Respectability/Domestication of the Church

[Just Some Dude]

Despite the fancy title, I'm just sharing a blog post that I found interested, because I want to see what kind of discussion it creates. It's someone hypothesizing that the main problem with the church nowadays is a heresy he calls "respectability," or "domestication."


Link:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereo...-christianity/

[Christianbookworm]

Not a tame lion?

[Thoughtful Monk]

Despite the fancy title, I'm just sharing a blog post that I found interested, because I want to see what kind of discussion it creates. It's someone hypothesizing that the main problem with the church nowadays is a heresy he calls "respectability," or "domestication."


Link:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereo...-christianity/

Abolutely agree with the article. I struggle with being middle class and wanting more from my church than being entertained.

Best quote: "In my opinion, the main way is that we expect our pastors (and other Christian leaders) to comfort, encourage and support us and never seriously challenge us to the core of who we are."

Thanks for sharing.

[Darth Xena]

Oh man, I am so discouraged right now in finding a church since my move.

[Obsidian]

Some places just don't have good churches. I've looked all around my area, to some extent physically but also just on MapQuest and the internet. I have had trouble.

That said, I feel like this article doesn't say much of any substance. It is just hollow complaining. A socialist could interpret it one way, a conservative another, etc.

In my opinion, the main way is that we expect our pastors (and other Christian leaders) to comfort, encourage and support us and never seriously challenge us to the core of who we are. Most pastors know very well that if they do that, their job will be in jeopardy.

I personally have a problem with challenging the core of my soul just for the heck of it. If someone issues a challenge, I expect him to have hard exegesis and lots of Bible verses. Plenty of churches have strong emotion. Very few of them have substantive logic derived from the Bible. Someone who likes to yell at you generalities like "Get the sin out of your life" conveys just as hollow a message as this blog post.

[One Bad Pig]

Despite the fancy title, I'm just sharing a blog post that I found interested, because I want to see what kind of discussion it creates. It's someone hypothesizing that the main problem with the church nowadays is a heresy he calls "respectability," or "domestication."


Link:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereo...-christianity/

I don't know if I'd call it "respectability" so much as "the cool factor." I'm not familiar with pastors passing themselves off as Th.D.s, but I used to talk quite a bit with an ex-pastor who'd made the mistake of offending the rich matron of his congregation.

One of the unanticipated effects of my conversion is I can go to any Orthodox church and pretty much know what I'm going to get; the service may be a little different than I'm used to, but the doctrine will be the same. As a Protestant, I didn't have much problem finding a fellowship I could grow in though (at Penn State or in southern MD).

[Jedidiah]

The manifestations mentioned in the blog are, I agree, a fault. But keep in mind that we are a fallen (that is faulty) people. I don't know how prevalent such things are, but the two main churches I have belonged to do not bear such fruit. How wide spread are the manifestations really?

[phat8594]

Oh man, I am so discouraged right now in finding a church since my move.

Where did you move to?

[Darth Xena]

Colorado

[phat8594]

Colorado

ahhhhh... don't know if could help you much there.....

but then again...I don't know if you'd be much into my type of church anyways...haha

well...good luck anyways!