Many
Modern Churches Are Driving People Away From God
By
Rev. Paul J. Bern
It
has been my observation for quite some time now that the majority of
modern churches (regardless of denomination) who portray themselves
as “evangelical” or “seeker friendly”, are unintentionally
driving people away while claiming to do the opposite! I've had a
long time to consider how to put together a rebuttal to these kinds
of churches without making the holier-than-thou folks really upset.
After some analysis I have come to the conclusion that it is simply
not possible in this case. So instead of pandering to these types of
'Christians', I'm simply going to post and publish the unvarnished
truth, warts and all. After all, the Bible does say explicitly in
both the Old and New Testaments that “judgment will begin in the
house of the Lord.” So have I now appointed myself judge, jury and
executioner over these churches? On the contrary, I would be derelict
in my duty as a Christian man in a position of leadership if I did
not point these things out!
In
the first place, there is a whole lot more to the teachings of Christ
than simple blind obedience. On the contrary, God wants us all to
have a choice, that's why He gave us all the freedom to choose in
life. So for a religion to not be intellectually challenging and
stimulating is to be contrary to the intentions of God. Secondly, it
is equally difficult for any church or minister to proclaim
themselves as leaders and visionaries when life is about to be
discovered on other planets. Organized religion continues to teach
that only man was made in the image and likeness of God, implying
that Earth is the only place in the universe where life can exist.
When life is finally discovered on another planet in our own solar
system, which is inevitable, what will the mainline church
denominations do then? As for myself, I would continue worshiping God
through Jesus Christ just like always. In fact, I would praise God
all the more because He saw fit to populate as many other planets,
and many of their moons, as He saw fit. For the universe is the
Lord's, and everything in it!
But,
chances are that if you are in your 30s and younger, you are not a
member of any church. In a single generation, the Christian church
dropout rate has increased five-fold. In the past 20 years, the
number of American people who say they have no religion has doubled
and has now topped 15 percent. Those numbers are concentrated in the
under-30 population. The polling data continues to show that a
dramatic exit is taking place from American Christian churches.
Beyond those numbers, denominations across the board are
acknowledging loss of membership, but it is worse than they are
reporting. Many churches report numbers based on baptized members,
yet actual Sunday morning attendance doesn’t come close to those
numbers. Simply put, denominations are no longer a reliable source of
their own membership information. The mega-church movement also has
flattened, with people leaving as fast as they are recruited. The
only real growth among Christians appears to be in the home church
movement in which small groups of independent believers gather in a
house to worship.
While
the polling numbers are in, the debate about the reasons why is only
just beginning. When a pollster asks if a person has left the
Christian church, the answer usually starts out being answered 'yes'
or 'no'. However, when the pollster asks why, the answers become
mushy and the numbers lose their significance. Why are people leaving
churches so fast? I am not a pollster, but rather an observer of the
American religious scene. While I am heavily involved in Christianity
as a minister, published author, and with political activism, my
impressions are anecdotal and not scientific. I receive personal
responses to my blogs, and I carry on conversations with a steady
flow of people by e-mail or over the phone. I believe we church
people and clergy need to look at ourselves for many of the reasons
for the decline in membership. I realize there are some smug and
self-righteous Christians everywhere who will take offense at what I
write and say. All that notwithstanding, there are three main
reasons, as I see it, that people everywhere are abandoning churches
and organized religion in droves. Allow me to offer these
observations:
[1]
Churches are no longer intellectually challenging. More and more
of our young people are college-educated and in the future even more
must and will accept the challenge of post-high school education.
They are thinking people who are expanding the limits of their
curiosity and knowledge. Many young people often conclude that they
know more than the person in the pulpit and are not willing to accept
the church’s rigid catechism, an educational method that teaches
the religious questions and the correct answers. As an educational
tool, catechism is outdated and provides no challenge to students
eager to question and discuss. Ministers must re-establish themselves
among the leaders of the intellectual community. It is our
responsibility, whether one is a pastor or a janitor or anywhere in
between, to LEAD!
[2]
Churches are no longer leaders in moral and ethical discussions.
Young people from every state in the country have grown weary of
churches that cannot get past secondary issues such as homosexuality
and abortion. I was once a member of a church for a brief period,
until one Sunday in early November when everyone received a flyer
with their church bulletin that specified who they should vote for
that following Tuesday. The very next week I went and found a better
church. To this day, I don't think anyone in that first church I
attended has any idea why I left. This was, for me, a glaring example
of how utterly clueless some modern Christians can be. Twenty-first
century church drop-outs are still very interested in alternatives to
the selfish, hedonistic society portrayed on television. Justice is
high on their agenda, and they are clearly looking for opportunities
for public service. Today's young people want to be involved in
solving environmental problems and in peacemaking. By contrast, pizza
parties and rock concerts – techniques that have been used to make
churches appear more relevant to the young – are not high on the
agenda of young people concerned about society’s deep-seated
problems. In other words, too many churches are concerned about
same-sex marriage when the preacher should be talking about the
unacceptability and immorality of the American Empire's global war
machine. What about that, ministers?
[3]
Churches are no longer visionary. They have remained focused on
offering rituals tied to perpetuating theologies that no longer seem
relevant to many people, including myself. Churches are no longer
significant players in shaping the life of our communities. If
ministers and churches will not lay out what the kingdom of God on
earth might actually look like, young people will continue to look
elsewhere for other models. In that sense, I am less concerned about
the young adults who are leaving the churches than the churches they
are leaving behind. It's up to us to shepherd the flock. If church
leadership doesn't step up to the plate and take some swings, the
people they are supposed to be ministering to will go find themselves
a better ball game.
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