America is a religious nation in the eyes of the world. But a new study revealed that the majority of Americans do not rank their relationship with God as the most important personal connection in their life.
Seven out of 10 American adults choose their earthly family over their Heavenly Father when asked to choose the most important relationship to them, according to a Barna study released Monday.
One-third said their entire nuclear family is most important, while nearly a quarter (22 percent) named their spouse and one-sixth (17 percent) pointed to their children. An additional three percent of American adults identified their parents as the most important relationship in their lives....
I have personally found that not only does the secular world not care for God (of course), but in the Church after Sunday School and Services "believers" don't want to talk about God if you talk doctrine. They're more interested in feelings... or football, lunch and their kids.
So abc has "exposed" me as a name-dropping phony (in spite of my use of the term "possibly" below). Fine - I am but dust, with no credentials to defend.
Since you seem to have confidence in your understanding of Kierkegaard, please enlighten me - are you denying that his ideas indirectly influenced the modern church (which is easy enough), or are you claiming his thought has little or nothing in common with the modern church's subjectivism & hostility to dogmatics?
I like to think that *some* thinker's ideas bore fruit here, even if not Kierkegaard's.
While it seems really "intellectual" to mention Kierkegaard, it's a bit of a torturous stretch to blame on him the insipid idiocy that today we call "Christianity." Kierkegaard had his faults, but being a Fuzzy Feel-Gooder was not one of them.
kenny, excellent post, perhaps a better choice of words would be one we find in scripture, 'We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God' {2 Cor. 5:20} to be reconciled means to 'return to favor with, to receive one into favor'. Let's remember, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, therefore, God loved us even when we didn't love Him. So God desires for us to be reconciled to Him, to have favor with Him, not to be in a 'lovey dovey' relationship. When we stick with His word, then we get the proper understanding of who He is and what it is He wants and desires.
Preachers/teachers like to talk about 'relationship' and 'intimacy with God' for two primary reasons: 1) they've found that it keeps women in the pews (or folding chairs) and if women come to church they usually drag others along with them. 2) It puts the focus on man. We matter. God has a wonderful plan for our life. Good for our 'self-esteem'.
It used to just be just a few like Stanley, Swindoll, Schuller and Dobson spouting this nonsense. Today it's everywhere.
In spite of the feminized preaching and man-centered teaching spewing from pulpits and publishing houses today, it's not about 'religion' nor is it about 'relationship'.
It's about our holy, sovereign, merciful Heavenly Father and our worship, adoration and gratitude toward Him. Our focus in our worship and our day to day lives should be on God and His attributes. Once believers learn to appreciate God for who He is and to worship Him in spirit and in truth, the relationship part will take care of itself. You build a relationship with the Lord by learning to love and adore Him.
Putting the emphasis on 'relationship' puts the focus on man. Self. Pride.
Putting the focus on our gracious God, however, gives the glory to Him (where it belongs) and forges a relationship that will last for all eternity.
Let's be honest --- To survey the social debacle that has become the landscape of America, one of sound mind can only surmise that "We The People" have forgotten our FIRST LOVE !!!
Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, much of what is called the Church today, etc... are testaments to the ignorance of GOD'S WORD and further exemplify the fact that **THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD TODAY** !!!
Obama's twist Re: "THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT" says it all !!! -- Just more proof that Pastor Wright doesn't teach TRUTH he just indoctrinates his congregants perpetuating his HELLISH PREJIDICIAL LIES...
The only way "We" are ever going to put away the racial tension that many seem so eager to keep alive, is for each and every one of us to purpose in our hearts that we will not accept this narrow-minded hellish character assassination of our fellow man --- and when we hear someone speaking forth this murderous hatred, we are all obligated to walk away !!! --- Only a like-minded fool would hang around partaking of such damnable filth for twenty minutes, MUCH LESS TWENTY (20) YEARS !!! - Birds of a feather flock together --- SO TRUE !!!
CAN WE ALL PURPOSE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER ?!? – THE WAY GOD HAS COMMANDED US IN HIS WORD ?!?
Stop playing church -- Be The Church -- LOVE one another !!!
Faithful Remnant wrote: Good point Neil. I agree. Relationship theology is just a catchy buzz word, good at winning converts and expanding numbers, but rather empty beyond that. Besides there is an acceptable religion(James 1:27)
The adoption whereby we cry Abba, Father, speaks of a relationship, not a religion. That we might receive the adoption of sons, speaks of a relationship, not a religion. Likewise "Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." And "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" In what manner did Jesus say we should pray to God? How about "Our Father..." Somehow this looks like like an expression of a relationship. If this be relationship theology, so be it. When one is in Christ, he has entered into a relationship. If this be relationship theology, so be it. Abba set it up that way.
"There is no surer sign of extreme weakness of mind than the failure to recognize the unhappy state of a man without God; there is no surer sign of an evil heart than failure to desire that the eternal promises be true; nothing is more cowardly than to brazen it out (( to face with defiance or impudence ))with God."
Neil wrote: This despite all the pop-evangelism talk of "it's a relationship, not a religion," which is a false dilemma probably traceable to Kierkegaard.
Good point Neil. I agree. Relationship theology is just a catchy buzz word, good at winning converts and expanding numbers, but rather empty beyond that. Besides there is an acceptable religion(James 1:27)
As I pointed out often to another user of this forum,
Matthew 10 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. Luke 14 26 If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
This despite all the pop-evangelism talk of "it's a relationship, not a religion," which is a false dilemma probably traceable to Kierkegaard. We all have a relationship with God - some are justified, the rest are condemned.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 4/6/2009
COMMENTS | 
stever: "
michael hranek
stever
thank for your post.
it reminds me that genuine..."
