Sobering New Year News
- 12.31.09
- Culture, Missional Living
- 2 Comments
Susan Jacoby, the author of The Age of American Unreason and a writer for the Washington Post, is celebrating the top developments in American secularism in 2009. They are as follows:
#1: In April, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that those with no religious affiliation—the unchurched–were the fastest-growing group in the American religious landscape. More than 16 percent said they belonged to no church and identified with no religious group. Jacoby responded to this development by saying, “I consider this an extremely positive development, because those who identify with no religion—whatever their beliefs or non-beliefs about the existence of a supreme being—are least likely to support religious intrusion on government and are least vulnerable to appeals from right-wing religion.”
#2: In his inaugural address, President Obama mentioned nonbelievers as a group of Americans worthy of respect. This is the first time a president, in a major address, has gone beyond the usual litany of respect for Americans of various religious faith and included Americans who reject religion.
#3: One of the first actions of the Obama administration was to overturn the Bush administration’s policies banning research on new embryonic stem cell lines.
#4: Predictions that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 would bring about a “return to religion” proved unfounded. Church attendance spiked briefly in the first month after 9/11, after which the drop-off in churchgoing, and the rise of the unaffiliated, has continued until today.
If you’re a Christian, then these developments ought to concern you. But more than that, these developments ought to motivate you to live out your faith in 2010 with renewed vigor. There is great spiritual need right where you live. May God grant you the faith and strength to live missionally in the coming year.
Happy New Year!
Hey Mike,
I agree most of those things (especially the ESCR) is bad, but I’m not sure I’d consider Obama recognizing a lack or religion in the public a horrible omen… I mean, we’d agree that everyone deserves respect, and also that, as sad a tale as it is, there’s a huge chunk of that everyone who claim no religion. Perhaps Obama was just calling it like it is (just to give him the benefit of the doubt).
The rest though, are certainly good reminders to live missionally. My personal favorite: going into a coffee shop with a friend, starting a loud mock disagreement, and sucking those near you into the conversation. You might even call it a hobby of mine
CDawg
Please tell me that you really dont do that. I mean that kinda of “Living missionally” is very fake. I would say that if you are doign that or feel that that is a good idea that it is not a representation of missional living but a sign of a lack of it in your life. People are brought to christ through relationships wiht those who know him, Not by overhearing someone elses converstion. Besides no one wants to hear what oyu have to say anyways. Starting a converstion in a public place like that even if its just to meet new people is fake. How do you think anyone would feel if the reson that you meet and became friends was fake? not only is that fake its selfish and done only to make yourself feel better.
Christ message was love through both words and actions. That is the example we are to set in todays world. we are not a set an example of lies and falsehoods. Beside taht people are just sick and tierd of having other beleifes stuffed down their throats. What would it be like if Christains steped back from many of the possessions that we hold so dear? I mean seriously take gay marriage for example. the only people hurt by this type of relationship are those that choose to engage in it. So why do we as christains fight so hard to keep people, who have already made up their minds about their sexuall preferences, from engaging in it? now it is one thing to have a personal relationship wiht a person and speak into their lives it is another to portest it openly like many people do.
That is why people dont want to hear about what we have to say as floowers of God. People are so sick of us trying to force everyone into our nut shell. I mean honestly If we as a whole took just a little time to care about people and get to know them verses tryign to make them like us how diffrent would hte world be. The fact alone that oyu claim to engage in that type of behavior is disgusting. We are to take gods message to those who have not heard and who do not know. Someone who open rejects christ has made up their mind and tyring to convert them through pointless debates only detracts of christ message. We are to love and care about people no matter what and to build relationships with them no matter what they beleive or dont beleive. Christ meet people where they were at and then through relationship wiht them changed them. Granted some came to Christ only by hearing about him…. But many of the Stories of Christ Show us that he valued relationship and tried ot build that with people before steping into their lives. I feel that your ” missional living” is not only fake and selfish but dumb and stupid as well. What do you think they will do when they find out that the whole reason that you started talkign to them is a lie?