Where's the beef?...

It's with Brian McLaren and the emergent church movement.

Some of you are gonna think, "Great, he's gone fundamental on us." No, I've just read a lot and talk to a lot of people who know a thing or two--some who are even studiers (if that's a word) of pop-culture, so they're immersed in it and up to date on everything.

First off, Brian McLaren has called God a chick. Seriously? I don't care the context, that's a little blasphemous. He also doesn't see what the big deal about substitutionary atonement is. What the big deal about it?!?!?! It's only Jesus, son of God, putting his body up on a cross, allowing mockers, scorners, and even deserters kill him so that these people--if they choose to trust in him as their savior--might spend eternity with him in Heaven. But hey, Jesus dying for our sins isn't THAT big of a deal.

And what about Hell? He doesn't believe that Hell exists! But, you know what? If I didn't believe that Jesus died for my sins and I had a chance to spend eternity in Heaven, I wouldn't want to believe in a Hell either. Because then I would know where I was going.

Since I mentioned the emergent church, I guess I better say something about that. Their whole focus is social issues. Meeting people where they are, and loving them where they are. Did you catch that? I stopped at loving them where they are. The next step should be to bring them into a full understanding of who Christ is and what he did for them. We can't fix people's lives. We can't make people stop sinning. Heck, humans aren't even capable of not sinning--not without the Holy Spirit. The problem is, they don't want to cause conflict, but want everyone to live in harmony with one another. The only way to do that is to say that we're all doing our best, trying to live good moral lives. I'll help you where I can, you help me, and at the end of the day we'll have a group hug.

The big problem is that we've become a "soft" society. We're afraid to confront someone and tell them they're wrong. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. So what do we do? "That's good if that works for you."

I agree. McLaren and his friends have said some "good things." But that's about it. Their theology is totally whack.

If you want to know where their thinking comes from--because it's in no way brand new--read some Schliermacher (the official Father of Liberalism) or Rousseau (read his Confessions, a response to Augustine's). They both claimed that the individual is inherently good, but it's society that ruins us. But what's society made up of? Think about that one.

I don't want anyone to think I'm angry, because I'm not. I just fear that our church is going to end up as a feel good mush of your thoughts on religion, my thoughts on religion, mix them together and we'll have a group thought on religion. Because one of the big points of the emergent church is that you're not allowed to talk about disagreements on religious stuff.

Anyway, any thoughts on this, good or bad, post them. Like I said, I'm not going all Fundy. I've just done some research and have taken a stance.