When is the last time you heard someone criticizing “The church”?.For me it wasn’t that long ago and it probably won’t be long until the next time either. The worst part is when Christians do it. And I hope they reconsider..In a poem called the Fiddler, Karl Marx wrote, “Till heart’s bewitched, till senses reel: With Satan I have struck my deal.” Satan in Hebrew is a generic noun that means accuser or adversary. Surprise — for decades cultural Marxists have adopted criticism as their favorite tool to tear down Christianity, capitalism, democracy, and the nuclear family..The “critical theory” that spawned the New Left of the 1960s finds its latest expression in Critical Race Theory condemning all things white. Haters gotta hate and, in this case, such hatred has a goal..The less obvious problem, perhaps more insidious for its concealment, is how criticism itself has proliferated towards everyone and everything in Western society — parents, peers, subordinates, leaders... Grace and humility are hard to find..This attitude finds its greatest manifestation in sports talk shows. Some people who have never touched a football in their life know just what the team should do. Too bad they weren’t hired! But, at least the fan cares. It’s why it’s hard to watch their team on a slide. They’re invested and want a winner, and witnessing a string of failures can be exasperating..The satanic inspiration of Karl Marx, the criticisms of the church that have invaded academia, the pervasiveness of criticism as an attitude and the posture of a jersey-wearing fan who desperately wants their team to win — with all these influences, it's no wonder so many Christians are critical of the church..Even correct insights become destructive tools when they are misused. The most stinging accusations always have a bit of truth to them. Of course, tearing something down never built anything up. It’s easy to cast stones; it’s much harder to use them to build a house. Jesus himself said, “A house divided against itself will not stand.” Whether it’s a marriage, a congregation, or a country, the principle holds true..The answer, higher than criticism, is found in the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”.Any person who thinks the church has the wrong beliefs and philosophy is free to promulgate what they think is better, gather people to consider their views, and mobilize them to live out their something special and make an impact..Similarly, any Christian who thinks “the church” is doing it wrong has every opportunity to be the change they wish to see. If they think the message should be lived or shared differently, they can found a fellowship, persuade others to join, build their movement, and do things the way they are apparently meant to be done..Of course, the bridge from thinking and talking to doing is one some people never cross, whether it’s religion, politics, entrepreneurship, charity, education, or other spheres. Going beyond participation to leadership is another journey still. And the further one advances on that track, the more difficulties they will encounter. Pressures, challenges, conflicts, and temptations challenge everyone, and those in leadership all the more..When I took a Bachelor of Arts in Theology at Briercrest Bible College, I was full of ideas as to how the church should be. I was also young and had a lot of growing up to do. I recall my theology professor Robert Seale saying in class, “There is a tendency today to bash past missions and missionaries. At least they had the courage to do something!” He was right..I was disillusioned after arriving at the University of Regina at how little engagement there was from “the church” against the indoctrination effort of the Second Humanist Manifesto apparent in so many classes. I did what I could as a student and later in a friendship program with international students, but I’m not on that front at all now. Maybe some student today is wondering where “the church” is and I’m just sitting at home writing articles..Of course, we can’t fight on every battlefront that matters to us, but surely we can stop firing at those who are. As General Patton once said, “I’ve been shot at many times. Quite often by the enemy.” Friendly fire is anything but, and its bullets are just as able to kill..Some Christians are upset their pastors and congregations didn’t handle pandemic issues differently. Some Canadians are upset at other Canadians who neither recognize nor respond to the systematic destruction of our country. Deep calls to deep, but some people are too shallow to hear..Let them be. Stop cursing the darkness and start lighting the light. Fan it into a flame. Some will rally to it, and some will be consumed by it. Either way, it’s how we make a difference..This country needs a fire!
When is the last time you heard someone criticizing “The church”?.For me it wasn’t that long ago and it probably won’t be long until the next time either. The worst part is when Christians do it. And I hope they reconsider..In a poem called the Fiddler, Karl Marx wrote, “Till heart’s bewitched, till senses reel: With Satan I have struck my deal.” Satan in Hebrew is a generic noun that means accuser or adversary. Surprise — for decades cultural Marxists have adopted criticism as their favorite tool to tear down Christianity, capitalism, democracy, and the nuclear family..The “critical theory” that spawned the New Left of the 1960s finds its latest expression in Critical Race Theory condemning all things white. Haters gotta hate and, in this case, such hatred has a goal..The less obvious problem, perhaps more insidious for its concealment, is how criticism itself has proliferated towards everyone and everything in Western society — parents, peers, subordinates, leaders... Grace and humility are hard to find..This attitude finds its greatest manifestation in sports talk shows. Some people who have never touched a football in their life know just what the team should do. Too bad they weren’t hired! But, at least the fan cares. It’s why it’s hard to watch their team on a slide. They’re invested and want a winner, and witnessing a string of failures can be exasperating..The satanic inspiration of Karl Marx, the criticisms of the church that have invaded academia, the pervasiveness of criticism as an attitude and the posture of a jersey-wearing fan who desperately wants their team to win — with all these influences, it's no wonder so many Christians are critical of the church..Even correct insights become destructive tools when they are misused. The most stinging accusations always have a bit of truth to them. Of course, tearing something down never built anything up. It’s easy to cast stones; it’s much harder to use them to build a house. Jesus himself said, “A house divided against itself will not stand.” Whether it’s a marriage, a congregation, or a country, the principle holds true..The answer, higher than criticism, is found in the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”.Any person who thinks the church has the wrong beliefs and philosophy is free to promulgate what they think is better, gather people to consider their views, and mobilize them to live out their something special and make an impact..Similarly, any Christian who thinks “the church” is doing it wrong has every opportunity to be the change they wish to see. If they think the message should be lived or shared differently, they can found a fellowship, persuade others to join, build their movement, and do things the way they are apparently meant to be done..Of course, the bridge from thinking and talking to doing is one some people never cross, whether it’s religion, politics, entrepreneurship, charity, education, or other spheres. Going beyond participation to leadership is another journey still. And the further one advances on that track, the more difficulties they will encounter. Pressures, challenges, conflicts, and temptations challenge everyone, and those in leadership all the more..When I took a Bachelor of Arts in Theology at Briercrest Bible College, I was full of ideas as to how the church should be. I was also young and had a lot of growing up to do. I recall my theology professor Robert Seale saying in class, “There is a tendency today to bash past missions and missionaries. At least they had the courage to do something!” He was right..I was disillusioned after arriving at the University of Regina at how little engagement there was from “the church” against the indoctrination effort of the Second Humanist Manifesto apparent in so many classes. I did what I could as a student and later in a friendship program with international students, but I’m not on that front at all now. Maybe some student today is wondering where “the church” is and I’m just sitting at home writing articles..Of course, we can’t fight on every battlefront that matters to us, but surely we can stop firing at those who are. As General Patton once said, “I’ve been shot at many times. Quite often by the enemy.” Friendly fire is anything but, and its bullets are just as able to kill..Some Christians are upset their pastors and congregations didn’t handle pandemic issues differently. Some Canadians are upset at other Canadians who neither recognize nor respond to the systematic destruction of our country. Deep calls to deep, but some people are too shallow to hear..Let them be. Stop cursing the darkness and start lighting the light. Fan it into a flame. Some will rally to it, and some will be consumed by it. Either way, it’s how we make a difference..This country needs a fire!
