I’m finally reading Patrick Morley’s book, The Man in the Mirror. So far I like it. I will give a full review when I finish it. But I want to pass along a comment he makes. In discussing trends of the latter 20th century he notes one which he calls Cultural Christianity. Here is his definition:
“Cultural Christianity means to pursue the God we want instead of the God who is. It is the tendency to be shallow in our understanding of God, wanting Him to be more of a gentle grandfather type who spoils us and lets us have our own way. It is sensing a need for God, but on our own terms. It is wanting the God we have underlined in our Bibles without wanting the rest of Him, too. It is God relative instead of God absolute.
That’s a pretty damning view wouldn’t you say? Do you agree that some have trundled down the road of the cultural Christian?
He continues, “ It is Christianity with little or no impact on values and beliefs of our society.” And again, “Like the transformer toys that children play with we often want God to be adjustable – to adapt to our whims instead of us adapting to Him.”
Morley is surely correct in his assessment of the Christian landscape today. Churches have become places of entertainment – not worship. Preacher’s have become more like smooth talking politicians and less like the fearless forth-tellers of God’s words. Side by side with our agnostic neighbors we look alike and the curious sees no difference between those who believe and those who do not.
Christians are different – they must be different (1 Peter 2:9).
As we leave 2009 behind let us leave cultural Christianity behind too. It has proven to be an unworthy addition to the doctrines of men.
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