[Originally published in 2006]
What do you suppose Martin Luther would think of a, um, “Lutheran church” where they doted on clay idols and looked forward to “replacing” God with a pagan goddess? I think he might throw more than just an inkwell.
There was an awful lot of this mischief going on, earlier in this century. Enough for a six-part series, which I wrote for Chalcedon’s magazine. In recent years it seems to have gone undercover. We can always pray for its extinction.
Y’know, if there’s one thing the Bible is absolutely clear on, it’s this–DO NOT WORSHIP HEATHEN IDOLS. Never, never, never do that.
There’s gonna be a very hot reception for (ahem!) “pastors” and ministerettes who have led and encouraged this wicked foolishness.
Some years ago, I was visiting, literally, the very church where I was raised. Someone read from Isaiah 54:13 where it says “All your sons will be taught by the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great.” Now I realize that some translations render this “all of your children”, but the translation being used read “all of your sons”, so the person reading inserted “and daughters”, into her reading. I have nothing against daughters being taught by the LORD, but it falls me that someone would choose to edit their reading of scripture for political correctness.
If there’s a problem with the translation, use another translation Many translations render the Hebrew word “bā na yik” as children, so if it’s important to someone to have it rendered as children, then use a translation that renders it that way, but I don’t countenance some individual in a church deciding, all by themselves, that God’s word needs to be corrected, and altering their reading accordingly. BTW, it was the last time I was in that building, which is ironic, considering that I helped to build it, as a teen, and that I volunteered my services in remodeling efforts, as an adult. (It also galled me that a newcomer deacon there, would jump up an down to make an obvious attempt to make me feel welcome when I visited, considering that I had been going there since it was a vacant lot, was present at the dedication of the church building, and had one of the people that worked to make the last minute preparations for the dedication ceremony.)
The last time I visited a church, it was for the funeral of a friend. I’d love to find a church to attend regularly, but finding a church that sticks to the Bible is not so easy, these days. Bringing pagan ideas into Christianity s an abomination, and preaching g that you don’t need Jesus to be saved is to insult the redemption of mankind, which came at great cost.
Other than funerals, I rarely go anywhere near a church, these days, but I do share in worship with several friends, of a like mind. The last several times I attended a regular service, I found my feet wandering, because I couldn’t countenance the attitudes and teachings I was observing. I didn’t storm out the door, or anything like that, but on more than one occasion, I decided to take some fresh air, and then quietly drove home.
Oh, I hear you!
The church I was raised in (a Dutch Reformed church) has gone completely off the PC deep end. The last time I was there, the, um, “pastor” warned me off taking the Bible too seriously. Then she gushed about couples in adulterous liaisons who still got around to attending church services. Yeesh, where do we put the statue? They should at least have a plaque.
Doubtless there are strong and faithful churches. But the point of any church is Christian fellowship–and I believe we get that here. I also find it in my work for Chalcedon.
But oh, we do live in an age of anything goes! Yeah, let’s change the Bible!
So I don’t go to that church anymore. I miss it, the way it used to be… but that’s past, it ain’t that way no more.
These are churches of Satan.