The recession is foremost in our papers and in many of our minds. We all recognize that the country—even the world—is facing an economic downturn, and that, at the very least, we all need to cinch up our belts a bit. Hundreds of thousands of people are losing their jobs, there is the potential of six million people losing their homes in foreclosures, five banks are closing every weekend, rents are going up and donations to charities are going down. It doesn’t sound like there could be anything good that could happen from all this, except a lesson about greed learned the hard way. Certainly there is a lesson to be learned about greed here, but there could be an actual economic hope that the church could take advantage of.
1. The basis of capitalism
I’m going to begin talking about this hope with the driest subject possible—economics. This is not to bore you, hopefully, but to provide a theory on which we can build our hopes on.
The idea behind an economic system—such as capitalism, socialism or communism—is for the overall benefit of a community to provide resources for all. An economic system is supposed to be a theory that will allow everyone to have the resources necessary. Marxism was supposed to put the worker as the deciding factor of his labor. Communism was a more top-down approach, where leaders determined the best use of resources for all. Socialism allows people to have some control over their own income, but controls a large amount of it for the public good. Capitalism, our system, is supposed to provide economic freedom for the individual, with government regulation, but minimal control.
The father of capitalism is supposed to be Adam Smith, a philosopher of Oxford who published his economic treatise in 1776, The Wealth of Nations. The idea behind his economic theory is that price is determined by two factors—the cost of the labor to produce, and the desire of the buyer to purchase. Thus, if a producer wants to have a computer that is going to make them money, they need to produce it as cheaply as possible, and still make sure it is a product that the buyer still wants. So we get sleekly designed computers that break down in two years.
The basic idea of modern capitalism is this: whatever is good for the producer is good for the buyer. Because the producer is always looking out for the desire of the buyer, then if the producer is selling their products, then the buyer will be satisfied. If the buyer is dissatisfied, then the producer doesn’t make money and so they go out of business. It is to the benefit of the producer to keep the customer happy. Thus, modern economic theory follows the mantra, “Greed is good.” Whatever benefits the producer also benefits the consumer.
While I could provide a scathing critique of this ideal—which has been done many times before by better critics than I—I would rather want to reflect on the source of this system. Many people place all credit and blame of this system of greed upon the shoulders of Professor Smith and the Wealth of Nations. Certainly the description Smith gives in that book reflects a system similar to the one described. However, Adam Smith’s ideals were broader than a simple economic theory.
Smith was not originally, or primarily, an economist, but an ethical philosopher. The Wealth of Nations was not his first book, but his final one. The foundation of his economic theory was not a concern about price, but morality. His first full work was called A Theory of Moral Sentiments.
This book is about the basis of morality, and it full of practical and fascinating insights. In it, Smith claims that the basis of all morality is not a standard of rule, but empathy for another human being. “Sentiments” in the eighteenth century was a synonym of “compassion” or “empathy.” And this identification with others, Smith claims, is the basis of how the world works.
You can read The Theory of Moral Sentiments here:
http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smMS.html
A Wikipedia article on the book with a summary is available:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_Moral_Sentiments
Thee are various exchanges, not just economic, that take place in life. Cultural exchanges, social exchanges, informational exchanges as well as goods being exchanged. The way an exchange should be done is in view of both one’s own need and especially the other. Smith claims, actually, that an act done out of complete selfishness is not completely human, because it is equally human to identify with and act in sympathy with the other. To have any kind of exchange is to have both parties see the need and hope of the other and to attempt to meet that need, as well as one’s own, in the exchange.
Thus, our current economic system is completely unlike the one that Smith envisioned. To claim that the needs of one party, the producer, automatically is to the benefit of the other is false. First of all, because Smith’s theory assumes any exchange to be between two humans, acting in full human capacity. This means that the producer is empathizing with the one with whom the exchange is to be made. However, if the producer is actually given societal permission to act in complete self-interest, then sympathy is no longer necessary.
One of the greatest indications of the failure of modern capitalism is how a producer will create a desire in a consumer for a product the consumer had never considered necessary before. A consumer never thought “Hey, I think there should be a new Pepsi” until one is presented, attractive, held by an attractive human being. The desire is created, not just met. This is far from Smith’s idea of empathy, but rather a psychology of creating in others the desire for what is in the producer’s benefit.
If capitalism is to work as a system, there needs to be a return to Smith’s original concept of compassion, and the meeting of needs. Without this, we have the increase of greed in which the few obtain the wealth while the populace—the nations—find themselves in greater poverty, unable to obtain that which is their greatest need. Only the successful producer gains what is needed, and more.
2. The focus of compassion
Another issue that comes with greed—the focus of one’s own needs and desires—is the way that one looks at others. As Smith said, to be fully human, one must be able to appreciate the other person as their own entity, equal to oneself, with their own suffering, their own loves, their own hopes, their own needs. The lives of others might be able to also meet our own needs, but often that is not true. Often, other’s needs do not neatly intermingle with our own, so that we can offer a reasonable exchange between the needs. If, then, we dismiss the other because we can obtain no benefit from them, we are reducing the other to only that which they can benefit ourselves. This is a selfish manner of looking at others.
The system we have reduces people to that selfish view. The consumer is only the consumer of the product which the producer desires to sell. Thus, the consumer is not a whole person, but only the desirer of the producer’s product, or they are nothing, a non-entity. The cashier is only interested in the consumer as a purchaser of the product and the consumer is only interested in the cashier as a seller of certain goods and services, nothing else. There is a safety and an efficiency in this arrangement, but in point of fact, it is objectification. The other, in exchange of goods, is only the beneficiary of the self or of the corporation. Nothing else. This is dehumanization.
The real human being is actually a bundle of desires and hopes and needs. Each human is it’s own society of often mixed desires, and the commodity exchange is not meant to fulfill one’s basic human need, but to provide only what one is prepared to sell.
The first step in a true economic system is to see each person as a whole person, with a potentially full range of needs and desires. The basic needs of humanity are not limited to food and clothing, as well. Each human has a wide range of needs, including:
a. Survival needs—Yes, food and clothing. And warmth and sleep. Also a place to go to the bathroom and to be clean. And some basic needs met to be healthy—a place to rest when sick, clean bandages when cut. Often when we think of needs, we think of these areas. However, even these needs are marginalized in a greed society. For a bathroom is not available, unless the need of the producer is met—an item is purchased. And one’s health needs are not considered in a grocery store, which emphasizes the products which sell (e.g. Doritos), not the items that provide health (e.g. leaf spinach).
b. Social needs—There is a need of every person to connect with another person. This means a fair exchange of personal information and general communication. Again, this is marginalized in the marketplace due to the need of efficiency and the focus on monetary profit, rather than the benefit of full humans.
c. Honor needs—Every person needs some form of respect, to be recognized and honored for who they are or for what they’ve done. This can be in a small way, such as a thanks, or a large way, such as a ceremony. For the most part, this need remains fulfilled. Except for those who find that they cannot participate in the marketplace for whatever reason—they are considered undeserving of any respect because they do not accomplish the benefit of producers.
d. Safety needs—Every person needs to have a sense of security, without fear of attack or theft. Safety has proven to be a commodity, the need of which must be created. We are trained to fear various ailments by pharmaceuticals, and trained to fear terrorists and murderers by the news media. To feel that what the leaders are doing is adequate, we must first be convinced of the need, and that the leaders are meeting that need. Much of this is done to benefit the leaders to provide security for their jobs.
e. Peace needs—A full human being must be at peace within themselves, as well as sense peace from without. There must be contentment, a sense that all is good within oneself. However, this sense works against the market economy. The market must continually create dissatisfaction in order to create good consumers. The satisfied customer is the customer of the past.
f. Pleasure needs—This is a need often ignored by a culture that still plays with Stoicism. However, if we do not have pleasure in our lives, then we will be in depression, which leads to suicide. Just recently has the idea been given that to have efficient workers, then some kind of pleasure must be placed in the workplace. However, pleasure, as well as other needs, is often inadequately met because of the desire to exercise common pleasures that everyone can participate in. However, not everyone obtains pleasure from a party or from a “fun activity”. Efficiency, again, demands that pleasures be held in common. A full humanity must have that which is truly pleasurable, to the individual.
