The state of Christianity in the 'West'

Throughout the relatively short course of my life, I have seen Christianity decline in Australia. The sons and daughters of those who never had much (or any) belief are out in full force, and now having children of their own. They're followers of the world's ideologies, not of Christ's teachings. I must confess, it's getting harder to live in a world where so many people hold a different worldview to mine. I frequently cry due the callousness and ignorance of those who openly oppose Christ. Yeah, sure, they often have some sort of moral compass, but when it comes to the sanctity of human life, many are driven by agendas that fly in the face of Christianity. Is it Christians they can't stand, or Christ himself? I think it's both. To them, anything that challenges hardened hearts must be eliminated at all costs. It comes down to the discomfort they feel when considering their own 'humanness'. No one wants to wake up to themselves - they're having far too much fun self-serving to do that.

I recently read a small news segment in the October 2019 edition of 'Forward in Christ' magazine (Vol. 12, No. 3, p. 4). These magazines are always an interesting read, but there is a common thread: Christianity is continuing to be warped and twisted by those who have no desire to know Christ.

Seminary Confesses to Plants: In a bizarre chapel ceremony in September, students at Union Theological Seminary (UTS), New York, confessed their sins to a collection of potted plants. The verdant seminary described the event on social media, tweeting, "Today in chapel, we confessed to plants. Together, we held our grief, joy, regret, hope, guilt and sorrow in prayer; offering them to the beings who sustain us but whose gift we too often fail to honor. What do you confess to the plants in your life?"

One seminarian answered, "Here was my confession. ‘I confess that even as I’ve waxed poetic and theological about how indispensable you are, I’ve privileged my own comfort and convenience over your well-being.'" I’ve privileged my own comfort and convenience over your wellbeing? Seminarians at UTS might want to apply that same line of reasoning to abortion, which the school enthusiastically supports.

 

Image credit: South Pacific Prints

"These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God." (Matthew 15: 8-9, New Living Translation)