A USA Today Commentary on the State of Religion

My friend Leroy directed me to an article by Oliver Thomas in the opinion section at USA Today entitled "Faith in America: Get ready for change". To jump right in, here are a few excerpts:

"Most interesting of all is the fact that what is happening to Christianity might be taking it back to its historic and theological roots. Perhaps the problem with the 'old-time religion' was simply that it wasn't old enough."

Okay, nice. I'm on board with that. Within a few hundred years after Christ, man had implemented a hybridized religious/business system that bore little resemblance to the Way that it claimed to follow. We perverted Christianity, and I can plainly see that there is a desperate desire among followers of Christ to strip away anything that is not honoring to Him, most often including tradition.

But in suggesting that the "new" message of Christianity must be relevant to current events, he goes way off-base:

"Such common New Testament imagery as 'washed in the blood,' for example, might have been borrowed from other religions in the Mediterranean world, including the cult of Mithras, in which devotees were literally drenched in the blood of a bull."

Surely the author is versed enough in foundational Old Testament Scripture to know that this imagery was not invented in New Testament times, but has its roots in how God instructed the very first humans after the fall. Further, any supposed ties or parallels Christianity may have had to the cult of Mithras have been quite thoroughly refuted. Blogger Prayson Daniel has a very accessible summary at his blog.

Here's another statement that is true, but terribly invalid in affirming any movement:

"Young adults appear largely uninterested in our denominational joustings over 'correct' doctrine."

Well, duh. Business meetings are boring (okay, they're entertaining sometimes). But simply because someone -- or even a multitude -- is uninterested in something makes zero case for that position being invalid. I believe the better point would be that "denominational joustings" have become one of the most prominent features of modern Christianity. On the whole, I've seen that "serious" Christians love to be right far more than they love Jesus Christ. I've been in that camp, and it's an awful place to be. As I read the Word I don't see Jesus worrying so much about things along those lines.

I believe the author has a solid position in the end (of course, he's technically not supporting one position or the other; just stating what he sees about the climate of religion in America). However, the points he uses to try to argue his case are all over the place, often invalid and denying the Spirit inspiration of Scripture.

I'm interested in your take on the article. Again, it can be read here.

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Apology Issued in San Diego Bible Study Situation

In case you haven't seen the developing news, have a look at this article from Baptist Press (hat tip to my dad). This concerns the story we heard a week or so ago in which David Jones, a pastor in San Diego, and his wife were told to stop having Bible studies in their home unless they paid mega-fees to have a "religious assembly". The county issued an "Oops" statement and actually apologized!

From the article:

San Diego officials have apologized and rescinded a cease-and-desist order after a pastor and his wife were told they would have to apply for a permit that could cost thousands of dollars if they wanted to continue hosting a small Bible study in their home.

. . .

In a letter to [the pastor and his wife] and [one of their attorneys] June 3, the county's chief administrative officer said the order was wrongfully issued and the county would conduct a review of its code enforcement officer training.

(URL for cut-and-paste is http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=30633)

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Liberty University Bans College Democrats Group

I'm having a tough time digesting the news about Liberty University banning a college Democrats club (link goes to a FOXNews.com report). Upon reading the news, my mind immediately flooded with opinions, most of them negative where the college is concerned, but I know that it was a decision that wasn't made lightly, and I'm probably not privvy to details enough to make any solid judgment calls.

It's reported that the College Democrats club can no longer meet on campus and can no longer use the university's name in conjunction with its own. In an extreme "D-oh!" move, Jerry Falwell, Jr. has said that it was an "administrative oversight" that allowed the group to be approved in the first place. Oops.

In the FOXNews.com story there was a line that leapt off of the screen at me: "[Jerry Falwell, Jr.] said he likes the group's members and knows they mean well, but that the university has received 'lots of complaints from parents and donors' about the club's existence."

I'd love to think that money wasn't the primary motivating factor in the decision -- and it may not have been. I'm just predisposed to think that any situation in which money becomes a major part of the equation is a situation where integrity is no longer the primary concern.

The privately-funded Liberty University has every right to ban a club whose parent organization not only supports, but adamantly pushes issues that the university staunchly opposes (for instance, "...we stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay." -- from the Democratic Platform for America, way back in 2004).

Liberty University is in existence to educate people and provide them with a strong Scriptural foundation; not to win any popularity contests (which is a hugely good thing, because they'd probably lose).

Is this a case of the school denying a group of their right to express their political beliefs? If so, wouldn't they have every right to do so? The students paid to go to a private university.

It's the same as paying to go to a private grammar school and then complaining that the school institutes uniforms (essentially saying, "You may not wear those particular clothes on campus any longer."). Don't like it? Take your kids and money elsewhere. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but I see more and more where the love of money is, indeed, at the root of all kinds of evil.

Based on what you know, did Liberty University do the right thing?

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