Is church bad? The answer, of course, is yes and no. Like any human undertaking, it is guaranteed to be flawed. And certainly the Church throughout the ages has been exactly that—riddle by racism, materliasm, narrow-mindedness. Having said that, I would hasten to add that the church is hugely important. The Christian life is not merely about an individual’s life in connection to a “personal” saviour. Rather, scripture makes clear from beginning to end that people are meant to live and work and worship in community. Individualism is a hallmark of American thought, not Christian thought.
I guess what I’m saying is that while the Church has always been flawed and this side of perfection always will be, it seems to me a ridiculous notion to then turn one’s back on it. Like the Church, the family I grew up in is flawed. My marriage is flawed. My parenting skills are flawed. My work in the civic operations of my town, state, and country are flawed. My skills as an educator are flawed and the institution where I teach is flawed. If I were to turn my back on areas and/or people of my life simply because flaws were present, I would be alone in the cosmos. How’s that for some rugged, American individualism?
JDV
Mar 09 2002
09:34 am
Is church bad? The answer, of course, is yes and no. Like any human undertaking, it is guaranteed to be flawed. And certainly the Church throughout the ages has been exactly that—riddle by racism, materliasm, narrow-mindedness. Having said that, I would hasten to add that the church is hugely important. The Christian life is not merely about an individual’s life in connection to a “personal” saviour. Rather, scripture makes clear from beginning to end that people are meant to live and work and worship in community. Individualism is a hallmark of American thought, not Christian thought.
I guess what I’m saying is that while the Church has always been flawed and this side of perfection always will be, it seems to me a ridiculous notion to then turn one’s back on it. Like the Church, the family I grew up in is flawed. My marriage is flawed. My parenting skills are flawed. My work in the civic operations of my town, state, and country are flawed. My skills as an educator are flawed and the institution where I teach is flawed. If I were to turn my back on areas and/or people of my life simply because flaws were present, I would be alone in the cosmos. How’s that for some rugged, American individualism?