That's Offensive! (Or is it?)
Ohio State University President Gordon Gee announced his plan to retire as President of the University effective July 1. This decision was based on part of his critical comments he made about Notre Dame. “He referred to "those damn Catholics" and joked that priests at Notre Dame are holy on Sunday but "holy hell" the rest of the week.”1 He cited other reasons for his departure, but no one appears to be arguing that his comments about Notre Dame and other situations had a lot to do with the decision. His comments are offensive; but are they really?
I would say that he hit the nail on the head, at least in regard to most Christians (I wouldn’t say that about priests). Many of us Christians tend to think the weekly “inoculation” on Sunday (or Saturday, depending on your faith) or the biannual Easter and Christmas services is all it takes to be a Christian. While only having a relationship with Jesus Christ can provide salvation, we are called as Christians to do more than just attend worship.
But who is Christian? According to Gallup, 77% of Americans identified themselves as Christian in 2012.2 Go figure. More than 3 out of 4 of us label ourselves as “Christian.” 69% of us say we’re “very” or “moderately” religious.3 Whatever that means. I didn't see the actual poll questions, so I can’t really say what that means, but the article says that it has a lot to do with how often people go to church . The article further states that “Within that group, 40% are very religious, meaning that they attend religious services regularly and they say religion is important in their daily lives.” How do we stack up against other countries? That depends on your perspective. According to NationMaster.com, the U.S. ranks 11th in church attendance worldwide with 44% attending church regularly.4 Countries like Nigeria, Ireland, Philippines, Slovakia, and Mexico beat us. We can do better
Merely attending church isn't all we’re called to do, however. Jesus gave us the Great Commission: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (NIV Bible, Matthew 28:17-19). Of course throughout Jesus’s life he gave us instructions on what we were supposed to do after he left, the Great Commission just sums it up. (Quite nicely, too, I might add.) So Jesus doesn't just want us to just go to church. In fact he often challenged the “religious” of his day (Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes). They knew the God’s law, enforced it on others, but wouldn't follow it themselves. They weren't humble; they elevated themselves above the “common man.” Granted, only a certain priest could enter the “holiest of holies” of the temple. When the veil in the temple in Jerusalem was torn when Jesus died on the cross, that rule no longer existed. God gave us the ability to have a personal relationship with Him, and ONLY a relationship with Jesus as your Savior can offer that salvation. So Jesus clearly wants us to do more than just hang around.
Clearly the unraveling of the country’s moral fabric is at least due in part to the abandonment of religion by many Americans. My personal opinion is that the cause of the decline in religion is rooted in the 1950s and 1960s. The 1950s saw the start of rock and roll and the very unorthodox behavior (even the Ed Sullivan show wouldn't show Elvis Presley below the hips during his performance) and language at a time when America was still pretty conservative. During the 1960s, the hippy/counter-culture movement began and flourished. The hippies were quite a bunch. They protested against the war, demanded sexual revolution, hated and resisted any form of authority, and dressed and looked very different than the rest of conservative America. Instead of the church welcoming the hippies and accepting them in church (this doesn't mean they had to agree with the hippy movement), the church ostracized them and refused them entry. Hmmm. Doesn't sound much like Jesus does it? Then came Watergate and the distrust of government and you had the hallmarks of an established counter culture in the U.S. Of course there were other major incidents during that time frame that helped shape our country, but I believe that the church’s refusal to accept the hippies is why church attendance and religiosity have been on the decline.
The United Kingdom has had its church attendance decline for many years. Many of the churches in the U.K. that used to be packed are now mostly empty. But there is good news. The decline in church attendance is showing signs of slowing.5 Whether you believe or not, the moral fabric of any righteous nation rests in God’s law. What would we have to work with if we totally eliminated God from our legal system? The Constitution is certainly based on God’s law (see Declaration of Independence). Criminal law is based on Judeo-Christian morals. What would we replace it with? Man’s knowledge or self-awareness? HA! That changes almost daily. You can’t use an Encyclopedia Britannica from the 50s because science (aka man’s knowledge) has changed! So do you want to place your trust, your very life on a shifting landscape of man’s morality or would you rather base it on something that hasn't changed (i.e. God’s word)?
Need a reason to start thinking about church? According to Gallup, regular church goers feel better and are healthier than those that don’t go to church. 6,7 So while I’m not saying go to church to feel better (I say if you’re comfortable in church, you’re in the wrong church), I think it’s clear that a relationship with Jesus and God makes for a healthier you. The best benefit of that relationship is eternity in heaven with Him.
