New Chicago Mega- Church Pastor Vows to "Relentlessly Pursue the Lost"

 

Pastor, the phrase "relentlessly pursue the lost" is a terrible idea. To you it may sound selfless. To an outsider it is condescending and self righteous.  And, it raises the obvious question, who is lost? 

Let's begin with who is more likely to be in jail, a Christian or a non Christian? Of course it is a Christian. Please don't start on that argument that if one is in jail he/she is not a Christian. This judgement is made by those who feel qualified to pass judgement on everyone, Christians.

Then there is the question of critical thinking. If members of a group have no ability to read the Bible critically as they would most any other piece of written work, thus are blinded by the religion's mythology, are they not the ones lost? From an intellectual perspective they seem lost. 

A relative of mine attended that church for several years and said it pursued the "unchurched." That is a clever euphemism. It implies the vast population that does not attend nor belong to any church are in need of a church. While many such people may say "Christian" if asked their religion there is a better word to describe the majority of them, "disinterested." Certainly, the majority of them are not "lost" as the preacher describes them.

A better marketing message for a church is, "If you need a church, we are a church." This would not make false claims about an after life or the resurrection of a mythical dead person. President Thomas Jefferson cut out the outlandish claims in the Bible with a pair of scissors. This would be a smart move by every Christian member and church. 

Christianity would do well to realize the society it operates in has changed. The majority no long accepts unrealistic stories or claims as might have been the case in the Middle Ages. Those holding the scissors could repeat, "If it sounds to good to be true, let's cut is out."

I understand any new pastor needs to present him/her self as one who will bring a hopeful future. To those in the pews a hopeful future is one where they themselves have not made a mistake by giving their time and money to a fruitless and useless institution. They are no doubt excited by rhetoric making themselves feel they are part of something important, even if they are not.