Has your church adopted the atheist's goal for your church?

Binaca Chugger

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Expelled (No Intelligence Allowed) - Documentary

In Expelled (No Intelligence), Biologist PZ Myers proclaims:

"If you separate the ethics from religion, you are simply left with fairy tales.  Religion is an idea that gives some people comfort, like knitting.  We're not going to take away their knitting needles or their churches.  However, religion should be treated as something fun that people get together and do on the weekend and really doesn't affect their life."

OK, I may not have quoted exactly, but it is pretty close.  See the interview at the 1:00:00 mark.

As I listened to this, I began to ponder, have we adopted the atheist's goal for our church?  Is religion just something we do on weekends?  Have our churches simply become a social club for like-minded people? 

I was in an IFBx church.  The people were more motivated by politics and the tea party than conformity to Christ.  There was a large effort to reach those poor bus kids, but it was honestly more altruistic feelings to comfort their guilt of gluttony than helping people.  The church was a social club.  If you fit in, fine.  If not, you aren't right with God and have become a stinkin' liberal.  I have seen this in liberal churches also.  If you want to accept our status quo, you will fit in well with our weekly meetings, if not, you are probably a bigot.

Has status quo Christianity invaded the church?  Has church become more about seeing our friends than conforming to Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission?  If so, have the atheists accomplished their stated goal for Christianity?  How much of status quo Christianity is the result of a carefully calculated manipulation of society and Christians to produce this callousness?
 
My constant gut feeling is that church is little more than a social club.

I have a brilliant friend who is an unbeliever. He is open to discussion and he carefully classifies himself as agnostic rather than atheist. He (and I) feel militant atheism is an odd stance - why rail against something you do not believe exists?

This friend has a lot of questions and seeing our world from his perspective is challenging and interesting for me. He wants me to watch Christopher Hitchens' debates, in which he shreds believers. I am not afraid that my belief in God can be shaken but I am not a skilled apologist and feel the debates would not be good for me to watch. But my friend is truly interested in my take. It tells a lot about us, I believe, when we see ourselves through a lens other than that afforded us in the narrow ifbx world.
 
Aleshanee said: ... they find every little chink and crack of hypocrisy in the christian armor and use to their maximum advantage.....even though the crack in their own armor are much bigger to the point of being hideous...

Ha! True! My unbelieving friend never misses an opportunity to point out any little (or big) chink in any Christian's armor. It sharpens me, I know. He is a Washington attorney with a brilliant mind that intimidates me except for my core of having Truth on my side. Sparring with him strengthens me but is wearisome at times.
 
Some have always treated "church" as a social club. Its been that way for almost two thousands years. Its just gotten worse.

I believe if the average church got ride of its fellowship halls, its youth club meetings, its senior dinners, its pastor appreciate banquets, its Mother's day award, its Father's day awards, its Christmas programs, its Easter programs, its May day celebrations, its lock ins, its sleep overs, its fellowship Wednesdays, its soul winning "outings" and etc....

There really wouldn't be many people left. If any at all. I'm NOT saying all this is sin/wrong. I am saying, all these "things" have caused many assemblies to lose their focus. I think Paul said it very well when he said....

1Co 11:22  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?
 
christundivided said:
Some have always treated "church" as a social club. Its been that way for almost two thousands years. Its just gotten worse.

I believe if the average church got ride of its fellowship halls, its youth club meetings, its senior dinners, its pastor appreciate banquets, its Mother's day award, its Father's day awards, its Christmas programs, its Easter programs, its May day celebrations, its lock ins, its sleep overs, its fellowship Wednesdays, its soul winning "outings" and etc....

There really wouldn't be many people left. If any at all. I'm NOT saying all this is sin/wrong. I am saying, all these "things" have caused many assemblies to lose their focus. I think Paul said it very well when he said....

1Co 11:22  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?

men's softball...boy's baseball...golf league...open gym night...pickup basketball night...our church is a men's sports club. Women are not allowed, of course, to participate in any physical activity but the truly spiritual ones are there to cheer their honey on and to teach their daughters to do the same...
 
myeyesareopen said:
christundivided said:
Some have always treated "church" as a social club. Its been that way for almost two thousands years. Its just gotten worse.

I believe if the average church got ride of its fellowship halls, its youth club meetings, its senior dinners, its pastor appreciate banquets, its Mother's day award, its Father's day awards, its Christmas programs, its Easter programs, its May day celebrations, its lock ins, its sleep overs, its fellowship Wednesdays, its soul winning "outings" and etc....

There really wouldn't be many people left. If any at all. I'm NOT saying all this is sin/wrong. I am saying, all these "things" have caused many assemblies to lose their focus. I think Paul said it very well when he said....

1Co 11:22  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?

men's softball...boy's baseball...golf league...open gym night...pickup basketball night...our church is a men's sports club. Women are not allowed, of course, to participate in any physical activity but the truly spiritual ones are there to cheer their honey on and to teach their daughters to do the same...

Nice.  Classic Hammond.
 
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