Why the mainstream churches die
I am too lazy to paraphrase this, so I will publish this in full. Giving credit where credit is due, this is from Malaysia Sun (MalaysiaSun.com) Tuesday, August 8 2006:
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s publishing arm has released a book that says President Bush organized New York's Sept. 11 attacks. The decision by the 160-year-old Westminster John Knox Press, the trade and academic publishing imprint of the Presbyterian Publishing Corp., to attribute the attacks on the World Trade Center brings into the U.S. religious mainstream a conspiracy theory long held by the world's jihadists. In 'Christian Faith and the Truth behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action,' author David Ray Griffin calls the United States the world's 'chief embodiment of demonic power, says he initially scoffed at 9/11 conspiracy theories. But after investigating he concluded that the Twin Towers were brought down by controlled demolition, military personnel were given stand-down orders not to intercept hijacked flights and the 9/11 Commission, ostensibly created to uncover the truth behind the events of 9/11, 'simply ignored evidence' that the administration was involved in the attacks. Griffin further asserts that such events such as that of 9/11 are part of a long history of 'false-flag attacks,' attacks orchestrated by governments against their own people to garner popular support for military action. Griffin is a professor at California's Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University, and a codirector of the Center for Process Studies.
Recognize that, if true, this is from one of the major, mainline Protestant denominations in the US. Which explains why the so-called mainline churches are dying.
In fact, this is beyond what I would expect. Not only is it publishing something really kooky, but it is publishing something that has been proven totally untrue. If W had orchestrated these attacks, Richard Ben-Veniste would have uncovered it by now, and W not only would have been impeached, but would have been imprisoned, executed, or lynched by now.
The mainline churches, once seperate denominations, have now gone way beyond what they exist for - to preach Biblical truth. And are now going into left wing, nay, nutty, politicking.
Here are some examples:
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s publishing arm has released a book that says President Bush organized New York's Sept. 11 attacks. The decision by the 160-year-old Westminster John Knox Press, the trade and academic publishing imprint of the Presbyterian Publishing Corp., to attribute the attacks on the World Trade Center brings into the U.S. religious mainstream a conspiracy theory long held by the world's jihadists. In 'Christian Faith and the Truth behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action,' author David Ray Griffin calls the United States the world's 'chief embodiment of demonic power, says he initially scoffed at 9/11 conspiracy theories. But after investigating he concluded that the Twin Towers were brought down by controlled demolition, military personnel were given stand-down orders not to intercept hijacked flights and the 9/11 Commission, ostensibly created to uncover the truth behind the events of 9/11, 'simply ignored evidence' that the administration was involved in the attacks. Griffin further asserts that such events such as that of 9/11 are part of a long history of 'false-flag attacks,' attacks orchestrated by governments against their own people to garner popular support for military action. Griffin is a professor at California's Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University, and a codirector of the Center for Process Studies.
Recognize that, if true, this is from one of the major, mainline Protestant denominations in the US. Which explains why the so-called mainline churches are dying.
In fact, this is beyond what I would expect. Not only is it publishing something really kooky, but it is publishing something that has been proven totally untrue. If W had orchestrated these attacks, Richard Ben-Veniste would have uncovered it by now, and W not only would have been impeached, but would have been imprisoned, executed, or lynched by now.
The mainline churches, once seperate denominations, have now gone way beyond what they exist for - to preach Biblical truth. And are now going into left wing, nay, nutty, politicking.
Here are some examples:
- Now only does the Prebysterian church publish this nonsense, but advocates parisherners to get rid of their guns.
- The Episcipolian Church (the official American Anglican church) now ordinates gay bishops. The current head even explains that engaging in sodomy is not contrary to God's law (???)
- The United Church of Christ - formerly known as Congregationalists - has essentially endorsed gay marriage. It also calls for Israeli disinvestment.
- The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America states there are certain circumstances when abortion is permissible. I also remember having a speaker come in, in lieu of a confirmation class, advocating the seperation of Namibia from South Africa.
And, there's more, I'm just too lazy tonight to quote them all.
People generally see what is going on. When a church advocates "social justice" over it's key role, saving it's congregants, and ignores the Bible, it will lose members. And shrivel on the vine. In the meantime, other splinter groups in the denomination will grow in members, and the mainline groups will be mainline no more. And, the movement to non-affiliated churches has been growing.
If the pilgrims could see what happened to their church (the Congregationalists), they would freak out and die. Oh wait - they're already dead. Bad example. Then again, John Kerry is the descendent of John Wintrop, and Hugh Heffner is a descendent of a puritan governor of Conneticut.
And, when being a non-congregant is an option in American society, liberalizing your church does not gain members. Why wake up every Sunday morning to go to church when you can sleep off you Saturday night fun? Especially to listen to some boring lecture (er, sermon) about something you might believe, or might not. Going to church is not a fun activity - nor should it be. This is where you go to save your soul. And when those whose focus in life is that, and have to go to churches whose leaders openly preach against what is Biblically sanctioned, they are going to leave.
posted by EricMatthew at 9:03 PM
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