tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245203523207851531.post6441858341423453541..comments2023-05-24T06:35:04.371-05:00Comments on The Morning Drive: Why Members are Exiting ChurchesScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05918597316625863803noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245203523207851531.post-20204933698555872322009-03-15T19:53:00.000-05:002009-03-15T19:53:00.000-05:00Ewell, I am glad that where you are leaders are n...Ewell, I am glad that where you are leaders are not trying to "run government.' I can say the same about where I am now. We preach and teach concerning moral issues that are "political" in our culture, but do try not to tell people who to vote for.<BR/><BR/>That said, I am familiar with groups who use the pulpit to tell people who to and who not to vote for by name. That to me crosses the line from preaching and teaching truth and "running government."<BR/><BR/>Thanks for you comments.<BR/><BR/>ScottScotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05918597316625863803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245203523207851531.post-73069180740829396732009-03-14T08:25:00.000-05:002009-03-14T08:25:00.000-05:00Brother McCown; I believe you are totally wrong on...Brother McCown; I believe you are totally wrong on your point number 1. When Jesus said "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's" He was not telling us to just pay our taxes, and keep our mouths shut. No concerned Christian is trying to "run government." We simply want government to stay out of religion. We want religion to continue to have the freedoms we have had in the past. The "younger generation" with whom you seem to have identified is the kind of attitude which is allowing all vestiges of God to be eradicated from public view. God has always allowed, and charged, his people to speak out against evil, wherever that evil is found - even in civil government. If not, the Hebrew nation would still be in captivity to Egypt, etc.Ewellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14248679263414957227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245203523207851531.post-10786453941136522212009-03-11T11:01:00.000-05:002009-03-11T11:01:00.000-05:00Joey, thanks for adding some great thoughts. What...Joey, thanks for adding some great thoughts. What do others have to add?Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05918597316625863803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7245203523207851531.post-854520245829768932009-03-11T10:58:00.000-05:002009-03-11T10:58:00.000-05:00Two things that come to my mind (and fit underneat...Two things that come to my mind (and fit underneath your four areas): lack of submission to authority (cultural shift) and lack of Christian-familial relationships (over-focused on politics, forgetting to build one another up in worship). <BR/><BR/>First, we live in a time where authority is first questioned unless it proves trustworthy. The Biblical model is contrary to this altogether. So when church leaders make unpopular decisions, members treat the situation like they do every other situation (child's sports team, school, hair sylist, spouse? [ouch], car, etc.): they start worshiping somewhere else. This is to say nothing about obeying Matt. 18 with regard to communicating concerns to elders, etc.<BR/><BR/>Second, we all know that ugly situations arise within physical families. Many of them involve money, preferential treatment, etc. But at the end of the day, no one stops being family. No one goes to the trouble of changing names...and most importantly, the blood-connection doesn't change. If we fully appreciated the church as family, we'd be more likely to stay with that family even when they make us mad. Most importantly, we'd have the opportunity to work out problems Biblically...which would lead to much inward growth. As Christians...the name and blood don't ever change.Joeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16763232982105994015noreply@blogger.com