Posted: 02/12/08

Why Must Christianity Be Re-invented?

By Jan Markell

www.olivetreeviews.org

I, personally, don't believe it needs to be, but Robert Schuller and friends spent a few days in late January planning how to do it.  On my February 9 radio program, "Understanding the Times," Roger Oakland reported on the event as he was able to attend. He stated that the prominent view from most in attendance was that Christianity as we have known it has run its course and must change. It must be re-invented or it won't survive.  Really?

As Oakland said, focusing on a relationship and not religiosity is what is important; however, true Christianity has survived just about everything including mass slaughter in Sudan. But the faith isn't being made stronger by such events as Schuller's "Re-Think" last month. Christianity and the church need not "re-think" and compromise their God-given biblical doctrines to accommodate the world and churches with "straying" theology.

The Schuller "Re-Think" event was co-hosted by Emergent leader Erwin McManus. Many Christian and secular leaders were invited, and it begs the question, Why are secular people speaking about "re-inventing Christianity?"

Perhaps it cannot be determined if all in attendance or invited were in agreement with this event. Roger Oakland reported that most seemed to be receiving all the information positively. Several pulled out and did not show.

Just a few of the participants included Emergent Dan Kimball, Larry King, Gary Smalley, George Barna, Lee Strobel, Kay Warren (wife of Rick), George H.W. Bush, Rupert Murdoch, Henry Cloud, and of course, co-host Erwin McManus.

Roger Oakland states, "I hope and pray that Erwin McManus, Robert Schuller, and others will 're-think' the direction in which they are heading. I pray they will start proclaiming the gospel according to the Scriptures. I pray they will begin to warn about the many unbiblical ideas that are driving the unsuspecting toward an apostate church. The potential for Christians to be led astray by a strong delusion as Paul warned in II Thessalonians is not only a real possibility-it is happening now."

The overall view at "Re-Think" was that Christianity as we have known it has run its course and must be replaced or re-invented. We're seeing a paradigm shift. Speakers insisted that Christianity must be re-thought and re-invented if the Name of Jesus Christ is going to survive here on planet earth now that we are in the 21^st century.  Jesus Christ needs no foot soldiers to keep His Name alive, His message alive, His purpose alive, and the church alive!  The pompous nature of this event defies credulity.

New ways of doing church need not replace "that old-time religion." The gospel message has never changed over thousands of years! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  "Re-think" participants should "re-think" themselves, and those who are believers should just stick to preaching a solid gospel rather than trying to re-invent something God never intended to change to "keep up with the culture."

By Jan Markell Click here for bio and archived articles