evangelical Collapse, that was taken from a series he wrote on his website InternetMonk. Spencer would have us believe the basically mainstream Christianity will be virtually gone in ten years and that this is a good thing. In the first sentence he states “ This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world…” so it seems that the author ties what he refers to as “Evangelical Christianity” to the mainline protestant world in the West.
Mr. Spencer goes on to state that the collapse will start the arrival of the anti-Christian period. While it is true that our society has become one that is more secular and more anti-Christian, the Church has suffered much in the past and yet was able to survive and even thrive. If you look at the church in China you will see that persecution has not destroyed the church but maybe even helped it grow. Mr. Spencer goes on to make a similar point and the real problem is, that he seems to equate the church in the West as Evangelicals and that this group is a bunch of over the top un Biblical consumers who care too much about abortion and gay marriage. While it’s true that winning the “culture war” isn’t what the calling of the Gospel is all about, I think it is right to try to hold our society up to a moral standard and to save the slaughter of the unborn.
Next he says “Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline.” This is absolutely unfounded. There has been and will continue to be those who leave the church, but true believers will ultimately not loose faith as nothing can remove you from the hand of God, not even yourself. I believe Hebrews 6 makes it apparent that if you could loose your salvation, to get it back you would have to crucify Christ again and that is not possible as Christ died once for all sins. Though some will question their faith those who have true faith will not be gone permanently. As far as quitting just meaning leaving the church, as stated earlier persecution usually drives more people to the faith and Evangelicals are part of the true body of Christ whether you agree with them or not on political issues. Will some leave the church? Yes, but will it collapse because of this? I don’t think so. I think the claim that millions of Evangelicals will quit is exaggerated and you really need a good definition of what is an evangelical.
Why will Christian schools go into rapid decline? Christian schools teach more than just Christians and provide better schooling than public schools. Most Christian schools are not usually even considered “evangelical”.
The article says that “Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress.” This is not new and while our founders built this country on a Biblical foundation that is quickly being eroded, most of America still sees through this smokescreen and I believe will continue to see that a completely secularized society is not good for the public.
Here is another statement with nothing to support it. “The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses.” It’s unfounded to say that an investment in a moral society is a waste. While morals apart from Christ won’t save you, working to have our society follow God’s laws is not worthless. Should we have let slavery continue because we might have depleted our resources? One can argue over individual political issues but when it comes to standing up for what is right, that is something we should never give up on. To be specific, abortion is not a political issue, though some try to make it seam that way. Abortion is our modern slavery and we should fight to the last, to stop the murderous infanticide. Depleted our resources? Are Christians all wiped out and poor now? I don’t think so, but God will continue to equip those He calls. Our Father in Heaven owns the Cattle on a thousand hills, the resources of the world are His.
”We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it” Nothing could be further from this statement. If our young people don’t know enough about their faith it’s because some have watered down the truth with things such as the progressive emergent church movement, not because of Evangelicals. Have Evangelicals not shared the Bible with their kids because they spend money on Christian music or has Christian media made youths not care about scripture? No, Christian music and media are not a substitute for learning the word of God but they are not to blame for any lack of knowledge of the Bible. To really have a discussion, you need to define just what Evangelicals are and not just refer to every problem in the church as that of Evangelicals.
"Evangelicalism has used its educational system primarily to staff its own needs and talk to itself." To this I have to again say what is this founded on? Is there some kind of study out there that I missed that says all graduates of Christian schools go right back to working in Christian schools and close themselves off from the world? At best it's anecdotal but it seems like it has more to do with the author’s bias, in that it seems he thinks all Evangelicals are lazy and selfish.
Mr. Spencer talks about the importance of theology and it is indeed very important, but head knowledge of the Bible doesn't save anyone. The gospel must be accepted in one's heart. No one man can save another, that is something only God can do but it is our job to be His ambassadors and show His love to the world.
We can't worry about pop culture not liking Evangelical Christianity. Chasing that is like chasing after the wind. We don’t need to just be seen as spiritual people who are deep in their faith and mind their own small religious business. We need to show the world and each other the love of Jesus. God did not call us to separate ourselves from the world but to go into the world and spread the Gospel. This too is a part of theology.
An overriding theme seems to be that American Christians are bad. Do we need Godly Christians from other countries to come save us? No, we need to let God continue the work in us that He started and that He said He would complete in us.
The author says that denominations are going to become irrelevant and that we need a new network to replace all of their resources. Does he think denominations should be replaced with basically new denominations? There's an old saying that goes, don't throw out the baby with the bath water. We don't need to hope for the destruction of the church so that it can start again right. Christians do need to die to themselves and live for Christ.
"The loss of their political clout may impel many Evangelicals to reconsider the wisdom of trying to create a "godly society." Because Obama is President and Democrats have taken over congress, is the world ending? It may seem like it, but even that doesn't mean that it's over for conservatives. Politics ebb and flow and as Jimmy Carter was once president but now is not. So to Obama's administration will pass and Democrats will not rule the government forever. Evangelicals are not trying to create a "godly society" but are trying to keep the society we're in from becoming like Sodom.
