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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   9134 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 13, 2026

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My feeling is anyone who would split with a church over a plain reading of the Bible isn’t really Christian enough to be worth catering to. In short, they place their own opinions above all else and would likely leave over some other issue anyway. So I’d say ignore them and teach what the bible says, and the traditions as they existed. If it makes people uncomfortable good, they needed to hear it.

I'm with you in theory. However in practice many people have beliefs that are influenced by secular culture, so I think it's important to have a considered approach when you introduce ideas that people may struggle with.

The other pastor who gave the advice not to teach Romans has had a lot of success growing his church, while the church I attend has stayed quite small. But I actually left that larger church for this smaller one partly because of lack of depth in the teaching. So, what's more important - reaching more people with the basic gospel message of salvation, or tending to a smaller group of more devoted faithful? I don't think there's an obvious answer. Probably we need both. "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it." 1 Cor 3:2 - Lots of infants in Christ out there nowadays!

What does it mean to "not be Christian enough"? This sounds more like a political division than the faith that all are saved if they follow Jesus Christ.

Well, what does 'follow Jesus Christ' mean, then? Ignore everything he said but think fondly of the nicer parts?

Well, that's the whole question, isn't it?

Matthew probably captures the historical Jesus's message best. Follow the Law more righteously than the scribes and Pharisees, in preparation for the imminent kingdom. The trouble is that he was talking almost exclusively to other Jews, and never makes it clear what he expects from Gentiles.

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