If we are going to have an economic system that provides for everyone’s basic needs, then we need to have a system that looks at people as a whole person, not as a beneficiary for the producer. And the best economic system is that which makes certain to provide for those who are in deepest need. Every system has cracks—those who will not be assisted by the system. The best system is that which will fill those cracks—will find ways in which to meet the needs of those who are not provided for in the basic system. Thus, a system must be flexible in order to truly meet all needs.
3. The economics of community
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Anawim Atonement
All atonement theories are ways of explaining the centrality of Jesus’ death in the New Testament. All of the theories explain why Jesus died and how that equates the freedom from sin for those who believe. The best of the theories would: a. Be a “fit” for almost all of the Biblical passages that speak about Jesus’ death and the forgiveness of sins; b. Be a “fit” for the cultures of the New Testament church and c. Be a “fit” for the overall teaching—theological and moral—of all the New Testament writers.
1. Ransom or Christus Victor Theory
Idea: Jesus’ death was a payment to Satan to obtain the nations. Satan had rulership of all the nations because they were under his judgment for rejecting God. God set Satan up to kill Jesus, thus providing the payment of death for judgment, releasing the nations from Satan’s ownership.
Passages used for support: Matthew 5:25-26; Mark 10:45; Colossians 2:12-15; Hebrews 2:14-17
Critiques: Concern that God would allow the torture of an innocent person to be a fair exchange for the death of many guilty; The fact that the New Testament nowhere calls Jesus death a payment to Satan.
2. Satisfaction or Substitution Theory
Idea: Jesus’ death was a payment to God in exchange for the punishment of sinners to satisfy God’s justice.
Passages used for support: Jesus died “for our sins”, with “for” having the implied meaning “in place of” (Isaiah 53; I Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 1:4; I Peter 2:24); Jesus is the “propitiation for our sins” (I John 2:2, 4:10); Jesus’ death fulfilled God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23-26).
Critiques: Concern that God would allow the torture of an innocent person to be a fair exchange for the death of many guilty; The Bible all throughout claims that repentance is sufficient for forgiveness. Both “propitiation” and “died in place of our sins” are more specific translations than are necessary. They could just mean “means of forgiveness” and “died as a result of our sins”.
3. Moral Theory
Idea: Jesus died as an example to us of perfect love.
Passages used for support: I Peter 2:21; Philippians 2
Critique: The example of Jesus’ death is that of humility and suffering for righteousness, not love. Does not deal with how Jesus is the means of forgiveness of sins.
4. Acceptance Theory
Idea: God’s forgiveness is based only on the sovereign decision of God. Jesus died to show us that God has already forgiven us, if we would but accept it.
Passages used for support: Luke 15
Critique: Scripture again and again has repentance and devotion/faith be the basis of God’s forgiveness. (Even in Luke 15)
5. New Kingdom or Reversal Theory
a. Humanity has surrendered themselves to be ruled by powers instead of God himself, and God rules through the powers who rule through governments, corporations, institutions and families.
When Adam ate of the tree, he surrendered himself to the power of death, to be ruled by it instead of God (Genesis 2-3). All nations are given over to powers in heaven (Deuteronomy 28). Israel gave themselves over to other gods, and so to be enslaved by their nations (Judges). Gentiles surrendered themselves over to other gods, to worship them, and so to be enslaved (Romans 1). The Jews surrendered themselves over to the Law, but because they could not consistently obey it, they were enslaved by it (Romans 3).
b. These powers rule the world through the rule of judgment—that every sin deserves a just punishment.
The law of the powers is that the end of sin is death (Romans 3:23). Anyone who disobeys the law is cursed (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28; Galatians 3:10); Before anyone dies, they are enslaved to sin (Romans 6).
c. Jesus died to prove the injustice of these powers because they are just as willing to punish the innocent as well as the guilty.
Jesus died to prove the elders and priests to be unjust, disobedient rulers of God’s people (Matthew 21); Jesus died to defeat the powers who ruled over us due to our sin (Colossians 2); Jesus’ death takes away the power of the devil over the enslaved (Hebrews 2:14-15); Martyrs’ deaths defeats Satan (Revelation 12:9-11).
d. Given the proof of the injustice of these powers, God sets aside the powers as rulers over people and vindicates Jesus through raising him from the dead and establishes Jesus as ruler of the world at the right hand of God.
God punishes oppressors, whether human or spiritual powers—Psalm 82. The lamb who was slain is worthy of all power (Revelation 5); The one who innocently died God established to rule (Isaiah 52:12-53:14); Jesus humiliated himself as lower than anyone, and so was raised over all (Phil. 2); Jesus established forgiveness of sins and so rules next to God (Hebrews 1:3-4); God raises one on the third day to indicate vindication (Hosea 6:2).
e. Those who accept Jesus as their king are allowed to live under the rule of Jesus, in the utopia of God with God’s spirit.
Believe in Jesus the Lord Messiah (Acts 15; John 17:3; 20:31; Acts 2:36; 16:31; Romans 3:22; 5:1; 10:9; Galatians 2:16)
Baptism is commitment to Jesus as Messiah for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 10:48; Romans 6:3-7)
God calls us into a fellowship through Messiah Jesus (I Corinthians 1:9)
Believe in the gospel and be ready for God’s kingdom (Mark 1:15)
f. The law of Jesus gives grace to everyone who repents, no matter how many times they repent.
God forgives those who confess and repent—Psalm 32, 51; Ezekiel 18; Luke 15; Luke 17:3-4; Matthew 18:15-30; Luke 13:1-5; Acts 2:38; I John 1:9.
g. Those who live God’s life and suffer for it under the powers are set up by God to take the ruling place of the powers.“Those who humble themselves will be raised and those who exalt themselves will be humbled” Matthew 18:4; 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14; Jesus death used as example of humility—I Peter 2:21ff; Philippians 2. God raises up the humble and lowers the mighty—I Samuel 2; Psalm 37; Luke 1. The one who suffers unjustly for God will be raised from the dead and experiences God’s utopia—Psalm 22; 37; Matthew 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-23; Philippians 2; Romans 5:3-5, 8:17.
The “Crux” of the matter: We need to commit ourselves to Jesus as our King and Lord through baptism and live according to His law. Those of us who humble ourselves and suffer for Jesus will rule with Him when He returns.
1. Ransom or Christus Victor Theory
Idea: Jesus’ death was a payment to Satan to obtain the nations. Satan had rulership of all the nations because they were under his judgment for rejecting God. God set Satan up to kill Jesus, thus providing the payment of death for judgment, releasing the nations from Satan’s ownership.
Passages used for support: Matthew 5:25-26; Mark 10:45; Colossians 2:12-15; Hebrews 2:14-17
Critiques: Concern that God would allow the torture of an innocent person to be a fair exchange for the death of many guilty; The fact that the New Testament nowhere calls Jesus death a payment to Satan.
2. Satisfaction or Substitution Theory
Idea: Jesus’ death was a payment to God in exchange for the punishment of sinners to satisfy God’s justice.
Passages used for support: Jesus died “for our sins”, with “for” having the implied meaning “in place of” (Isaiah 53; I Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 1:4; I Peter 2:24); Jesus is the “propitiation for our sins” (I John 2:2, 4:10); Jesus’ death fulfilled God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23-26).
Critiques: Concern that God would allow the torture of an innocent person to be a fair exchange for the death of many guilty; The Bible all throughout claims that repentance is sufficient for forgiveness. Both “propitiation” and “died in place of our sins” are more specific translations than are necessary. They could just mean “means of forgiveness” and “died as a result of our sins”.
