Emerge, Pray , Lie

In the early 60′s Bob Dylan’s song, “The times they are a changing”, became an instant hit. It isn’t surprising to note that this particular song has been a hit every decade since its release. Post Modernism is definitely a good representation of that song. Indeed the times are changing, but just how does it affect the modern day church?

Post Modernism is one of the hardest things to define , when it comes to theology. It is not a Christian movement that defines Christ in a literal unbiased way. Post Modernism’s roots are primarily based in continental philosophy, culture and mysticism. Most theologians have a difficult time as it is to explain the emergence of post modernism and most simply label it as a clash of ideologies and a conversation. However, it is not simply a clash of simple ideas or so called ideologies. It is a new religion, a new philosophy that sets out to destroy Christianity as we know it.

“The emerging church movement arose as a response to the perceived influence of modernism in Western Christianity. As sociologists noted a cultural shift to postmodern ways of perceiving reality in the late 20th century some Christians began to advocate changes within the church that corresponded to these cultural shifts. These critics began to assert that the church was culturally bound to modernism and began to challenge the church regarding its use of institutional structures, systematic theology,”

Liberal Christianity or Post Modernism is a reaction against the Protestant movement and emerged in the late 1980′s.The founding father Richard Kearney’s root of inspiration was from Fredric Nietzsche. In 1966 Nietzsche famously declared “God dead”. Richard Kearney defines God as a weak God and views religion in a purely deconstructive manner. What this means is that in the light of religion God cannot survive without man and man cannot survive without God. God is portrayed as “a weak force”. “In the body of thought, the paradigm of God as an overwhelming physical or metaphysical force is regarded as mistaken”.

The problem with most pro – post modernists is not that they do not understand the nature of Post Modernism, they manipulate it in order to persuade church goers that their stream of thought is correct. A well know church in South Africa Mosaiek, recently tried to define Post Modernism to their congregation. In the sermon Pastor Johan Beukes defines Post Modernism as a movement that questions. He uses the following examples to proclaim his thoughts and the churches view on the topic of Post Modernism.

“Here we have Milley Cyrus and Billy Crystal, two worlds two realities that clash , maybe I should stop here for a second and let you know it doesn’t always have to do with age, a lot of time it includes young people that also have an old world picture in their head and a lot of times it includes older people that see a new world and a new reality. What I’ve come to experience is that the past screams against the realities of what I see now and what I feel now (Isaiah 43) because there is something new happening. I look back at the past and there are a few beautiful things in the past, but we are moving to new realities. In 1930 this new reality was coined post modernism, a time before past modernism especially after the 1st world war in Europe, people were unnerved by the hideous acts and atrocities committed and after this they believed everything that the church and, what the government said. After this period this sense of reality was replaced with anger and questions.

Especially, after World War II in Europe and after apartheid in the 90′s. Yes but there is more to this change, you can’t put the truth in one formula. Just like Newton who questioned everything and put it in another way. (epistemology),everyone has an opinion about the Bible , you can also say something about the Bible and contribute to the discussion. By looking at the bigger picture, not just at one verse or one word, we have to focus on the mystery , stop focusing on saving people and sin but start looking at our pain. We have to focus on the point that all of us are on a journey to wholeness. Gods story is a part of your story, take the step forward to a new reality give it a chance”

The views portrayed in this sermon are quite straight forward and if you read it again you will understand post modernism in a nutshell. As Christians, are we not taught to obey God’s word? Are we not all born sinners? Pastor Beukes specifically says that sin is no longer relevant if we are born sinners, then why should we discard the fact that we sin? Yes, a change in culture, art and politics occurred after World War II, but God did not change as Post Modernists would have you believe. There is no new reality or new found philosophy recorded in the Bible. The Bible stays the same unchanged and so does God. The dangers in the sermon lie in the word “realities”. What is the true reality of God’s word? Is it a conversation taking place with various theological and philosophical debates? Or is the reality to question what we see, feel and hear? We cannot see God, so should we question His existence, His birth, His sovereignty? I don’t think so! However, a prominent member of the emerging Church movement seems to think that’s exactly what we need to do.

In his book “Velvet Elvis” Rob Bell starts off by saying we need to question everything, you should even question the book your reading. Are we really in the position to question Gods Word? Well if you listen to Bell’s reality of things then yes, by all means question every single thing. By questioning God we are questioning His authority. God has supreme authority over man not vice versa .This brings us to the very core of post modernism the Emerging Church Movement.

The emerging church and Post Modernism

The fundamental practice or denomination that links post modernism to theology is seen in a new found theism or philosophy called the emerging church. The emerging church movement was created in an attempt to move away from the modern day church and to embrace a new cultural swift taking place within society. Its main aim is to rebel against any sort of systematic theology or structure. 4″Postmodern epistemology is fundamental to emerging church movement beliefs and emergent’s have laboured to construct a post foundational theology which rejects certainty in favour of a view they describe as more humble in which emergent’s see their voice as just one among many legitimate, non-dogmatic religious voices that engage in peer-to-peer dialog or “conversation.”