The author has a simplistic view. Stereotyping all that is wrong with the church as the Evangelical movement. Within the church their exists many different denominations and people. It is not simply the "Catholic and Orthodox" on one side and everyone else on the other. True "Evangelical" Christianity means to follow Jesus and share the good news that He died while we were yet sinners so that we might be saved from our sins and no longer be separated from God
Is the author completely wrong? No, there is some truth in what was written. There are aspects of the church that are too "consumer" driven, there are churches and denominations that are caught up in a prosperity gospel. There are other problems as well, but to point to the issues of some and say this is what makes up the entirety of Protestant Christianity or this is what makes up Evangelical Christianity in the West is like looking at and describing the tail of an elephant and declaring that all elephants are like snakes. I don’t have a problem with Mr. Spencer but I do disagree with what he wrote.
Does Evangelical Christianity need to fail? No, each believer needs to be transformed by the work of God in their own life. Christians may certainly face a hard time ahead but we need to be careful not to cheer on the destruction of the majority of the body as the answer. Does their need to be a new reformation? These aren't the times of Martin Luther when no one owned a Bible and all church services were in Latin. God has spread the gospel all over the world and most people in the West have access to a Bible and if they seek to know God better (and everyone should) they can and should spend more time with Him and in His word. And Evangelicals can and should share their faith. Theology does need to be taught and understood and false teachings should be seen for what they are, but the love of Christ must not be traded in for a theological degree. One thing we do need is personal and corporate (church wide) revival.
I am not against Mr. Spencer, and everything I am for I am not saying he is against. But before we go around saying the sky is falling on or because of the Evangelicals we should take the time to find out just who is an Evangelical and what do they really represent.
Comments
I agree that Mr. Spencer's article was a bit doomsday and dramatic, but he did hit on some thruths. As a non-evangelical Christian, I see one of the biggest destructions of the evangelical image in Rush Limbaugh. This man is not religious, and yet he has drawn in the religious right wing [the dittoheads] and has them spewing his vitriol all over the internet. The evangelical association with Rush Limbaugh is its downfall, bottom line.
Many Christians today seem to feel that, as long as they are in a building that someone's calling a church, and as long as the name of Jesus is being called over and over, that the SMELL OF SULFUR means nothing, or is just some little slip. Are Christians so naive as to believe that the Adversary doesn't work through churches and preachers? It's no wonder the left, people that want to do good works for their fellow humans, are demonized by the political evangelicals. That is a red herring. Have we not been warned of the false prophets?
I listen to Rush Limbaugh, I don't worship him.
You might ask yourself why there is a perceived association between ‘evangelicals’ and Rush. And why religious right wingers would listen to him. To figure that one out you should go listen to what he says, in context, and not just want some media personality (by definition a competitor of Rush’s for media audience) says about him.
If, after that, you are still confused about the connection between conservative political ideology and evangelicals then you should go read the writings of the founding fathers.
Hey Judi, Are you serious? Rush Limbaugh is cause evangelical collapse?
How about: Ted Haggard: a man who was consorting with homosexual prostitutes and using crystal meth just a short time ago.Or the Discovery Church in New Jersey that features a cross dressing pastor. Or,The Illinois High School Assocition that has ordered that any Christian high school hosting a sports event may not have prayers over the public address system on their own property. And, New Spring Church's YOUTH MINISTRY,Youth Group 'Sexed' Series. Etc Etc Etc. Their are many, many more examples. But you claim Rush Limbaugh is the downfall? Look beyond the end of your nose.
If we wanted to understand--we could. This "blindness" is self-inflicted. And there's plenty to go around and certainly not restricted to any one group. You have those who have made Paul of the NT or "fluff" (aka leaven) greater than Jesus. They prefer it since it is easier on the conscious than that of Christ's teachings. Then comes the hypocrisy...the hole in the boat. Those worry of false-prophets when they should be more concerned of one's level of reading--since the Gospels have been around for nearly 2000 years. Standing before Christ, I'm telling you the truth--it is the elephant in the room... Mt 5:16
Rush Limbaugh does identify as having a belief in God. And regardless of his beliefs he is correct. One does not have to be religious to speak the truth.
What people aren't getting about the article is that it doesn't matter what the church wants to call or define as Evangelical. All that matters is what the culture BELIEVES is Evangelical. And the culture believes that Evangelicals are the ones who want to hold back science, hold back civil liberties, and hold back the efforts to stop Global Warming. In other words, in the culture's mind, Christians are now synonymous with Conservative Republicans. Whatever the Reps do, believe, and say, people assume Christians across the board think the same way. Christians are no longer regarded as the heralds of God's love and salvation - instead, we are seen as the party-poopers trying to assert our will on everyone else. THAT is what the author is saying is about to come to an end. And, along with him, I see this as nothing but beneficial for the church! We need to be known as the bearers of God's message of reconciliation, and that's it! If it means the country goes to hell and we are left with 10 members nationwide - so be it!
Why are you so interested in organizations and not people. When 2 or more are together they can bless the wine and bread. And God forgives those who don't. I tire of organizations that do not focus on the individual. I feel God much more in an AA meeting than I ever did when my parents made me go to church.
I think we Christians need to overcome our apathy and stand up for what is right, and live lives on integrity - be examples to the world, not just crawl in our caves and hide and hope everything will be ok. The family has fallen apart - consumerism has promoted a sense of entitlement and selfishness that has turned us as a nation away from Godly living. We need to pray for this country, and do our part to be agents of positive change.
Instead of trying to be left or right wing Christians we need to pray to be historic Christians. That means to be acting justly,loving mercy, in private as well as in the public square. None of us do this all the time which is why we need to pray for deeper and deeper layers of repentance.
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