3. Moral Theory
Idea: Jesus died as an example to us of perfect love.
Passages used for support: I Peter 2:21; Philippians 2
Critique: The example of Jesus’ death is that of humility and suffering for righteousness, not love. Does not deal with how Jesus is the means of forgiveness of sins.
4. Acceptance Theory
Idea: God’s forgiveness is based only on the sovereign decision of God. Jesus died to show us that God has already forgiven us, if we would but accept it.
Passages used for support: Luke 15
Critique: Scripture again and again has repentance and devotion/faith be the basis of God’s forgiveness. (Even in Luke 15)
5. New Kingdom or Reversal Theory
a. Humanity has surrendered themselves to be ruled by powers instead of God himself, and God rules through the powers who rule through governments, corporations, institutions and families.
When Adam ate of the tree, he surrendered himself to the power of death, to be ruled by it instead of God (Genesis 2-3). All nations are given over to powers in heaven (Deuteronomy 28). Israel gave themselves over to other gods, and so to be enslaved by their nations (Judges). Gentiles surrendered themselves over to other gods, to worship them, and so to be enslaved (Romans 1). The Jews surrendered themselves over to the Law, but because they could not consistently obey it, they were enslaved by it (Romans 3).
b. These powers rule the world through the rule of judgment—that every sin deserves a just punishment.
The law of the powers is that the end of sin is death (Romans 3:23). Anyone who disobeys the law is cursed (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28; Galatians 3:10); Before anyone dies, they are enslaved to sin (Romans 6).
c. Jesus died to prove the injustice of these powers because they are just as willing to punish the innocent as well as the guilty.
Jesus died to prove the elders and priests to be unjust, disobedient rulers of God’s people (Matthew 21); Jesus died to defeat the powers who ruled over us due to our sin (Colossians 2); Jesus’ death takes away the power of the devil over the enslaved (Hebrews 2:14-15); Martyrs’ deaths defeats Satan (Revelation 12:9-11).
d. Given the proof of the injustice of these powers, God sets aside the powers as rulers over people and vindicates Jesus through raising him from the dead and establishes Jesus as ruler of the world at the right hand of God.
God punishes oppressors, whether human or spiritual powers—Psalm 82. The lamb who was slain is worthy of all power (Revelation 5); The one who innocently died God established to rule (Isaiah 52:12-53:14); Jesus humiliated himself as lower than anyone, and so was raised over all (Phil. 2); Jesus established forgiveness of sins and so rules next to God (Hebrews 1:3-4); God raises one on the third day to indicate vindication (Hosea 6:2).
e. Those who accept Jesus as their king are allowed to live under the rule of Jesus, in the utopia of God with God’s spirit.
Believe in Jesus the Lord Messiah (Acts 15; John 17:3; 20:31; Acts 2:36; 16:31; Romans 3:22; 5:1; 10:9; Galatians 2:16)
Baptism is commitment to Jesus as Messiah for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 10:48; Romans 6:3-7)
God calls us into a fellowship through Messiah Jesus (I Corinthians 1:9)
Believe in the gospel and be ready for God’s kingdom (Mark 1:15)
f. The law of Jesus gives grace to everyone who repents, no matter how many times they repent.
God forgives those who confess and repent—Psalm 32, 51; Ezekiel 18; Luke 15; Luke 17:3-4; Matthew 18:15-30; Luke 13:1-5; Acts 2:38; I John 1:9.
g. Those who live God’s life and suffer for it under the powers are set up by God to take the ruling place of the powers.“Those who humble themselves will be raised and those who exalt themselves will be humbled” Matthew 18:4; 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14; Jesus death used as example of humility—I Peter 2:21ff; Philippians 2. God raises up the humble and lowers the mighty—I Samuel 2; Psalm 37; Luke 1. The one who suffers unjustly for God will be raised from the dead and experiences God’s utopia—Psalm 22; 37; Matthew 5:3-12; Luke 6:20-23; Philippians 2; Romans 5:3-5, 8:17.
The “Crux” of the matter: We need to commit ourselves to Jesus as our King and Lord through baptism and live according to His law. Those of us who humble ourselves and suffer for Jesus will rule with Him when He returns.
The Ana-Lution
“I’d like your opinion about this: There’s this guy I know who had two kids. He asked one kid to clean up his room and the kid stubbornly answered ‘No way!’ But after some thought, the kid changed his mind and cleaned up his room. The father went to his second kid and asked her to do the same thing. She answered, ‘Of course, Dad. Whatever you want.’ But she never did go to clean up her room. So which of these two did what their father wanted them to do?” They responded, “The first kid.” Jesus then said, “It is for this reason that the drug addicts and the sex workers will experience God’s utopia and you won’t. John showed you the way of God and you didn’t believe him so as to repent and be baptized. But the drug addicts and sex workers flocked to him to get a new start. You all saw this, but you still didn’t change your mind to repent and be baptized. Now listen to this story. A man owned a few blocks in an urban area, so he built a set of apartment buildings there, rented them out and then set managers over each building to keep them up and to collect the rent. Month after month, he sent employees to the managers to collect the proceeds, but the managers shut one out, beat up another, and another disappeared and was never heard from again. Then the owner sent groups of employees to collect his proceeds, and this started a gang war, but it didn’t get him a single dime. So then the owner sent his son figuring that the sight of him would cause the managers to reconsider their actions. But seeing the owner’s son at the door, the managers decided quickly that if the son was out of the way, the owner, being old and feeble, there being no one to care for the property after him, would just wither and fade away. So they grabbed the son, took him out of the city and killed him, leaving his body exposed to the elements. So let me ask you, what do you think the owner will do to those managers?” One answered, “He will call the police?” Everyone listening to this laughed. Then another said, “In his fury, he will do to those evil managers exactly what they did to him. He will kill them all and give the management to someone who will give to him what he deserves.” Jesus replied, “You are correct. So what is your problem? Haven’t you read in the Word, ‘The one whom the leaders rejected as a criminal has been chosen as the king of them all—and this is an amazing thing to see’? God’s nation will be taken away from you and given to a people who will give Him the proceeds he requires.”
Guesswork
Recently there has been a lot of discussion in theological circles about the reason for Jesus’ death. The idea of God demanding innocent human sacrifice for the justification of the masses just doesn’t seem ethical or just to many theologians. So people have been looking for other ideas, both ancient and modern, about what the death of Jesus was really about. Some say that Jesus was paying off Satan for the nations. Some say that God was demonstrating that nonviolent resistance is a more powerful weapon than violence. Some say that Jesus was showing how humans could demonstrate the sacrificial love of God. But all of these ideas have one thing missing: none of them look to Jesus for the reason he was dying.
The parable above is the only detailed explanation Jesus gave to his death and why it is significant. The parable of the managers is found in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 21, Mark 12, Luke 20), and it stands at the crux of Jesus discussion with the elders and priests, who ended up sentencing Jesus to death. Because of this parable, in all three gospels, the elders and priests attempt to arrest Jesus to put him on trial, but only stop because of the crowd, which establishes their reasoning for obtaining Judas’ services. Thus, this parable not only explains Jesus’ thoughts for why he should die, but also why his killers thought it necessary to kill him.
Location, Location, Location
As a background to this parable, we need to understand what Jesus had recently done. First, he entered into Jerusalem on a colt, with his disciples (from Galilee) declaring him to be the king of Jerusalem. This was done to fulfill biblical prophecy that the Messiah, the proper king of Jerusalem, would come on a colt. The next day, Jesus went into the temple and ordered the moneychangers and sellers out of the temple, which the high priest specifically allowed them to do. Thus, Jesus was acting as an authority in Jerusalem. When the ruling priests and elders of all the Jewish people confronted him on his actions, he responded with the parable above.