Christian divorce rates are often spouted on TV and radio as a means to point to the fact that we (Christians) are no better off than nonbelievers. But those statistics are misleading. The amount of time spend at church clearly makes a difference. “People who seriously practice a traditional religious faith---whether Christian or other---have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population”8 The difference is the level of commitment and practice.
And it’s not my intention to insult or offend anyone, I’m merely stating fact. What’s really important is walking the walk between Sundays. If we’re raising our hands in church worshiping Him, saying “Praise the Lord,” “Hallelujah,” and “AMEN!” and then during the week we drink to excess, visit strip clubs, engage in lewd behavior (jokes, language, etc.), curse, gossip, and a long laundry list of what we do, it’s no wonder we (Christians) drive people away from church. We’re Hypocrites!! We need to be examples of Christ’s love for the downtrodden, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, and the needy. We need to love each other as He loved us. Only by loving others (despite their appearance, smell, dress, length of hair, political ideologies, religion/faith, and other beliefs) can we be more like Christ.
But I’m no theologian. This is just my 2 cents. For what it’s worth.
1 Gleeson, Scott. "Ohio State President Gordon Gee retiring after Notre Dame jabs." USA Today. 4 June 2013. Web. 5 June 2013.
2 Newport, Frank. In U.S., 77% Identify as Christian. 24 December 2012. Web. 5 June 2013..
3 Newport, Frank. In U.S., 77% Identify as Christian. 24 December 2012. Web. 5 June 2013..
4 "Church attendance by country", World Values Survey. Retrieved from <http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/rel_chu_att-religion-church-attendance>
5 Grundy, Trevor. British Church Attendance Stabilizes After Years Of Decline. Cantebury: Huffington Post, Religious News Service, 13 May 2013. Web. 5 June 2013.
6 Lim, Chaeypon. In U.S., Churchgoers Boast Better Mood, Especially on Sundays. 2012 March 22. Web. 2013 June 5. < http://www.gallup.com/poll/153374/Churchgoers-Boast-Better-Mood-Especially-Sundays.aspx >
7 Newport, Frank. Withers, Dan. Agrawal, Sangeeta. In U.S., Very Religious Have Higher Wellbeing Across All Faiths. 2012 February 16. Web. 2013 June 5. < http://www.gallup.com/poll/152732/Religious-Higher-Wellbeing-Across-Faiths.aspx >
8 Stanton, Glenn. Fact Checker: Divorce Rate Among Christians. The Gospel Coalition. 2012 September 25. Web. 2013 June 5. < http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/09/25/factchecker-divorce-rate-among-christians/ >
I would say that he hit the nail on the head, at least in regard to most Christians (I wouldn’t say that about priests). Many of us Christians tend to think the weekly “inoculation” on Sunday (or Saturday, depending on your faith) or the biannual Easter and Christmas services is all it takes to be a Christian. While only having a relationship with Jesus Christ can provide salvation, we are called as Christians to do more than just attend worship.
But who is Christian? According to Gallup, 77% of Americans identified themselves as Christian in 2012.2 Go figure. More than 3 out of 4 of us label ourselves as “Christian.” 69% of us say we’re “very” or “moderately” religious.3 Whatever that means. I didn't see the actual poll questions, so I can’t really say what that means, but the article says that it has a lot to do with how often people go to church . The article further states that “Within that group, 40% are very religious, meaning that they attend religious services regularly and they say religion is important in their daily lives.” How do we stack up against other countries? That depends on your perspective. According to NationMaster.com, the U.S. ranks 11th in church attendance worldwide with 44% attending church regularly.4 Countries like Nigeria, Ireland, Philippines, Slovakia, and Mexico beat us. We can do better
Merely attending church isn't all we’re called to do, however. Jesus gave us the Great Commission: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (NIV Bible, Matthew 28:17-19). Of course throughout Jesus’s life he gave us instructions on what we were supposed to do after he left, the Great Commission just sums it up. (Quite nicely, too, I might add.) So Jesus doesn't just want us to just go to church. In fact he often challenged the “religious” of his day (Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes). They knew the God’s law, enforced it on others, but wouldn't follow it themselves. They weren't humble; they elevated themselves above the “common man.” Granted, only a certain priest could enter the “holiest of holies” of the temple. When the veil in the temple in Jerusalem was torn when Jesus died on the cross, that rule no longer existed. God gave us the ability to have a personal relationship with Him, and ONLY a relationship with Jesus as your Savior can offer that salvation. So Jesus clearly wants us to do more than just hang around.
