... we're kidding ourselves if we think most nonChristians (or Christians for that matter) have any idea who Jesus really was and the claims He made. Karen Ward, an emergent church leader in Seattle, claims that 95 percent of the nonchurched in her area have a favorable view or Jesus, "so Jesus is not the problem. It is the church they dislike, because they do not readily see the church living out his teahcings [from Gibbs and Bolger in Emerging Churches page 48]." But the Jesus they like is almost certainly not the Jesus who calls sinners to repentance, claimed to be the unique Son of God, and died for our sins.He is almost certainly a nice guy, open-minded, spiritually ambiguous, and a good example. He is guru Jesus who resembles Bono in a bathrobe. If the church is the problem, it is likely because the church gives shape and form to an otherwise malleable and hollow Christ.
Monday, September 13, 2010
outsider perceptions
In addressing negative perceptions of the church by those outside of her, while acknowledging that not all is perfect in the Church, Kevin DeYoung, in Why We Love the Church, rightly notes:
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Hey - my friend Calvin Clark led me to your blog. I like it, though I disagree with most of what you say. Heh, I am getting what I paid for...but still enjoy reading other points of view. Interesting, I am a former pastor who has "fallen" from faith in Christianity...and so I enjoy the debate.
I disagree with your assessment (or Kevin's) of outsiders views of the church. To chalk it up to "God has blinded their minds" is beyond lame.
Why? Because, as a former Christian, and as one who still is haunted by this stuff...I can say that my problem is not the church or Jesus...it is the Bible, which is the source and core of all that is said and believed. John Stott actually said that a Christian is one who believes the Bible from beginning to end.
Your (or Kevin's) description of Jesus could be entirely wrong and based on conclusions drawn from an erroneous reading of the Bible. In fact, that is exactly what the Jesus Seminar concluded after the longest sustained research into biblical writings ever conducted.
I think the only way to begin to create a valid and legitimate defense of the church or Jesus is to not use the Bible. Remember, not everyone (even many who are christians) believe that the bible contains exclusive truth.
Namaste.
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