Super Powers
The Sanhedrin and the High Priest were the rulers of the Jewish people throughout the world. This had been the case from the time of the Maccabees, when a priestly family took over the rule of Judea. Even the Romans, who had control of the land, recognized the power of the Sanhedrin and priests and so tried to direct the Jewish people by determining which of the family of Aaron would be high priest. So while the Romans and the Herods had political control of the physical resources of Israel, the priests and Sanhedrin had rule over the law and religious life of the Jewish people—thus, over their hearts. They were the real rulers of God’s chosen people.
Jesus understood this, and so he didn’t openly confront the Romans, but leveled his political concerns on the priests, the Sanhedrin and on the religious and political parties of the Jewish peoples—the Pharisees (powerful in Galilee and the diaspora) and the Sadducees (powerful in Jerusalem and in the Sanhedrin).
The other thing that was understood is that if a Davidic king ruled over the Jewish people, this would be king not only over God’s chosen people, but he would be God’s chosen emperor over the world, according the prophecies of Daniel. So to claim to be the rightful king of Jerusalem is to claim to be the replacement for Caesar. One of the common names for emperor, whether Roman or Jewish, is Son of God.
So, What’s The Point?
Now to the parable. Jesus uses the idea of the vineyard from Isaiah 5, where the vineyard is used as a metaphor for God’s nation. Jesus uses this idea and then adds the idea that the rule of God’s nation was “leased” to a group of managers. These managers are clearly meant to be the priests and elders who were currently ruling the Jewish people. These managers received a number of messengers from the true ruler of God’s people—the prophets who spoke for God. The prophets insisted that the managers give God the true proceeds of his people—obedience, the doing of God’s will.
Matthew especially emphasizes this aspect of obedience by placing the parable of the two children just before the parable of the managers. The two children heard the will of the father—for the people of Israel it is Jesus message, to do justice to the poor, to love your neighbors no matter who they are, to sacrifice oneself for love. But the managers rejected this message and so abused and killed the prophets.
So, in the parable, the owner decides to send his son. This is the Son of God, the king of God’s people, the emperor of the world. The current rulers, however, desire the rule of God’s people for themselves. So they kill the Son. In the parable, the purpose of the death of the Son is not to see the Son resurrected and rule again. Rather, it is to show the unworthiness of the rulers of God’s people.
Jesus is accusing the rulers of being the murderers of God’s messengers, the murderers of God’s emperor and the rejecters of God’s will. Because of all this, Jesus says, they will be rejected as God’s rulers. Not just rejected, Jesus says, but destroyed. Because they have killed God’s chosen ruler, he will come and destroy these upstarts—the priests and Sanhedrin, and all of the symbols of their rule, which is Jerusalem and the temple.
In a sense, with this extreme accusation, Jesus was setting himself up to be murdered. He knew that the priests and elders would receive this as a statement of enmity and rejection on Jesus’ part. And so they would work behind the scenes to kill Jesus.
Reversals
There is one other aspect that we have to recognize here. That Jesus is saying that his death not only is the level which causes God’s rejection of the unrighteous rulers of His people, but it is also the cause of a new set of rulers to be set over God’s people. Rulers who will give to God what he wants—obedience to God. These are rulers who have proven themselves by being persecuted as Jesus was. Rulers who display their faith through enduring devotion in the midst of humiliation, sacrifice and suffering.
What did Jesus really begin with his death? He began a process of religious power and leadership. The leaders who claim to speak for God will come from the anawim, and they must be respectful of the anawim. If the leaders reject or persecute the anawim, then God will reject those leaders and set them aside, replacing them with leaders who will allow the anawim to have a place of leadership. Jesus himself IS emperor, the ruler beside God to rule the whole world. But Jesus’ representatives are not the popes, bishops or synods made up of the wealthy and powerful. Rather, they are among the prophetic who live out God’s will among the poor, choosing to be poor themselves. And if the leadership of God’s people refuse to listen to these anawim, then Jesus will kick them out of leadership and establish a new people. He has done it before, and He can—and will—do it again if necessary.
Guesswork
Recently there has been a lot of discussion in theological circles about the reason for Jesus’ death. The idea of God demanding innocent human sacrifice for the justification of the masses just doesn’t seem ethical or just to many theologians. So people have been looking for other ideas, both ancient and modern, about what the death of Jesus was really about. Some say that Jesus was paying off Satan for the nations. Some say that God was demonstrating that nonviolent resistance is a more powerful weapon than violence. Some say that Jesus was showing how humans could demonstrate the sacrificial love of God. But all of these ideas have one thing missing: none of them look to Jesus for the reason he was dying.
The parable above is the only detailed explanation Jesus gave to his death and why it is significant. The parable of the managers is found in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 21, Mark 12, Luke 20), and it stands at the crux of Jesus discussion with the elders and priests, who ended up sentencing Jesus to death. Because of this parable, in all three gospels, the elders and priests attempt to arrest Jesus to put him on trial, but only stop because of the crowd, which establishes their reasoning for obtaining Judas’ services. Thus, this parable not only explains Jesus’ thoughts for why he should die, but also why his killers thought it necessary to kill him.
Location, Location, Location
As a background to this parable, we need to understand what Jesus had recently done. First, he entered into Jerusalem on a colt, with his disciples (from Galilee) declaring him to be the king of Jerusalem. This was done to fulfill biblical prophecy that the Messiah, the proper king of Jerusalem, would come on a colt. The next day, Jesus went into the temple and ordered the moneychangers and sellers out of the temple, which the high priest specifically allowed them to do. Thus, Jesus was acting as an authority in Jerusalem. When the ruling priests and elders of all the Jewish people confronted him on his actions, he responded with the parable above.
Super Powers
The Sanhedrin and the High Priest were the rulers of the Jewish people throughout the world. This had been the case from the time of the Maccabees, when a priestly family took over the rule of Judea. Even the Romans, who had control of the land, recognized the power of the Sanhedrin and priests and so tried to direct the Jewish people by determining which of the family of Aaron would be high priest. So while the Romans and the Herods had political control of the physical resources of Israel, the priests and Sanhedrin had rule over the law and religious life of the Jewish people—thus, over their hearts. They were the real rulers of God’s chosen people.
Jesus understood this, and so he didn’t openly confront the Romans, but leveled his political concerns on the priests, the Sanhedrin and on the religious and political parties of the Jewish peoples—the Pharisees (powerful in Galilee and the diaspora) and the Sadducees (powerful in Jerusalem and in the Sanhedrin).
The other thing that was understood is that if a Davidic king ruled over the Jewish people, this would be king not only over God’s chosen people, but he would be God’s chosen emperor over the world, according the prophecies of Daniel. So to claim to be the rightful king of Jerusalem is to claim to be the replacement for Caesar. One of the common names for emperor, whether Roman or Jewish, is Son of God.
So, What’s The Point?
Now to the parable. Jesus uses the idea of the vineyard from Isaiah 5, where the vineyard is used as a metaphor for God’s nation. Jesus uses this idea and then adds the idea that the rule of God’s nation was “leased” to a group of managers. These managers are clearly meant to be the priests and elders who were currently ruling the Jewish people. These managers received a number of messengers from the true ruler of God’s people—the prophets who spoke for God. The prophets insisted that the managers give God the true proceeds of his people—obedience, the doing of God’s will.
Matthew especially emphasizes this aspect of obedience by placing the parable of the two children just before the parable of the managers. The two children heard the will of the father—for the people of Israel it is Jesus message, to do justice to the poor, to love your neighbors no matter who they are, to sacrifice oneself for love. But the managers rejected this message and so abused and killed the prophets.
So, in the parable, the owner decides to send his son. This is the Son of God, the king of God’s people, the emperor of the world. The current rulers, however, desire the rule of God’s people for themselves. So they kill the Son. In the parable, the purpose of the death of the Son is not to see the Son resurrected and rule again. Rather, it is to show the unworthiness of the rulers of God’s people.
