The Journey 24: Atheism and Church Hopping (Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla)
Read: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Atheist Faith: Does Atheist have a belief system?. Two atheist are in the news. One of them is from Utah who has filed a lawsuit against Utah city council for allowing Christian music star Michel W Smith to hold a concert tomorrow at the Draper Amphitheater in Utah, citing church-state separation laws. Smith is scheduled to have a concert tomorrow titled “Wonder, Worship and Glory”. He has denounced the lawsuit stating that he is not going to cancel his praise and worship music concert as he feels the allegations that are leveled are absurd. Look at the other incident that has caught the headlines. A small restaurant in Columbia, Pennsylvania, “Lost Cajun” gave an advertisement in the paper that all those people who come to their restaurant will get a 10% discount if they present a church bulletin. This was offensive to another atheist, who has filed a complaint to the Pennsylvania Human relations Commission against the restaurant over what he considered to be a discrimination on the basis of a religion. Some newspapers have denounce this suit claiming that this is petty and small. One of the aspects that one can deduce from these cases, though some may be petty and silly, yet there are people who are conscious of what their beliefs are and are using every opportunity to reaffirm their belief in atheism, even if it means using others for ones benefit and also citing laws from the constitution to support their case. But what about Christians and their belief?
The theme for our meditations is “Transformed Living”. The meditation for today is taken from 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11. Here is Paul telling the Corinthian Christians the substance and the content of his faith. His sermon and the good news is summed up in v: 2 “ by the gospel you are saved” and then he states, “hold firmly to the word that I preached to you” otherwise their belief is in vain. Then later from v: 3-8, Paul talks about the substance of the gospel. Earlier in the first chapter to the first letter to Corinthians Paul makes another firm affirmation of his faith and his preaching by stating “ We Preach Christ Crucified”. This is what the gospel is. Later in the letter to Galatians 1:8, Paul states that “even if an angel from heaven comes and preaches a gospel that is different to what He has preached, he will be condemned”. Paul is teaching the believers of Corinthian church and also the lukewarm believers of the church of Galatia that they need to hold on to the gospel and not be carried away by teaching of men. Even the writer to the Hebrews states to “ remember those who spoke God’s word to us” and warns us “not to be carried away by strange teaching”[ Heb 13: 7-9]. One of the tragedies that face the believers of today is that many of them are not sure of what they believe, or why we believe or what is the gospel message, as revealed through Jesus Christ and through His Word. Hence you have believers who are totally confused not ready to stand for the faith and the practices the church through which ones faith is expressed. Thus one of the hallmarks of this decade is church hopping. Believers who hop from one church to other. Believers who have membership in one church, worships in another church, and would and would get married in an entirely New Church. What is important in our witness to the gospel is our integrity and commitment to our calling. My personal opinion is that “If I know what I believe I should have the guts to stand for my belief and affirm it, rather than trying to sail with one feet in one church and another feet in another church. It is in such context that Jesus said “ You cant please both God and mammon”[ Mt 6:24]. Atheist know what their belief system is, but what about Christians? Be sure of your faith and what you believe. That is the beginning of transformed living through Christ.
Atheist Faith: Does Atheist have a belief system?. Two atheist are in the news. One of them is from Utah who has filed a lawsuit against Utah city council for allowing Christian music star Michel W Smith to hold a concert tomorrow at the Draper Amphitheater in Utah, citing church-state separation laws. Smith is scheduled to have a concert tomorrow titled “Wonder, Worship and Glory”. He has denounced the lawsuit stating that he is not going to cancel his praise and worship music concert as he feels the allegations that are leveled are absurd. Look at the other incident that has caught the headlines. A small restaurant in Columbia, Pennsylvania, “Lost Cajun” gave an advertisement in the paper that all those people who come to their restaurant will get a 10% discount if they present a church bulletin. This was offensive to another atheist, who has filed a complaint to the Pennsylvania Human relations Commission against the restaurant over what he considered to be a discrimination on the basis of a religion. Some newspapers have denounce this suit claiming that this is petty and small. One of the aspects that one can deduce from these cases, though some may be petty and silly, yet there are people who are conscious of what their beliefs are and are using every opportunity to reaffirm their belief in atheism, even if it means using others for ones benefit and also citing laws from the constitution to support their case. But what about Christians and their belief?
The theme for our meditations is “Transformed Living”. The meditation for today is taken from 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11. Here is Paul telling the Corinthian Christians the substance and the content of his faith. His sermon and the good news is summed up in v: 2 “ by the gospel you are saved” and then he states, “hold firmly to the word that I preached to you” otherwise their belief is in vain. Then later from v: 3-8, Paul talks about the substance of the gospel. Earlier in the first chapter to the first letter to Corinthians Paul makes another firm affirmation of his faith and his preaching by stating “ We Preach Christ Crucified”. This is what the gospel is. Later in the letter to Galatians 1:8, Paul states that “even if an angel from heaven comes and preaches a gospel that is different to what He has preached, he will be condemned”. Paul is teaching the believers of Corinthian church and also the lukewarm believers of the church of Galatia that they need to hold on to the gospel and not be carried away by teaching of men. Even the writer to the Hebrews states to “ remember those who spoke God’s word to us” and warns us “not to be carried away by strange teaching”[ Heb 13: 7-9]. One of the tragedies that face the believers of today is that many of them are not sure of what they believe, or why we believe or what is the gospel message, as revealed through Jesus Christ and through His Word. Hence you have believers who are totally confused not ready to stand for the faith and the practices the church through which ones faith is expressed. Thus one of the hallmarks of this decade is church hopping. Believers who hop from one church to other. Believers who have membership in one church, worships in another church, and would and would get married in an entirely New Church. What is important in our witness to the gospel is our integrity and commitment to our calling. My personal opinion is that “If I know what I believe I should have the guts to stand for my belief and affirm it, rather than trying to sail with one feet in one church and another feet in another church. It is in such context that Jesus said “ You cant please both God and mammon”[ Mt 6:24]. Atheist know what their belief system is, but what about Christians? Be sure of your faith and what you believe. That is the beginning of transformed living through Christ.