They aim to bring their message in a non religious way and tend to focus more on man and what he experiences in the so called reality of the universe. Emergent’s view scripture through the ideology of epistemology . This means that they analyze , re-examine and question scripture. They put no emphasizes on sound doctrines of theologies or systematic theology. In 2 Timothy 3 :16-17 it is specifically outlined that “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine , for reproof , for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work”.

In the words of well known Emergent leader Brian Mc Claren “I don’t like to use the word “objective” it is not a biblical word. I also find the word “known” problematic. The EC tend to discuss and change or reform their beliefs as they travel on a journey to enlightenment and thus the above verse is not applicable to their agenda. They are ‘open minded’ and allow any one from any faith to contribute to the ongoing conversation. According to them, the Bible is not necessarily correct. They do not regard theology as a way to God, but merely as a representation of systematic theology (doctrine).

Hermeneutics is discarded as mentioned above, and emphasis is placed on the fundamental basis of epistemology (see definitions at end of article). One of the most important things to take into consideration when discussing the EC movement is the various forms of spiritual creativity that set them out from the rest.

The EC have many prominent members who come from all walks of life. One of the things that lure people to the EC is the so called “star base”, many famous singers, actors, dancers and politicians attend Emerging Churches and attracts a growing number of teens and young adults. Milley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus are regulars at well known EC Pastor Erwin Mc Manus’s church, and as you read before Milley was named in one of “Mosaiek’s” sermons.

Thus it is not surprising that Erwin Mc Manus’s church is also called Mosaic.

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton are also regulars at Rick Warren’s saddleback church in L.A and the list goes on. So the question that one has to ask is it all about reaching your inner truth, or is it about finding God? Do you sit in church Sunday after Sunday and watch the famous people around you? Why not ask yourself why are you there? Be honest. Is it because you know you feel good about yourself, or is it because you have a genuine desire to get close to God? Whatever your reason, can you really allow yourself to be conned into something that goes against everything the Bible teaches, even if it means giving up a few hours of recognition?

In comparison to other movements, the Taize community plays a vital part in the so called journey the EC is taking. The Taize community is a Roman Catholic community who host over a thousand Jesuits in their small holding in France. It is estimated that over 3000 people visit Taize every week. Taize makes extensive use of new age practices such as centering prayer (a form of self hipnosis) séances and other non Christian practices.

The EC’s spiritual beliefs rely heavily on new age practices such as centering prayer, labyrinth walks, yoga, Kunjali (Hindu) worship and so called prayer stations.

Peter 1:2 tells us that Christianity is not a mystical religion but is based on a objective historical revealed truth of God, and intended to be understood and believed. The deeper and wider that knowledge of the Lord the more grace and peace are multiplied. Take into consideration the word “Knowledge” and “known”…The word is a biblical word and yes God is an all knowing God is He not?

Many conservative theologians regard the EC movement as a new age movement leaning towards the same principles as Scientology , the Ba Hai faith and or the Universalist movement. Faced with such opposition and the pressure it brings, postmodernism is a form of intellectual pacifism that, at the end of the day, recommends backgammon while the barbarians are at the gate. It is the easy, cowardly way out that removes the pressure to engage alternative conceptual schemes, to be different, to risk ridicule, to take a stand outside the gate. But it is precisely as disciples of Christ, even more, as officers in His army, that the pacifist way out is simply not an option. However comforting it may be, postmodernism is the cure that kills the patient, the military strategy that concedes defeat before the first shot is fired, the ideology that undermines its own claim to allegiance. And it is an immoral, coward’s way out that is not worthy of a movement born out of the martyrs’ blood. — J. P Moreland

Other opponents of the movement include well known Pastor Mark Driscoll , John Piper, DA Carson and Pastor Tim Cantrell.

To end the article I will leave you with the following information written By Pastor Tim Cantrell – Honeyridge Baptist Church SA

What are they actually teaching?
Few people realise the deadly doctrines that leaders of the EC are teaching. For example, they teach:
• That it should not shake our faith if we found out “that Jesus had a real, earthly, biological father named Larry… and that the virgin birth was just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in…” (Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, pp. 26-27).
• That we should shy away from describing the Bible in such terms as “the authority,” “infallible,” or “inerrant” (McLaren, Generous Orthodoxy, p. 164).
• That it is fine for leaders of the EC movement to frankly have no idea what “most of the Bible means” (Rob & Kristen Bell, Christianity Today article, Nov. 2004, pp. 37-38).
• That the church should consider taking “a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements” against homosexuality (http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/article.asp?ArtID=4150).
• That we should not be so concerned with “being saved” or finding “right answers”, and that any Christian who sees a difference between us and the world is probably arrogant (Today magazine, March 2007, p. 56).
• That the church should be inconclusive about the eternal destiny of non-Christians and should change its historic belief in hell (McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy, pp. 111-114; The Story We Find Ourselves In, pp. 167-68).
• That you believe in “a form of cosmic child abuse” if you say that Jesus died to pay the price demanded by His Father’s holy wrath (Steve Chalke, The Lost Message of Jesus, Zondervan: 2003 [foreword by Brian McLaren], p. 182).
• One of the chief proponents of the Emerging Church in South Africa is saying that he must now “leave church” and “give up belief in God in order to find God” (www.futurechurch.co.za).