Jesus is accusing the rulers of being the murderers of God’s messengers, the murderers of God’s emperor and the rejecters of God’s will. Because of all this, Jesus says, they will be rejected as God’s rulers. Not just rejected, Jesus says, but destroyed. Because they have killed God’s chosen ruler, he will come and destroy these upstarts—the priests and Sanhedrin, and all of the symbols of their rule, which is Jerusalem and the temple.
In a sense, with this extreme accusation, Jesus was setting himself up to be murdered. He knew that the priests and elders would receive this as a statement of enmity and rejection on Jesus’ part. And so they would work behind the scenes to kill Jesus.
Reversals
There is one other aspect that we have to recognize here. That Jesus is saying that his death not only is the level which causes God’s rejection of the unrighteous rulers of His people, but it is also the cause of a new set of rulers to be set over God’s people. Rulers who will give to God what he wants—obedience to God. These are rulers who have proven themselves by being persecuted as Jesus was. Rulers who display their faith through enduring devotion in the midst of humiliation, sacrifice and suffering.
What did Jesus really begin with his death? He began a process of religious power and leadership. The leaders who claim to speak for God will come from the anawim, and they must be respectful of the anawim. If the leaders reject or persecute the anawim, then God will reject those leaders and set them aside, replacing them with leaders who will allow the anawim to have a place of leadership. Jesus himself IS emperor, the ruler beside God to rule the whole world. But Jesus’ representatives are not the popes, bishops or synods made up of the wealthy and powerful. Rather, they are among the prophetic who live out God’s will among the poor, choosing to be poor themselves. And if the leadership of God’s people refuse to listen to these anawim, then Jesus will kick them out of leadership and establish a new people. He has done it before, and He can—and will—do it again if necessary.
Jesus' Suicide Politicians
Those who believe in a future kingdom of God to come and reign on earth are clearly dissatisfied with the system as it now exists. The innocent die, the righteous are punished, wars destroy mothers and children and the masses who have power are lulled into sleep—which is probably good as well, for the masses would only enact greater injustices than their leaders do. Yet many leaders of governmental powers are abusive, unjust and concerned only with their own position, not the good of the people or in doing what is right. God is not satisfied with injustice in the governments of the world and he has promised that injustice—especially against the poor and lowly—will be destroyed.
But there is a disagreement as to how God creates justice in the world. Some say that God is working through the wars, the court systems, and the unjust governments of the world. This is certainly true, to a degree, but Jesus was not satisfied with God working his justice through judgement and hated and killing. He established a new way of dealing with injustice, of dealing with corrupt governments. His way was based on two basic principles: 1. That God destroys rulers and governments that display injustice against the poor and lowly (Psalm 37, 82). 2. God will place in political power those who show themselves to be lowly and righteous before him (I Samuel 2:7-9; Matthew 5:3-12). Jesus summarizes it like this: Those who exalt themselves will be cast down, while those who lower themselves will be raised up (Luke 14:11). Jesus provided an example of enacting God’s justice through becoming lowly against the world’s injustice—through the cross.
Although Jesus’ example is the greatest, he also invited all of those who followed him to participate in the same upside-down justice. The way of the cross is open to all who wish to follow Jesus. But how does one cause the governments of the world to topple by sacrificing oneself?
Making oneself odious to the ruling class
Jesus made himself unacceptable to those who ruled by doing God’s will publicly, thus displaying the government to be unjust and oppressive. He healed those who were rejected by “acceptable” society—proving that they were accepted by God. He opposed some of the laws and rules placed upon the populace by political wannabes that were unmerciful to the hungry and needy (Mark 7:1-9; Matthew 12:1-13). Jesus also proclaimed that the government of the people of God was soon to pass away, and be replaced by God’s direct rule (Mark 12:1-9). Then Jesus made vague references to the destruction of the temple, the center of the government’s power (John 2:19). All of this together, made Jesus dangerous in the eyes of the government and to the ruling class in general.
Jesus also established his disciples to be people who would be on the government’s “most wanted” list. He told his disciples to go out to every town, declaring that the current government would be replaced by God’s righteous one (Luke 9:2). He taught them to accept those whom the government found unacceptable (Mark 2:17). And he laid out in detail the faults and injustices of the ruling class (Mark 7:1-9; Matthew 23). Jesus sent out his disciples prepared to be rejected by the world.
Response to Persecution
Jesus was hated by all the ruling political parties—Sadducees, priests, Pharisees and the intellegencia of the ruling governments—scribes and lawyers. They spoke publicly against him, attempted to make him look bad in the midst of those who he was teaching and made plots to kill him (Matthew 12:14, 24, 38). He was eventually arrested, tried, tortured, and killed for treason (Mark 14-15). But he knew ahead of time that all of this would happen, and he planned for it, even desired it (Mark 8:31-33; 9:31-32). And when it happened, he did not resist, but allowed the plot against him to unfold just as planned by his enemies.
Even so, Jesus promised his people that they would be hated and persecuted and killed, even as he was (Matthew 10:24-25; John 15:18-20). In the midst of this, he told them, respond as he responded. Don’t be afraid of the persecution or those who can torture you, but rather accept the fact that you will have to possibly die for the message of Jesus (Matthew 10:28; Mark 8:35-38). He told them not to fight against those who punish them unjustly, but to respond to them with good—blessings and prayers (Matthew 5:38-48). If persecuted in a town, the disciples may flee, but there will come a time when each of them will be killed for the message they carry (Matthew 10:23; Mark 10:39). In this way, the disciples remain innocent, and all evil done is on the side of the oppressor.
God’s response
Jesus cried out to God for deliverance from the oppression he was facing (Mark 14:32-39). He was willing to face the death and shame, but he saw it for the evil it was. But rather than taking action himself in vengeance for the crimes done against him, an innocent man, he relied on God, and God’s justice enacted by God’s hand alone (Matthew 26:52-53). And God came through—even though Jesus had to face shame, suffering and a horrendous death, after he was done with all that, God raised Jesus from the dead. This indicated not only Jesus’ innocence, but his authority over those who had oppressed him.
Even so, Jesus told his followers that if they suffer as he suffered, then they too would gain not only resurrection, but political authority over those who had oppressed them (Luke 6:20-26; Mark 8:35; Luke 22:28-30). But for the disciples to gain this justice, they have to cry out to God day and night, asking him for release from oppression (Luke 18:1-8). In this way, the foundation is laid and God is free to respond in his own way against true oppressors of the poor and lowly.
Successful politics
The way of the cross seems naïve and foolish to almost everyone involved in politics, whether Christian or not. But it must be remembered that some of the most successful politicians in the twentieth century accepted this same pattern of political thought—Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Stephen Beko. These followed the pattern of Jesus, and took him as their political guide. The only difference between Jesus and these politicians is that they were looking for deliverance from the world they lived in—their own people, their own governments. Jesus, on the other hand, looked for deliverance only from God—and because of this, he proved to be the most successful politician of all time.
Oppressors shall be cast down by God;
God will exalt those who sacrifice themselves for His sake.
But there is a disagreement as to how God creates justice in the world. Some say that God is working through the wars, the court systems, and the unjust governments of the world. This is certainly true, to a degree, but Jesus was not satisfied with God working his justice through judgement and hated and killing. He established a new way of dealing with injustice, of dealing with corrupt governments. His way was based on two basic principles: 1. That God destroys rulers and governments that display injustice against the poor and lowly (Psalm 37, 82). 2. God will place in political power those who show themselves to be lowly and righteous before him (I Samuel 2:7-9; Matthew 5:3-12). Jesus summarizes it like this: Those who exalt themselves will be cast down, while those who lower themselves will be raised up (Luke 14:11). Jesus provided an example of enacting God’s justice through becoming lowly against the world’s injustice—through the cross.
Although Jesus’ example is the greatest, he also invited all of those who followed him to participate in the same upside-down justice. The way of the cross is open to all who wish to follow Jesus. But how does one cause the governments of the world to topple by sacrificing oneself?
