Monday, April 19, 2004
Post Modern Ministry?
The following is a quote from David Limbaugh's book Persecution. Yes I know Limbaugh is a conservative. Yes, I know he has a bias, but I think he makes valid point.
"Postmodernism gives rise to such ideas as that tolerance requires us not just to permit the free expression of all ideas, but also to accept all beliefs as equally valid. This mindset discourages reason, because reason itself is tainted by our socially constructed realities. This mentality also largely rejects the evaluation of ideas on moral grounds, since no one can possibly be in a position to make such judgements. But since Christianity, by its very nature, cannot submit to such intellectual anarchy, it is a glaring exception to the rule that all ideas must be accepted as equally valid. The postmodern rule, more accurately formulated, is that all ideas must be tolerated except those that refuse to accept the doctrine that all ideas are equally valid. For all these reasons, postmodernism is innately anti-Christian."
"In short, "the reason postmodernists find Christians so irritating is that we keep violating the rules by speaking our beliefs in terms of real, objective truth. This is regarded as a category mistake," says scholar and writer Nancy Pearcey."
Now before I go any further, I want to say this, I have a great regard for those attempting to minister to a postmodern generation and consider myself to be among them, but, I have been forced to ask myself a few questions:
Can we work in a context of no absolute truth, when we consider the fact that we as Christians believe that Jesus is the truth?
Are we accepting that postmodernism is thoroughly inevitable, and if so is it really?
Is the fact that postmodern thought seems to run so counter to the teachings of Jesus a sign that the church has been too weak in presenting the message of God's love, and if so is the answer to strengthen our message, in word and deed?
Does meeting people where they are mean we have to accept things as they are?
Are we going in the wrong direction by assuming that we have to reframe the truth of the Gospel to reach a worldview that rejects absolute truth? Is the Gospel powerful enough to overcome people's preconceptions. It was in my case.
What are we going to do? Truth is still truth. Jesus is still the way the truth and the life, right?
The following is a quote from David Limbaugh's book Persecution. Yes I know Limbaugh is a conservative. Yes, I know he has a bias, but I think he makes valid point.
"Postmodernism gives rise to such ideas as that tolerance requires us not just to permit the free expression of all ideas, but also to accept all beliefs as equally valid. This mindset discourages reason, because reason itself is tainted by our socially constructed realities. This mentality also largely rejects the evaluation of ideas on moral grounds, since no one can possibly be in a position to make such judgements. But since Christianity, by its very nature, cannot submit to such intellectual anarchy, it is a glaring exception to the rule that all ideas must be accepted as equally valid. The postmodern rule, more accurately formulated, is that all ideas must be tolerated except those that refuse to accept the doctrine that all ideas are equally valid. For all these reasons, postmodernism is innately anti-Christian."
"In short, "the reason postmodernists find Christians so irritating is that we keep violating the rules by speaking our beliefs in terms of real, objective truth. This is regarded as a category mistake," says scholar and writer Nancy Pearcey."
Now before I go any further, I want to say this, I have a great regard for those attempting to minister to a postmodern generation and consider myself to be among them, but, I have been forced to ask myself a few questions:
Can we work in a context of no absolute truth, when we consider the fact that we as Christians believe that Jesus is the truth?
Are we accepting that postmodernism is thoroughly inevitable, and if so is it really?
Is the fact that postmodern thought seems to run so counter to the teachings of Jesus a sign that the church has been too weak in presenting the message of God's love, and if so is the answer to strengthen our message, in word and deed?
Does meeting people where they are mean we have to accept things as they are?
Are we going in the wrong direction by assuming that we have to reframe the truth of the Gospel to reach a worldview that rejects absolute truth? Is the Gospel powerful enough to overcome people's preconceptions. It was in my case.
What are we going to do? Truth is still truth. Jesus is still the way the truth and the life, right?
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