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Opinion

An ‘Emergent’ Trend The Media Wont’ Report On

Without really intending to do so, I started a series of articles using useful idiots as the theme. Even though that term is somewhat archaic and rarely used, the current empirical evidence of their increasing numbers can’t be ignored. We have an entire generation with no historical knowledge (other than that text they got fifteen minutes ago…) and a corrupt education system eager to swell their ranks. It’s all by design; liberals want control and they have to condition (i.e. reeducate) all of us non-compliant deplorables in order to get us to accept this.

The aforementioned Clash Daily articles were:
Remembering History Is Like a Vaccine for dangerous Idiocy (on 6/29)
‘Useful Idiots’: Still Around and Found in Surprising Places (7.20)
It’s Shamefully Easy to Create Useful Idiots (7/27)

One area that is not drawing attention in the national media, because they’re obsessed with destroying President Trump, is the rising schism in Christianity. Not that you would really expect liberal media to discuss Christianity at all, but they are ignoring a growing social trend that’s happening right in front of them. That schism is that the Christian Church has been infected with an anti-American form of liberalism known as the Emerging Church.

Sometimes also called the Emergent Church, the terms are often interchangeable, and the movement is worldwide. It’s largely Protestant but does have Catholic adherents and viewpoints. In the proverbial nut shell, it’s a smorgasbord of beliefs that cross and even transcend many theological boundaries.

Since its start in the mid-20th Century, many individuals involved regard themselves as “modernists”, or transcending beyond being liberal or conservative.

Many involved also consider the movement to be more of a conversation that emphasizes a decentralized structure. The focus is on dialogue, social justice and the eventual deconstruction of modern worship formats and evangelism.

Regardless of the Emerging Church’s quest for informality, there are three main categories within the movement:

Relevants — these are theological conservatives who want to update popular culture.
Reconstructionists — these are primarily evangelicals who want a new form of church that results in changed lives, but whose means to that end are more emotion based than Biblically focused.
Revisionists –these are true liberals who question if any sort of evangelical doctrine is even appropriate in today’s world.

All of these categories have variations of what is also known as the “home church” movement.

Now, before looking at what the Bible says about this, there are two quasi-social/philosophical terms that need to be mentioned and that are part of the foundational reasoning of the Emerging Church.

Modernism: the belief that human reason is supreme to any system of faith, and is the guiding force of history.
Post-modernism: this is the complete embracing of mystery, mysticism and/or the ambiguity of any thought process. The best example of this is the concept of “social justice”, which no one (even liberals) can really define.

Since modernism, post-modernism and mysticism are foundational corner stones of the Emerging Church, it’s easy to see how ecumenical unity (i.e. all religion/faith is the same) can be embraced. This leads to the spiritual arrogance that says that we’re not even supposed to understand what the Bible says or means, and there is no absolute certainty or authority in scripture. Hence the embrace of modern culture, with the hope of changing it through social justice, which is the primary goal of the Emerging Church.

This also leads to moral relativism, or no clear definition of good and evil. Because of this, it then becomes easy to ignore anything in the Bible that makes you feel uncomfortable. Which is otherwise known as conviction.

This is where the Emerging Church lines up, almost perfectly, with every liberal/DNC talking point. They’ve created a sense of planned obsolescence for Christianity since the church is now expected to embrace, without question, things like open borders, no self-defense (anti-2A), abortion, every facet and extreme of LGBT and the complete lack of personal responsibility that makes victimhood so easy to acquire. And without realizing the totally ironical dichotomy of this, many adherents of the Emerging Church embrace socialism while practicing the prosperity doctrine.

By denying Biblical authority, they’ve missed the point of 2nd Timothy 3:16-17:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Couple this with Rev. 2:18–29, the Church of Thyatira (the church in idolatry and false teaching), and Rev. 3:14-19, the Church of Laodicea (the church in apostasy*, only concerned with wealth and worldliness) and you’ll understand where the Emerging Church is at fault and why believers have the Biblical authority to call it out when we encounter it. I plan on going into more detail with next week’s installment.

(*apostasy – from the Greek apostasia, defiance of an established system of authority; rebellion; abandonment and/or renunciation of religious or political belief; a breach of faith) (…and a special thanks to Chip Ziemet for the idea)

SHAMELESSLY CONTINUING SELF-PROMOTION
My new CD SALT has gotten several great reviews and some interviews are even out there. Right now, I’ve been told that the single “Runnin'” from the project will be released to radio and we’re going to announce a special offer real soon. So please check out www.facebook.com/DeGroffProjects , www.facebook.com/ghfrocks and to order the CD, www.rottweilerrecords.bigcartel.com/Product/john-degroff-salt-cd . Thank you for your support!

Image: CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/en/snake-peek-reptile-animal-eye-1550318/

John DeGroff

John DeGroff is the original bass player for the Christian rock band Petra. He currently plays for the band GHF which is comprised of other original members from Petra. DeGroff has extensive experience as a freelance music journalist and newspaper reporter as well as an on-line music reviewer. He is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and lives in Warsaw, Indiana where he is employed as a care giver for mentally challenged adults.

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