Making oneself odious to the ruling class
Jesus made himself unacceptable to those who ruled by doing God’s will publicly, thus displaying the government to be unjust and oppressive. He healed those who were rejected by “acceptable” society—proving that they were accepted by God. He opposed some of the laws and rules placed upon the populace by political wannabes that were unmerciful to the hungry and needy (Mark 7:1-9; Matthew 12:1-13). Jesus also proclaimed that the government of the people of God was soon to pass away, and be replaced by God’s direct rule (Mark 12:1-9). Then Jesus made vague references to the destruction of the temple, the center of the government’s power (John 2:19). All of this together, made Jesus dangerous in the eyes of the government and to the ruling class in general.
Jesus also established his disciples to be people who would be on the government’s “most wanted” list. He told his disciples to go out to every town, declaring that the current government would be replaced by God’s righteous one (Luke 9:2). He taught them to accept those whom the government found unacceptable (Mark 2:17). And he laid out in detail the faults and injustices of the ruling class (Mark 7:1-9; Matthew 23). Jesus sent out his disciples prepared to be rejected by the world.
Response to Persecution
Jesus was hated by all the ruling political parties—Sadducees, priests, Pharisees and the intellegencia of the ruling governments—scribes and lawyers. They spoke publicly against him, attempted to make him look bad in the midst of those who he was teaching and made plots to kill him (Matthew 12:14, 24, 38). He was eventually arrested, tried, tortured, and killed for treason (Mark 14-15). But he knew ahead of time that all of this would happen, and he planned for it, even desired it (Mark 8:31-33; 9:31-32). And when it happened, he did not resist, but allowed the plot against him to unfold just as planned by his enemies.
Even so, Jesus promised his people that they would be hated and persecuted and killed, even as he was (Matthew 10:24-25; John 15:18-20). In the midst of this, he told them, respond as he responded. Don’t be afraid of the persecution or those who can torture you, but rather accept the fact that you will have to possibly die for the message of Jesus (Matthew 10:28; Mark 8:35-38). He told them not to fight against those who punish them unjustly, but to respond to them with good—blessings and prayers (Matthew 5:38-48). If persecuted in a town, the disciples may flee, but there will come a time when each of them will be killed for the message they carry (Matthew 10:23; Mark 10:39). In this way, the disciples remain innocent, and all evil done is on the side of the oppressor.
God’s response
Jesus cried out to God for deliverance from the oppression he was facing (Mark 14:32-39). He was willing to face the death and shame, but he saw it for the evil it was. But rather than taking action himself in vengeance for the crimes done against him, an innocent man, he relied on God, and God’s justice enacted by God’s hand alone (Matthew 26:52-53). And God came through—even though Jesus had to face shame, suffering and a horrendous death, after he was done with all that, God raised Jesus from the dead. This indicated not only Jesus’ innocence, but his authority over those who had oppressed him.
Even so, Jesus told his followers that if they suffer as he suffered, then they too would gain not only resurrection, but political authority over those who had oppressed them (Luke 6:20-26; Mark 8:35; Luke 22:28-30). But for the disciples to gain this justice, they have to cry out to God day and night, asking him for release from oppression (Luke 18:1-8). In this way, the foundation is laid and God is free to respond in his own way against true oppressors of the poor and lowly.
Successful politics
The way of the cross seems naïve and foolish to almost everyone involved in politics, whether Christian or not. But it must be remembered that some of the most successful politicians in the twentieth century accepted this same pattern of political thought—Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Stephen Beko. These followed the pattern of Jesus, and took him as their political guide. The only difference between Jesus and these politicians is that they were looking for deliverance from the world they lived in—their own people, their own governments. Jesus, on the other hand, looked for deliverance only from God—and because of this, he proved to be the most successful politician of all time.
Oppressors shall be cast down by God;
God will exalt those who sacrifice themselves for His sake.
How Christians Send People To Hell
A review of UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
The church in the United States in on the path to extinction. And it is bringing the rest of the nation down with it.
That may seem like a pretty harsh assessment and a dramatic conclusion to reading a single book. But this is no common book.
I am speaking of UnChristian, by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman. These two worked for the Barna Group for years and they know how to take an accurate snapshot of a group’s opinions. This time, they focused their gaze on the opinions of non-Christians, aged 16-29, to see what they think of the church.
It’s not pretty.
Sure, about 76% of young “outsiders” think that the church has “good principles”. And 71% of them think that the church is pretty much “friendly.” That’s nice. But 85% of young outsiders think that the church is “hypocritical”—not actually living up to the principles which they espouse. 72% feel that the church is “out of touch with reality.” And 87%-- a huge majority—of young outsiders are of the opinion that the church is “judgmental.”
The up and coming generation feels that the church is outdated and unwelcoming to those who are in need of forgiveness. One young outsider quipped, “Christians talk about hating sin and loving sinners, but the way they go about things, they might as well call it what it is: They hate the sin AND the sinner.” Another claimed, “The church is an ostrich with its head in the sand.”
Some within the church might look at these figures and say, “Well, what does it matter that these young people feel this way? After all, the church isn’t run by opinions. And its not even true.”
It matters quite a bit. First of all, young people are the future—the future of the church, as well as the nation, as well as the world. And perhaps if they see the church more they might hold to a different opinion, but with opinions like these, why would they come to the church in the first place to find out more about it? If a young person is struggling with guilt, would she go to a “judgmental” institution to gain forgiveness? If a young person is struggling with morality, would he go to a “hypocritical” institution to find the right path? If a young person is looking for answers, would she go to a group of people committed to being “out of touch with reality” to find them?
It isn’t the fact that young people have negative opinions. If young people thought that the church had problems with leadership, they might go to laypeople. If young people thought that the church was unfriendly, but had the truth, they would still seek the church out. But the opinions they have make it unlikely for the church to be considered a place where solutions can be had. They consider the church to be a social club. The church is a place for like-minded, fairly nice, but very opinionated people who really aren’t any different than anyone else. For a church that wants to reach the lost, this is a death-knell.
But their opinions matter also for another reason. For the most part, they are right. And we, in the church, are the last ones to admit it.
There is more than ample proof that we hate sinners. From the evangelical silence concerning the homosexual-hater, Fred Phelps to open statements of hatred against Planned Parenthood, it is clear that church is full of hatred and is doing little to stop it.
It is clear also that the church has certain opinions that have nothing to do with the Bible or Jesus and we will push for them both politically and financially, as the political parties become the voice for Christians, on either right or left. The Amish support George Bush and Hillary Clinton is speaking to Saddleback Church.
And when Chuck Colson and James Dobson oppose the National Association of Evangelical’s paper calling attention to global warming, who can but deny that many Christians are out of touch with reality?
In order to bring people to Jesus, the church must effectively present the gospel.
To effectively present the gospel, the church must change the perception about it.
To change the perception, the church must change itself.
To change itself, the church must repent of its attitudes, its self-ignorance.
Thus is the way to hell paved.
