I suppose you could call this an ‘opinion’ piece, but then again maybe not.
If we take a serious look at the history of man, we find that humans have a tendency to worship something, whether they call it God, a god, or something else. One of themes carried throughout the Bible is that the God spoken of therein is he God we were created to worship.
In the end, the bible tells us that God does anything and everything in order to bring glory to Himself or to His Son. We were created to love, worship and glorify the God who created us. To that end, we were created with the ability and need to worship. The problem that the fall of the Adam brought to the human race is, among other things, the corruption of human nature to the extent that we now enter life in rebellion against the God who created us to worship HIM and bring HIM glory.
Being religious beings by nature, we will find something to worship. If not the God of the bible and His Son, it might be another religion apart from Christ. Or, we might claim to be ‘atheist’ and that we don’t believe in any sort of ‘god’ or ‘religion’. In that case, whatever takes the first place in the endeavors of life, that thing for which we labor and strive to please, becomes our object of ‘worship’. No matter what that might look like, in the end I think it comes down to pleasing ourselves first and foremost in all of our endeavors. We call it ‘self-actualization’.
What is terribly sad is that much of today’s American Christianity is nothing more than ‘self-actualization’ disguised as proper religion.
The Battle Cry 
“What is terribly sad is that much of today’s American Christianity is nothing more than ’self-actualization’ disguised as proper religion.”
So very true. Even redeemed man fights the battle of idolisation throughout his/her life. This is why I believe that the Seeker movement is so wrong. It meets man right in his idolisations of culture(felt needs) and leaves him there.
We live in a culture that loves itself more than anytime in history.It loves its technology, it loves its own music, dress, language etc. The problem is that this love is a love of pop culture. Pop culture is the “culture” of youth, which by its nature is hostile and in rebellion to parents and traditional culture. It has now slain the traditional culture and demands full allegiance to its whims. What does an god do but that very thing. Pop culture is an idol. Don’t believe it, then watch American Idol—appropriately and prophetically named.
America doesn’t realise that she is worshiping an idol. No one does. The Greeks and Romans didn’t believe they were worshiping an idol. The only difference today is that we don’t call them gods, but rather, relevance.
For the most part , traditional culture wsn’t something that was demanded and forced upon. It was something that was passed down from parent to child–society to its children. Today in our narcissitic society that worships new and youth, it is they (Youth) that dictate our culture. Sad thing is that we are all now kids and have no one to guide us. Our parents and Grandparents dropped the ball of discipline(much like Samuel did with his sons) and now the sins of that generation are visited on the third – fourth and who knows for how long generations. The church today seems unwilling to stop it and be different. No, they promote it.
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If you read the ‘Values’ page for many of the fast growing a lot of churches (they all have this ‘Valuse’ page)you will find terms like, ‘relaxed atmosphere’, ‘comfortable’, ‘contemporary’, and of course, ‘relevant’. At the very least, what we have is self-centered rather than god centered religion. What one then has to ask is: “Is this even true religion, or the true church?”
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Exactly Born4. These “values” are what you can expect in this consumeristic idea of church. What do I get for my investmen, my buck? Well, you get a relaxed atmosphere as if a reverential atmosphere is stuffy and unrelaxed. Well for siners and ungrateful , self obsorbed people, I guess it would be. You get comforatble seating. Can’t have uncomfortable seating. How did those people ever sit in those pews for so long? Relevant sermons? Oh, those people of the past listened about the attruibutes and works of God in the OT and NT . How boring. I want to know about m-m-m-m-yy generation
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PS. Sorry for all they typos. I hit the enter button accidentally as I went to use my “Ie Spell” program. One of these days I will learn to do this in Word instead of directly.
I did want to make a addendum to my first comment. When I say pop culture , I am not just and only referring to the expressions of the culture, but rather the philosophical underpinning of that culture. Yes, I am opposed to much of the outward manifestations of the culture, but at root is the philosophy I stand opposed to. Destroy that philosophy {tear down strongholds)and the outward expressions will die also.
Pop culture is an idea and ideas have consequences. It did not form in a vacuum. It was created out of a philosophical idea. So just to say that it is and so we have to live in it is a defeatist and quite frankly unbiblical statement. It is most definitely a stronghold of this world and we are called to use truth to tear down these strongholds–that set themselves up against the Word of God. You are either for Me or against Me. The road is narrow. Broad is the way of our pop culture for it is , like I said , anti-traditional culture, an anti obedient culture and that opposes the truth at its roots. One truth is that children, obey your elders. That disobedience on a societal level birthed pop culture.
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B4B here. ‘Popular’ cultural has probably been in opposition to biblical principals, at least since the Enlightenment a few centuries ago. Pop culture is all about self and God is all about God. It sounds like you are saying that in today’s American culture we have reached new heights(or depths)of self-centeredness. The fastest growing ‘churches'(NOT)have brought it all through the doors of the sanctuary.
I see good news in the increas of interest in the classic doctrine of the Reformation. Maybe that will translate to a revival of true religion in society (but I’m not holding my breath). Descriptins of end times in scripture seem to point to the opposite.
Hang in there, Fred! 🙂
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“It sounds like you are saying that in today’s American culture we have reached new heights(or depths)of self-centeredness. ”
That is what I am saying Dan and the reason is that we have entered a new barbarism, a new paganism. Christianity is losing its sway in Western culture and much of what is there has synergised with other faiths, just as the Israelites did after they entered the land east of the Jordan. Of course God foretold this to Moses and the same applies to us. When we forget the faith and the traditions bore out of that faith, of the fathers or elders of a society, then youthful rebellion takes over and with no guidance is sure to destruct. Eve in her youthful rebellion rejected her Father and self destruction was the result. Our society is doing the same thing. Nothing new under the sun. People rebel–prophets call them back—-most do not listen. Like children, they know it all and don’t tell them that they don’t, for then you will hear, “who made you the boss over me?”
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Fred,
I thought I read you right. Modern ‘self-centered’ ‘Christianity’ has stood true ‘God-centered’ Christianity on it’s head. I have no doubt that God will save his elect even if they are in self-centered churches, but I would not want to see the real statistics of who is really saved/not saved in that type ‘church’. I don’t know who needs more prayer, the deceived in the pews/theater seats, or the deceivers behind the pulpit/on the stage.
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