Friday, July 29, 2005
THOUGHTS ON A BOOK WE ARE READING
Karon and I have begun to read the book together, “The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience”, by Ronald J. Sider. (Actually, I’m reading the book to Karon.) Karon selected this book from one of her book clubs and thought we should read it together.
The purpose of the book, as stated by its author, is to address the question, “Why are Christians living just like the rest of the world?”
The book seems to be a disturbing but accurate indictment on what the church has NOT done as much as it is an indictment on what it has done.
The first chapter discusses the church’s attitudes and inactivity in the areas of divorce, materialism and the poor, sexual disobedience, racism and physical abuse in marriage.
Quoting the summary given at the end of the first chapter is the best way I can communicate the scope of the book:
“To say there is a crisis of disobedience in the evangelical
world today is to dangerously understate the problem. Born-
again Christians divorce at about the same rate as everyone
else. Self-centered materialism is seducing evangelicals and
rapidly destroying our earlier, slightly more generous giving.
Only 6 percent of born-again Christians tithe. Born-again
Christians justify and engage in sexual promiscuity (both
premarital sex and adultery) at astonishing rates. Racism
and perhaps physical abuse of wives seem to be worse in
evangelical circles than elsewhere. This is scandalous
behavior for people who claim to be born-again by the Holy
Spirit and to enjoy the very presence of the Risen Lord in their
lives.”
The book then discusses this theme under chapter headings of: The Biblical Vision; Cheap Grace vs. the Whole Gospel; Conforming to Culture or being the Church and Rays of Hope.
I think it will be a very interesting, although very disturbing, book. I am looking forward to delving into it. The book gives a lot of findings of Pollster George Barna. I respect Barna’s polling methods and conclusions very much. Though they are most disturbing I think they are an accurate reflection of what is going on in our country religiously at this time.
But I want to also share a comment that a member of our little church made the other day when she was visiting in our home. I am not going to report the conversation verbatim. And the context was different than the book’s theme. But her comment “squares” with what the book has said so far.
She said, “The Christian Church is so weak in teaching Bible knowledge. In my background as a “__________”, we had to learn the Bible whether we wanted to or not. And that Bible knowledge made a difference in the way I live today. It seems like in the church today Bible teaching is almost non-existent.”
I hate what she said but had to admit she is right. And that’s what Sider is saying in his book. Because we haven’t emphasized and insisted on teaching and living by the Biblical principles, we’re in the “fix” we’re in today.
Enough of the rant. Maybe further reading of the book will produce other Posts in this Journal. Hopefully they’ll be more than just rants.
Jim
posted by jim 4:10 PM 1 comments
Comments:
Mmmm. Tough stuff for me, since I look at the Bible a bit differently than the author does, no doubt. But I can agree in general principal that there should be something visibly different about people who walk in Christ's footsteps. In my opinion, the difference should be that Christians are radically compassionate, kind, and full of grace and mercy... radically willing to break some legalistic rules for the glory of God... radically committed to social justice and the breaking down of barriers between people.
But the author is right in condemning the frequency of divorce (although I will maintain that there are times when divorce is necessary, it would be best if people took time to be counselled about marriage and expected to make the transition slowly), of abuse, of adultery..... and promiscuity: this is tough topic for me because I live with someone to whom I'm not married and have no immediate plans to marry. On the one hand, I wouldn't consider myself promiscuous by any means, since I'm in a committed, monogamous relationship... but I don't really have a good response to the pre-marital relations thing, either. I have mixed feelings about it (but I also figure that it's between me and God to reckon it out). I tend to think that this is less important than social justice issues, though I understand that some people may disagree with me a great deal, and I can see their reasoning behind it. It's a judgment call on their part, and a judgment call on mine.
A lot of this comes down to the place the Bible holds in my religious/spiritual experience and what authority I am willing to grant it. I grant it authority, but not ultimate authority. It's a long story, my relationship with scripture...
Anyhow, good, thought provoking post. Gives me something to ponder.
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But the author is right in condemning the frequency of divorce (although I will maintain that there are times when divorce is necessary, it would be best if people took time to be counselled about marriage and expected to make the transition slowly), of abuse, of adultery..... and promiscuity: this is tough topic for me because I live with someone to whom I'm not married and have no immediate plans to marry. On the one hand, I wouldn't consider myself promiscuous by any means, since I'm in a committed, monogamous relationship... but I don't really have a good response to the pre-marital relations thing, either. I have mixed feelings about it (but I also figure that it's between me and God to reckon it out). I tend to think that this is less important than social justice issues, though I understand that some people may disagree with me a great deal, and I can see their reasoning behind it. It's a judgment call on their part, and a judgment call on mine.
A lot of this comes down to the place the Bible holds in my religious/spiritual experience and what authority I am willing to grant it. I grant it authority, but not ultimate authority. It's a long story, my relationship with scripture...
Anyhow, good, thought provoking post. Gives me something to ponder.
# posted by 
: 5:57 PM
: 5:57 PM