To get more information, or to order UnChristian, check out:
www.unchristian.com
Information from UnChristian:
I know of/am aware of Evangelicals—57%
I know of/am aware of Born Again Christians—86%
I have a bad impression of Christians—38%
I have a bad impression of Evangelicals—49%
I have a bad impression of Born Again Christians—35%
I have a neutral impression of Christians—45%
I have a neutral impression of Evangelicals—48%
I have a neutral impression of Born Again Christians—55%
I have a good impression of Christians—16%
I have a good impression of Evangelicals—3%
I have a good impression of Born Again Christians—10%
Outsider’s Perceptions of Christianity
(First percentage those who answered “a lot”, second percentage those who answered “a lot or some”)
Unfavorable Image
Anti-homosexual—66%, 91%
Judgmental—57%, 87%
Hypocritical (saying one thing, doing another)—54%, 85%
Too Involved in politics—46%, 75%
Out of touch with reality—37%, 72%
Old fashioned—28%, 78%
Insensitive to others—27%, 70%
Boring—27%, 68%
Not accepting of other’s faiths—22%, 64%
Confusing—19%, 61%
Favorable Image
Teaches same basic idea as other religions—28%, 82%
Has good values and principles—26%, 76%
Friendly—18%, 71%
A faith you can respect—16%, 55%
Consistently shows love for other people—16%, 55%
Offers hope for the future—19%, 54%
People you trust—9%, 52%
Seems genuine and real—11%, 41%
Something that makes sense—9%, 41%
Relevant to your life—10%, 30%
www.unchristian.com/fermi
Young Christians do things their way
Percent of born again Christians who believe each is morally acceptable:
(First percentage is the 23-41 age group, the second percentage is 42+)
Cohabitation—59%, 33%
Gambling—58%, 38%
Sexual thoughts or fantasies about someone—57%, 35%
Sex outside of marriage—44%, 23%
Using profanity—37%, 17%
Getting drunk—35%, 13%
Looking at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behavior—33%, 19%
Having an abortion—32%, 27%
Having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex—28%, 13%
Using drugs not prescribed for you—16%, 8%
Allowing the “f-word” on broadcast television—7%, 6%
Percentage of 23-41 Born Again Christians who have in the last 30 days:
Given someone the “finger”—5%
Had sex outside of marriage—18%
Gotten drunk—24%
Purchased a lottery ticket—25%
Use profanity in public—36%
View explicit sexual content in a magazine or movie—36%
Say mean things about others—40%
What would you say are the two or three most important priorities for Christians to pursue in terms of their faith? (Born again Christians answering)
Lifestyle—doing the right thing, being good, not sinning—37%
Discipleship—learning about Christ, learning about the Bible—31%
Evangelism—Explaining, sharing your faith, leading people to Christ—25%
Worship—Worshipping God, singing—25%
Relationships—loving others, making and keeping friends—23%
Service—helping others, helping the poor, serving people—18%
Stewardship—giving money, time or resources to others, blessing others—4%
Family faith—discipling your children, shaping family faith—1%
Other—2%
Not Sure—10%
Quotes From UnChristian
“Yeah, everyone is hypocritical at some point. It is not a general failing of Christianity that its practitioners are prone to the same faults as the rest of us.”—Outsider
“Attack me, I do this myself, but attack me rather than the path I follow and which I point out to anyone who asks me where I think it lies. If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering side to side?”—Leo Tolstoy
“A young guy approached me in a subway station once, friendly, full of questions, interested in talking. He seemed really nice, and I couldn’t believe a New Yorker was being so, well, nice! We exchanged numbers and said we’d hang out sometime. Next time I heard from him, he invited me to a Bible study, and that was all he wanted to talk about. When I said, ‘No thanks,’ I never heard from him again.” -Outsider
“If we were able to rewrite the script for the reputation of Christianity, I think we would put the emphasis on developing relationships with nonbelievers, serving them, loving them, and making them feel accepted. Only then would we earn the right to share the gospel.” –Andy Stanley
“Do you think I’m going to hell because I’m gay?” -Outsider
“I want you to know I believe God loves every person deeply and equally. That includes the homosexual. It would be dishonest for me to pretend I agree with or understand the path you believe is right, but I accept that you are free to choose your own life course. That is not because I’m especially charitable or generous, but because God is.”—Sarah Raymond Cunningham
The church is an ostrich with its head in the sand. –Outsider
“It says in the Bible that when we follow Christ, there will be suffering because we live in a fallen world. As we go forth, tell the truth and help people in need, we are going to experience a level of suffering… and this is where God is found.” –Gary Haugen
“Do you know what your Christian friends said to my ten-year-old daughter? They told her she should tell me not to support John Kerry because he supports abortion. That Kerry is a baby killer. I don’t even want my daughter thinking about abortion, let alone having them talk to her about who to vote for. What kind of Christian is that?” -Outsider
“If people truly have a relationship with Jesus, they will always vote for the right things. Our job as followers of Christ is to promote Jesus, not political bias.” -John Wimber
“Christians talk about hating sin and loving sinners, but the way they go about things, they might as well call it what it is: They hate the sin AND the sinner.” -Outsider
“It appears at some level that the secular world is capable of ‘doing grace’ better than we are. Christianity’s main export has been co-opted by non-believers. Forgiveness, compassion, and second chances are common occurrences as demonstrated by several recent high-profile cases. When Donald Trump becomes the poster boy for second chances and the church is viewed as a place of judgment… we have a serious problem.” -Mike Foster
“In thirty years, research could tell us that when people think ‘Christian’, they think things like this:
“Christians are the ones who love people, whoever they are—gay or straight, Jew or Muslim, religious or atheist, capitalist or not, conservative or liberal.
“Christians are the ones who have done more than anyone in the world to stop the HIV/AIDS crisis.
“Christians are the people who gravitate toward the poor and who show compassion through generous action and seek justice so that the systemic causes of poverty are overcome. They call the rich to generosity, and they call on rich nations to work for the common good.
“Christians are people who believe that art and creativity are important, so they consistently produce the most striking, original and engaging art.
“Christians are willing to give their lives for the cause of peace. They oppose violence in all forms. They will lay down their lives to protect the vulnerable from the violent.
“Christians care for the environment. They don’t just see it as raw materials for economic gain, but they see it as the precious handiwork of their Creator.
“Christians have personal integrity. They keep their marriage vows and are aware of how destructive misused sexuality can be. Yet they are compassionate toward people who make sexual mistakes, and they never consider themselves to be superior.
“Christians build harmony between races. You always know that you’ll be respected when you’re around a Christian.”
-Brian McLaren
Other books to check out:
Hurt by Chap Clark
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=027322&event=CFN
Generation Debt by Anna Kamentez
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Debt-Student-NoBenefits-Geezers/dp/1594482349
The church in the United States in on the path to extinction. And it is bringing the rest of the nation down with it.
That may seem like a pretty harsh assessment and a dramatic conclusion to reading a single book. But this is no common book.
I am speaking of UnChristian, by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman. These two worked for the Barna Group for years and they know how to take an accurate snapshot of a group’s opinions. This time, they focused their gaze on the opinions of non-Christians, aged 16-29, to see what they think of the church.
It’s not pretty.
Sure, about 76% of young “outsiders” think that the church has “good principles”. And 71% of them think that the church is pretty much “friendly.” That’s nice. But 85% of young outsiders think that the church is “hypocritical”—not actually living up to the principles which they espouse. 72% feel that the church is “out of touch with reality.” And 87%-- a huge majority—of young outsiders are of the opinion that the church is “judgmental.”
The up and coming generation feels that the church is outdated and unwelcoming to those who are in need of forgiveness. One young outsider quipped, “Christians talk about hating sin and loving sinners, but the way they go about things, they might as well call it what it is: They hate the sin AND the sinner.” Another claimed, “The church is an ostrich with its head in the sand.”
Some within the church might look at these figures and say, “Well, what does it matter that these young people feel this way? After all, the church isn’t run by opinions. And its not even true.”
It matters quite a bit. First of all, young people are the future—the future of the church, as well as the nation, as well as the world. And perhaps if they see the church more they might hold to a different opinion, but with opinions like these, why would they come to the church in the first place to find out more about it? If a young person is struggling with guilt, would she go to a “judgmental” institution to gain forgiveness? If a young person is struggling with morality, would he go to a “hypocritical” institution to find the right path? If a young person is looking for answers, would she go to a group of people committed to being “out of touch with reality” to find them?
It isn’t the fact that young people have negative opinions. If young people thought that the church had problems with leadership, they might go to laypeople. If young people thought that the church was unfriendly, but had the truth, they would still seek the church out. But the opinions they have make it unlikely for the church to be considered a place where solutions can be had. They consider the church to be a social club. The church is a place for like-minded, fairly nice, but very opinionated people who really aren’t any different than anyone else. For a church that wants to reach the lost, this is a death-knell.