Clearly the unraveling of the country’s moral fabric is at least due in part to the abandonment of religion by many Americans. My personal opinion is that the cause of the decline in religion is rooted in the 1950s and 1960s. The 1950s saw the start of rock and roll and the very unorthodox behavior (even the Ed Sullivan show wouldn't show Elvis Presley below the hips during his performance) and language at a time when America was still pretty conservative. During the 1960s, the hippy/counter-culture movement began and flourished. The hippies were quite a bunch. They protested against the war, demanded sexual revolution, hated and resisted any form of authority, and dressed and looked very different than the rest of conservative America. Instead of the church welcoming the hippies and accepting them in church (this doesn't mean they had to agree with the hippy movement), the church ostracized them and refused them entry. Hmmm. Doesn't sound much like Jesus does it? Then came Watergate and the distrust of government and you had the hallmarks of an established counter culture in the U.S. Of course there were other major incidents during that time frame that helped shape our country, but I believe that the church’s refusal to accept the hippies is why church attendance and religiosity have been on the decline.
The United Kingdom has had its church attendance decline for many years. Many of the churches in the U.K. that used to be packed are now mostly empty. But there is good news. The decline in church attendance is showing signs of slowing.5 Whether you believe or not, the moral fabric of any righteous nation rests in God’s law. What would we have to work with if we totally eliminated God from our legal system? The Constitution is certainly based on God’s law (see Declaration of Independence). Criminal law is based on Judeo-Christian morals. What would we replace it with? Man’s knowledge or self-awareness? HA! That changes almost daily. You can’t use an Encyclopedia Britannica from the 50s because science (aka man’s knowledge) has changed! So do you want to place your trust, your very life on a shifting landscape of man’s morality or would you rather base it on something that hasn't changed (i.e. God’s word)?
Need a reason to start thinking about church? According to Gallup, regular church goers feel better and are healthier than those that don’t go to church. 6,7 So while I’m not saying go to church to feel better (I say if you’re comfortable in church, you’re in the wrong church), I think it’s clear that a relationship with Jesus and God makes for a healthier you. The best benefit of that relationship is eternity in heaven with Him.
Christian divorce rates are often spouted on TV and radio as a means to point to the fact that we (Christians) are no better off than nonbelievers. But those statistics are misleading. The amount of time spend at church clearly makes a difference. “People who seriously practice a traditional religious faith---whether Christian or other---have a divorce rate markedly lower than the general population”8 The difference is the level of commitment and practice.
And it’s not my intention to insult or offend anyone, I’m merely stating fact. What’s really important is walking the walk between Sundays. If we’re raising our hands in church worshiping Him, saying “Praise the Lord,” “Hallelujah,” and “AMEN!” and then during the week we drink to excess, visit strip clubs, engage in lewd behavior (jokes, language, etc.), curse, gossip, and a long laundry list of what we do, it’s no wonder we (Christians) drive people away from church. We’re Hypocrites!! We need to be examples of Christ’s love for the downtrodden, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, and the needy. We need to love each other as He loved us. Only by loving others (despite their appearance, smell, dress, length of hair, political ideologies, religion/faith, and other beliefs) can we be more like Christ.
But I’m no theologian. This is just my 2 cents. For what it’s worth.
1 Gleeson, Scott. "Ohio State President Gordon Gee retiring after Notre Dame jabs." USA Today. 4 June 2013. Web. 5 June 2013.
2 Newport, Frank. In U.S., 77% Identify as Christian. 24 December 2012. Web. 5 June 2013.
3 Newport, Frank. In U.S., 77% Identify as Christian. 24 December 2012. Web. 5 June 2013.
4 "Church attendance by country", World Values Survey. Retrieved from <http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/rel_chu_att-religion-church-attendance>
5 Grundy, Trevor. British Church Attendance Stabilizes After Years Of Decline. Cantebury: Huffington Post, Religious News Service, 13 May 2013. Web. 5 June 2013.
6 Lim, Chaeypon. In U.S., Churchgoers Boast Better Mood, Especially on Sundays. 2012 March 22. Web. 2013 June 5. < http://www.gallup.com/poll/153374/Churchgoers-Boast-Better-Mood-Especially-Sundays.aspx >
7 Newport, Frank. Withers, Dan. Agrawal, Sangeeta. In U.S., Very Religious Have Higher Wellbeing Across All Faiths. 2012 February 16. Web. 2013 June 5. < http://www.gallup.com/poll/152732/Religious-Higher-Wellbeing-Across-Faiths.aspx >
8 Stanton, Glenn. Fact Checker: Divorce Rate Among Christians. The Gospel Coalition. 2012 September 25. Web. 2013 June 5. < http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/09/25/factchecker-divorce-rate-among-christians/ >
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