Not everyone identified with the EC teaches all these things. But these are views held by leading voices in the movement. And any Christian who reads of such views with an open Bible in hand should be alarmed. Even some leaders from within the wider emerging church movement are sounding the alarm, such as Mark Driscoll who writes:
…the Emergent Church is the latest version of liberalism. The only difference is that the old liberalism accommodated modernity and the new liberalism accommodates postmodernity.
(Driscoll, Confessions of a Reformission Rev., p. 22)
…I eventually had to distance myself from the Emergent stream of the network because friends like Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt began pushing a theological agenda that greatly troubled me. Examples include referring to God as a chick, questioning God’s sovereignty over and knowledge of the future, denial of the substitutionary atonement at the cross, a low view of Scripture, and denial of hell….
(Driscol1, www.TheResurgence.com) (Cf. also Jason Carlson, “My Journey Into and Out of the Emergent Church,” athttp://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/ )

The Secret Message of McLaren
There is one doctrine that the EC attacks most, a doctrine upon which all Christian faith and teaching rests: the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture. This has been a cornerstone of evangelical belief ever since the time of the Reformation – the settled confidence that, on the whole, the Bible is not obscure or ambiguous but that it is clear and understandable for the ordinary Christian. Saints have faced persecution and suffering with unshakable certainty because their faith was grounded in the clarity of God’s Word. Jesus frequently appealed to the clarity of Scripture when He rebuked the religious leaders: “Have you not read in the Scriptures? Do you not know?” (Matt. 12:3,5; 19:14; 21:42; 22:31, etc.)

But McLaren and the EC celebrate their ignorance of Scripture and their certainty that no one can be certain of what Scripture says. McLaren summed up his motto well when he wrote, “Certainty is overrated” (http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/article.asp?ArtID=4150). But Luke’s whole aim for Christians was that they might “know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4). And Scripture says, “faith is being…certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1).

EC leaders say it is more humble just to embrace mystery than to seek certainty. But this is arrogance disguised as humility, claiming to be wiser than God regarding whether He spoke clearly or not. Here’s how God defines humility: “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My Word” (Isa. 66:2). God is not looking for those who only dialogue or converse about His Word, but for those who take is serious enough to tremble and obey.

McLaren even wants to throw out certainty about the gospel, the very “evangel” that defines evangelicalism! He writes, “I don’t think we’ve got the gospel right yet…. None of us has arrived at orthodoxy” (Christianity Today, Nov. 2004, pp. 37-38). Because authorities have been certain about wrong things in the past (a flat earth, apartheid, etc.), McLaren jumps to the conclusion that we must beware of thinking we’re right.

But the only way for a preacher to be unashamed and approved by God is to be sure that he has “rightly divided the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Paul was so sure of the rightness of the gospel that he told the Galatians anyone preaching another gospel should be accursed (Gal. 1:6-9).God’s Word treats certainty of spiritual truth as essential. To be saved is to “come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:4); it is to join those who “believe and know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:3). It is not a complement to be described as those who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).

McLaren believes that we must accommodate other religions – that new converts to Christ would not necessarily have to leave Buddhism or Hinduism, and that we need more “gentle and respectful dialogue” with other religions in order to improve Christianity (A Generous Orthodoxy, pp. 255-60).

But one searches in vain to find the OT prophets or NT apostles suggesting that conversion could come at such a small cost, or that the truth becomes richer by bartering with error.If this is not enough proof that the new emerging church movement is pushing an agenda that not only falsifies Christianity and unleashes new age practices then you have to sit down and think again. You have the information in your hands and Google has many links that can provide you with proof.

Other Sources in no particular order
The dangers and delights of Post Modernism – DA Carson
Velvet Elvis – Rob Bell
The Emerging Church parts 1-9 – Roger Oakland
www.mosaic.org (the mosaic alliance)
www.mosaiek.co.za
www.understandthetimes.org
www.resurgance.com
“They like Jesus but not the church” – Dan Kimball
“Emerging Worship” – Dan Kimball
Wikipedia redirect to “emerging church” and “contemplative prayer”
http://mosaiek.noproblem.co.za/mp3searchpage.php