But their opinions matter also for another reason. For the most part, they are right. And we, in the church, are the last ones to admit it.
There is more than ample proof that we hate sinners. From the evangelical silence concerning the homosexual-hater, Fred Phelps to open statements of hatred against Planned Parenthood, it is clear that church is full of hatred and is doing little to stop it.
It is clear also that the church has certain opinions that have nothing to do with the Bible or Jesus and we will push for them both politically and financially, as the political parties become the voice for Christians, on either right or left. The Amish support George Bush and Hillary Clinton is speaking to Saddleback Church.
And when Chuck Colson and James Dobson oppose the National Association of Evangelical’s paper calling attention to global warming, who can but deny that many Christians are out of touch with reality?
In order to bring people to Jesus, the church must effectively present the gospel.
To effectively present the gospel, the church must change the perception about it.
To change the perception, the church must change itself.
To change itself, the church must repent of its attitudes, its self-ignorance.
Thus is the way to hell paved.
To get more information, or to order UnChristian, check out:
www.unchristian.com
Information from UnChristian:
I know of/am aware of Evangelicals—57%
I know of/am aware of Born Again Christians—86%
I have a bad impression of Christians—38%
I have a bad impression of Evangelicals—49%
I have a bad impression of Born Again Christians—35%
I have a neutral impression of Christians—45%
I have a neutral impression of Evangelicals—48%
I have a neutral impression of Born Again Christians—55%
I have a good impression of Christians—16%
I have a good impression of Evangelicals—3%
I have a good impression of Born Again Christians—10%
Outsider’s Perceptions of Christianity
(First percentage those who answered “a lot”, second percentage those who answered “a lot or some”)
Unfavorable Image
Anti-homosexual—66%, 91%
Judgmental—57%, 87%
Hypocritical (saying one thing, doing another)—54%, 85%
Too Involved in politics—46%, 75%
Out of touch with reality—37%, 72%
Old fashioned—28%, 78%
Insensitive to others—27%, 70%
Boring—27%, 68%
Not accepting of other’s faiths—22%, 64%
Confusing—19%, 61%
Favorable Image
Teaches same basic idea as other religions—28%, 82%
Has good values and principles—26%, 76%
Friendly—18%, 71%
A faith you can respect—16%, 55%
Consistently shows love for other people—16%, 55%
Offers hope for the future—19%, 54%
People you trust—9%, 52%
Seems genuine and real—11%, 41%
Something that makes sense—9%, 41%
Relevant to your life—10%, 30%
www.unchristian.com/fermi
Young Christians do things their way
Percent of born again Christians who believe each is morally acceptable:
(First percentage is the 23-41 age group, the second percentage is 42+)
Cohabitation—59%, 33%
Gambling—58%, 38%
Sexual thoughts or fantasies about someone—57%, 35%
Sex outside of marriage—44%, 23%
Using profanity—37%, 17%
Getting drunk—35%, 13%
Looking at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behavior—33%, 19%
Having an abortion—32%, 27%
Having a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex—28%, 13%
Using drugs not prescribed for you—16%, 8%
Allowing the “f-word” on broadcast television—7%, 6%
Percentage of 23-41 Born Again Christians who have in the last 30 days:
Given someone the “finger”—5%
Had sex outside of marriage—18%
Gotten drunk—24%
Purchased a lottery ticket—25%
Use profanity in public—36%
View explicit sexual content in a magazine or movie—36%
Say mean things about others—40%
What would you say are the two or three most important priorities for Christians to pursue in terms of their faith? (Born again Christians answering)
Lifestyle—doing the right thing, being good, not sinning—37%
Discipleship—learning about Christ, learning about the Bible—31%
Evangelism—Explaining, sharing your faith, leading people to Christ—25%
Worship—Worshipping God, singing—25%
Relationships—loving others, making and keeping friends—23%
Service—helping others, helping the poor, serving people—18%
Stewardship—giving money, time or resources to others, blessing others—4%
Family faith—discipling your children, shaping family faith—1%
Other—2%
Not Sure—10%
Quotes From UnChristian
“Yeah, everyone is hypocritical at some point. It is not a general failing of Christianity that its practitioners are prone to the same faults as the rest of us.”—Outsider
“Attack me, I do this myself, but attack me rather than the path I follow and which I point out to anyone who asks me where I think it lies. If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering side to side?”—Leo Tolstoy
“A young guy approached me in a subway station once, friendly, full of questions, interested in talking. He seemed really nice, and I couldn’t believe a New Yorker was being so, well, nice! We exchanged numbers and said we’d hang out sometime. Next time I heard from him, he invited me to a Bible study, and that was all he wanted to talk about. When I said, ‘No thanks,’ I never heard from him again.” -Outsider
“If we were able to rewrite the script for the reputation of Christianity, I think we would put the emphasis on developing relationships with nonbelievers, serving them, loving them, and making them feel accepted. Only then would we earn the right to share the gospel.” –Andy Stanley
“Do you think I’m going to hell because I’m gay?” -Outsider
“I want you to know I believe God loves every person deeply and equally. That includes the homosexual. It would be dishonest for me to pretend I agree with or understand the path you believe is right, but I accept that you are free to choose your own life course. That is not because I’m especially charitable or generous, but because God is.”—Sarah Raymond Cunningham
The church is an ostrich with its head in the sand. –Outsider
“It says in the Bible that when we follow Christ, there will be suffering because we live in a fallen world. As we go forth, tell the truth and help people in need, we are going to experience a level of suffering… and this is where God is found.” –Gary Haugen
“Do you know what your Christian friends said to my ten-year-old daughter? They told her she should tell me not to support John Kerry because he supports abortion. That Kerry is a baby killer. I don’t even want my daughter thinking about abortion, let alone having them talk to her about who to vote for. What kind of Christian is that?” -Outsider
“If people truly have a relationship with Jesus, they will always vote for the right things. Our job as followers of Christ is to promote Jesus, not political bias.” -John Wimber
“Christians talk about hating sin and loving sinners, but the way they go about things, they might as well call it what it is: They hate the sin AND the sinner.” -Outsider
“It appears at some level that the secular world is capable of ‘doing grace’ better than we are. Christianity’s main export has been co-opted by non-believers. Forgiveness, compassion, and second chances are common occurrences as demonstrated by several recent high-profile cases. When Donald Trump becomes the poster boy for second chances and the church is viewed as a place of judgment… we have a serious problem.” -Mike Foster
“In thirty years, research could tell us that when people think ‘Christian’, they think things like this:
“Christians are the ones who love people, whoever they are—gay or straight, Jew or Muslim, religious or atheist, capitalist or not, conservative or liberal.
“Christians are the ones who have done more than anyone in the world to stop the HIV/AIDS crisis.
“Christians are the people who gravitate toward the poor and who show compassion through generous action and seek justice so that the systemic causes of poverty are overcome. They call the rich to generosity, and they call on rich nations to work for the common good.
“Christians are people who believe that art and creativity are important, so they consistently produce the most striking, original and engaging art.
“Christians are willing to give their lives for the cause of peace. They oppose violence in all forms. They will lay down their lives to protect the vulnerable from the violent.
“Christians care for the environment. They don’t just see it as raw materials for economic gain, but they see it as the precious handiwork of their Creator.
“Christians have personal integrity. They keep their marriage vows and are aware of how destructive misused sexuality can be. Yet they are compassionate toward people who make sexual mistakes, and they never consider themselves to be superior.
“Christians build harmony between races. You always know that you’ll be respected when you’re around a Christian.”
-Brian McLaren
Other books to check out:
Hurt by Chap Clark
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=027322&event=CFN
Generation Debt by Anna Kamentez
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Debt-Student-NoBenefits-Geezers/dp/1594482349
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