Morally bankrupt Christianity
Thanks to the eChurch Christian Blog for the heads-up on both these stories.
First of all, one which has a whiff of the urban myth about it, but may just be true:
What would Jesus steal?
Yes, a Christian bookshop in Australia allegedly reports persistent shoplifting of their WWJD bracelets. Thus image-conscious Christians can wear their constant reminder to act like Christ, seemingly untroubled by the knowledge that they stole it from its rightful owner.
This combined in my mind with the unfortunate case of Steelroots.
US religious network goes after UK co-operative youth group
A Sheffield-based Christian youth project, Steelroots, was unfortunate enough to pick the same name as a large US Christian set-up (presumably because both originated in communities with historic steel industries). Once they discovered this, the reaction of the American organisation was automatic: to send a legal "cease and desist" letter. Since US Steelroots is backed by the "Inspiration Network", a multi-million dollar business, the outcome is a forgone conclusion: big business always wins.
And has it come to this? The historic faith once delivered to the saints, the destiny-changing good news of a crucified and risen Saviour, the uncompromising, soul-searching words of Jesus, can now be reduced to parroting stock phrases like "what would Jesus do?", while continuing to do exactly as we would have done if we had never even heard his name.
And I simply can't find words to describe the behaviour of an organisation that plasters its website with pious phrases like "revealing the truth", but in reality is more interested in taking legal action against fellow Christians in order to protect its profits (which is btw in direct contravention of 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 - why do Bible-believing Christians find it so easy to ignore the Bible when it suits them?). So much of first-world Christianity now is just a moral husk, a shiny veneer of religious behaviour with nothing inside. When faith is only about making money, what future does it have? Or how much longer before the whole thing crumbles away into nothing?
First of all, one which has a whiff of the urban myth about it, but may just be true:
What would Jesus steal?
Yes, a Christian bookshop in Australia allegedly reports persistent shoplifting of their WWJD bracelets. Thus image-conscious Christians can wear their constant reminder to act like Christ, seemingly untroubled by the knowledge that they stole it from its rightful owner.
This combined in my mind with the unfortunate case of Steelroots.
US religious network goes after UK co-operative youth group
A Sheffield-based Christian youth project, Steelroots, was unfortunate enough to pick the same name as a large US Christian set-up (presumably because both originated in communities with historic steel industries). Once they discovered this, the reaction of the American organisation was automatic: to send a legal "cease and desist" letter. Since US Steelroots is backed by the "Inspiration Network", a multi-million dollar business, the outcome is a forgone conclusion: big business always wins.
And has it come to this? The historic faith once delivered to the saints, the destiny-changing good news of a crucified and risen Saviour, the uncompromising, soul-searching words of Jesus, can now be reduced to parroting stock phrases like "what would Jesus do?", while continuing to do exactly as we would have done if we had never even heard his name.
And I simply can't find words to describe the behaviour of an organisation that plasters its website with pious phrases like "revealing the truth", but in reality is more interested in taking legal action against fellow Christians in order to protect its profits (which is btw in direct contravention of 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 - why do Bible-believing Christians find it so easy to ignore the Bible when it suits them?). So much of first-world Christianity now is just a moral husk, a shiny veneer of religious behaviour with nothing inside. When faith is only about making money, what future does it have? Or how much longer before the whole thing crumbles away into nothing?
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