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Culture War Roundup for the week of February 14, 2024

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The entire framing of this ad points to an unseriousness about Christ on the part of its creators. There is a growing tendency in protestant circles to believe that our mission is to shepherd the path to individual and societal self-actualization. This is clear in mainline denominations, where in my town only coffee shops are more likely to prominently display price/transgender flags. But it's seeping into "evangelical" denominations as well. Even doctrinally sound churches sing insipid lyrics about Christ as our friend (rightfully lampooned by South Park), are pastorally lenient on premarital cohabitation and divorce (even protestants are supposed to consider marriage covenantal), and are quite squishy around women ordination.

We are trapped in the culture's post-Christian milieu, and we like it. We just want to be a little more recognized within it.

"He gets us". What narcissism! God needs nothing outside of himself. God is the almighty, the Triune, omnipotent, without whom nothing would exist and without whose ongoing sustenance nothing would continue to exist. The Spirit hovered over the face of the waters, and creation began. The Word was in the beginning, was God, and spoke through the Law and the Prophets of the Old Testament; and became flesh and dwelt among us. Christ came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, the very laws and prophecies that he inspired. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Our response is not to bloviate banalities on national TV. Our response is to fall on our knees in holy fear, reverence, and repentance.

about Christ as our friend

While I don't like that genre of music either, calling Christ our friend isn't necessarily wrong (and has a history). The scriptures at least called Abraham a friend of God.

On the whole, though, yes. The attempting to promote soft forms of Christianity doesn't work well.

I like that your observation does not constrain itself to the mainline liberal denominations. The abandonment of church discipline is not without precedent (see, e.g. Europe pre-Protestant Reformation), but is certainly not healthy, and this is one serious concern I have about the increasingly prevalent non-denominational-style Christianity today.