The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience

[OneBlueSky]

by Ronald J. Sider
ChristianityToday.com
January/February, 2005

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2005/001/3.8.html

(snip)

Scandalous behavior is rapidly destroying American Christianity. By their daily activity, most "Christians" regularly commit treason. With their mouths they claim that Jesus is Lord, but with their actions they demonstrate allegiance to money, sex, and self-fulfillment.

The findings in numerous national polls conducted by highly respected pollsters like The Gallup Organization and The Barna Group are simply shocking. "Gallup and Barna," laments evangelical theologian Michael Horton, "hand us survey after survey demonstrating that evangelical Christians are as likely to embrace lifestyles every bit as hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered, and sexually immoral as the world in general."1 Divorce is more common among "born-again" Christians than in the general American population. Only 6 percent of evangelicals tithe. White evangelicals are the most likely people to object to neighbors of another race. Josh McDowell has pointed out that the sexual promiscuity of evangelical youth is only a little less outrageous than that of their nonevangelical peers.

- more . . .

http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2005/001/3.8.html

[saltpoint]

1. "It's just those nasty secular humanists saying those things.

Besides, the next world awaits us as God's specially-chosen lambs."
----
If there are people who wish to follow the words of Jesus of Galilee, I would suggest they wage war on those who are hyper-Paulists.

Right now would be a good time to fire on that particular Fort Sumpter.

[ixion]

2. this article misses the biggest 'sin', that of gleefully condoning murder

and torture, in the name of God, and because we're (supposedly) the 'Good' guys.

Anyone who condones this illegal invasion and occupation, anyone who supports torture in the so-called 'War on Terror' has a seat in the hell of their own fashioning.

You worshippers of the Baby Jesus out there who are truly peaceful people should be raising hell, as it were, that these fascist, evangelical reptiles are hijacking your religion.

[saltpoint]

5. ixion, I would type this response to your post faster --

-- but I'm busy standing on the furniture applauding what you wrote.

Bravo.

[ixion]

6. thanks, OC

I'm glad you can relate. It seems pretty obvious to me, but apparently not so obvious to millions. :-(

[trotsky]

3. In other news, the earth is revolving around the sun today.

Hypocritical uber-moralistic Christians? No way! :eyes:

[Inland]

4. Hateful christians still avoid sex, practices that don't float their boat

Christians, while divorced and greedy, still manage to hate those that engage in the practices they don't personally enjoy, like homosexuality and Islam, and those that they would only practice in an emergency and then only quietly, like abortion.

[RUDUing2]

7. what do they expect since according to the religious right

breaking the the 7th commandment is an impeachable offense but its good to break numbers 9 & 10.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.


X. Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbour's.

[GOPBasher]

8. Gee, that's so surprising.

You mean evangelicals are just as likely as anyone else to sin? No way!!! I thought they were better than mainline Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Toaists, Agnostics, Atheists and everyone else!!! This is just unbelievable!!! <sarcasm off>

[bobbieinok]

9. especially interesting, because Christianity Today is a very conservative

christian journal