“On the verge of a true spiritual awakening”?
In a nutshell, this paragraph describes why I disagree with Dr. Falwell on a lot of things these days. I’ll let you read it, and then comment; it comes from Agape Press.
“…The founder of a new grassroots Christian organization says America is on the verge of a true spiritual awakening. Dr. Jerry Falwell says the Christian Church in America made its voice heard during the recent presidential election, and now it is important for those values voters to build on what he calls a growing base. “A large turnout usually works against the conservative pro-family candidates,” he notes, “but that is not true anymore because the church of Jesus Christ is now standing tall, and we have the ability. If we’ll pursue the task and not assume we’ve won and become complacent — if we will press the battle now — in the next four, eight, or twelve years, we can bring this nation back to the faith of our fathers.” According to Falwell, America has been undergoing a quiet spiritual awakening during the past two decades. He believes the recent popularity of the popular Left Behind end-times book series, the rise of contemporary Christian music, and the increase among those who describe themselves as Evangelicals point to a modern-day great awakening. Falwell is hoping his new activist group, the Faith and Values Coalition (http://www.faithandvalues.us), will be able to build on the momentum of this spiritual movement.” [Allie Martin]
I appreciate a lot of what Dr. Falwell has done, and the influence he played in my life in the formative years of my spiritual development. Here though, briefly, are my issues with this statement:
1. The “recent popularity of the popular Left Behind end-times book series” says little about spiritual awakening and more about the ability of the “Christian”publishing industry to market the sensational.
2. The “rise of contemporary Christian music” may well be more a bane than a blessing to the evangelical movement. It is an unaccountable, profit-driven industry marketing, all too often, shallow semi-Christian songs to, largely, our own evangelical sub-culture. Just look at what sells–and what doesn’t. Songs that are solid theologically, particularly ones that are weighty, theologically, find little market, while the catchy songs and the ones sung by sexy, hip Christians do well. Michael Card and Steve Camp do some of the best stuff going. Wonder where they placed on the “charts” (that’s another subject for another day; the Dove Awards might just be the worst “Christian” invention of the 20th century) compared to Avalon, Point of Grace, Stacie Orrico, and Tait?
3. George Barna says that only 9% of our evangelical young people have a Christian worldview. Nine stinking percent. Nine. I don’t care if 100% of Americans profess themselves to be “evangelicals”; the fact of the matter is that we are losing the minds of a generation. Thankfully, at least they’ll be well-acquainted with Tim LaHaye’s view of prophecy… 
4. “Falwell is hoping his new activist group, the Faith and Values Coalition (http://www.faithandvalues.us), will be able to build on the momentum of this spiritual movement.” This is the reincarnation of the Moral Majority, which is all well and fine, I suppose, but are we talking about spiritual renewal or political renewal–or have we lost the discernment to be able to tell the difference? Recently, I saw Dr. Falwell’s listing of some of his “allies” in this fight; among the names were John Hagee and Rod Parsley (and Joel Osteen might have been on the list, I don’t remember). These people might have political sympathies that align with Dr. Falwell’s, but they are borderline heretics.
So, do we have a “true spiritual awakening” when we elect conservatives/Republicans to office, or when we “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with (our) God”? Yes, maybe we can do both at the same time, but which are we shooting for the hardest?????:!:
This phrase comes from the 1978 "Jonestown massacre" in which most members of the Peoples Temple cult, blindly following their leader Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.
Osborne: A Contrarian's Guide to Knowing God
Schlossberg: Idols For Destruction
13 Responses to ““On the verge of a true spiritual awakening”?”
Check that; it wasn’t Joel Osteen. It was David Cerullo. Same difference.
Byron ~ Dec 1, 2004 at 2:13 pm
Do I have your permission to cut and paste this into my blog and take credit for it?
I couldn’t have said it any better.
Your sounding more and more like me every day!
See, Paul? Told you that Byron and I have more in common than we don’t!
When I saw Falwell two days after the election announcing this new “Coalition,” I rolled my eyes. This is more of the same-old-same-old syncretism of Republican politics and Christianity.
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 1, 2004 at 3:31 pm
Well, you can’t take credit for it, but can you honestly think of anyone better to plagiarize? Don’t answer that!
Byron ~ Dec 1, 2004 at 6:48 pm
Is anyone familiar with http://www.nehemiahinstitute.com ? They are a biblical world view training ministry. They have a brief (Free!) online test you can take to see what your world view is. I took it last Spring and recieved a lovely framable certificate via snail mail that states I am certified as “beholding a Biblical Theistic worldview”. (There you go Byron, wouldn’t that look nice on your office wall?) They also sent me my scores, how they compared to ministers, laypersons, and Christian students.
They have some really nice resources for teaching biblical world view at all age levels. Fun.
Sherry ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 7:20 am
Sherry, I’ve taken that test as well–didn’t send for the frameable certificate, though. I’d rate it as a pretty good test, but I honestly thought that some of the questions were more about a Republican worldview than a Christian one, necessarily. I don’t remember what they were, but there were a couple about which I thought to myself, “hmm….is the answer they’re looking for THE Christian answer, or can people of good faith disagree about this point?” We ought to get Bob to take it and see if he doesn’t agree, and maybe he’ll pick up on the things I picked up on. I had that “Biblical Theistic worldview” as well (whew!
) but it wasn’t a 100% score, and I knew it wouldn’t be, because I’m not a 100% Republican…
Byron ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 9:04 am
In the announcement by Falwell, he says, “if we will press the battle now – in the next four, eight, or twelve years, we can bring this nation back to the faith of our fathers.â€
He is holding to a myth that the founding fathers of America were Christian. Christians stating as fact that which is myth does not help our cause.
Go to http://vanguardchurch.blogspot.com/
for a thorough quote from leading historians on the true “faith of our fathers.”
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 10:26 am
test
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 10:34 am
In his announcement to launch of the Faith and Values Coalition, Jerry Falwell said, “if we will press the battle now – in the next four, eight, or twelve years, we can bring this nation back to the faith of our fathers.â€
On my blog, I offer the insight from three of evagelicalism’s leading historians, who clearly show that Falwell is holding to a myth about the Christianity of America’s founding fathers (a myth that is uncritically accepted by many evangelicals today).
Most of us believe what our Christian leaders tell us, for they usually are very trustworthy. But when they state as fact that which is myth, it does not help our cause.
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 10:45 am
Bob’s blog address:
http://vanguardchurch.blogspot.com
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 10:46 am
For some reason, my blog address is not going through as a link…(Paul’s protecting Byron, I guess…)
so here it is as text, cut and paste it into your address box:
http://vanguardchurch.blogspot.com/
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 10:48 am
Woah!
I take that back!
There’s the link. All I had to do was type it in.
Allrightythen.
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 10:50 am
Ahh, then I guess I won’t sweat my “B” in the politics section…..
But should a homeschooler worry about a C+ in the Education section?????
Eek.
Sherry ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 12:49 pm
Oooooops
I guess all my misfires finally came through above.
Sorry about the redundancy, about the repetitiveness, about saying the same thing over and over.
Oooooop. Did it again.
Bob Robinson ~ Dec 2, 2004 at 6:19 pm