Why Can't Evangelical Leaders Figure Out Their Problem


Over and over today one reads and hears on podcasts Christian pundits and leader's explanations of the exodus of white people leaving their churches and denominations. The volume and frequency of "Christian explainers" surprises me. Also surprising, however, is the inability of Christian "explainers" and leaders to understand what is happening.

The most common explanation of why there are a growing number of ex Christians given by Christians is that the ex people did not read the Bible or were not properly trained. And blame is handed out: parents, preachers other Christians failed. If only the fallen had been given proper training in the Bible there would be no ex Christians. 

As a popular podcast producer who interviews ex Christians explains, Christian pundits and leaders have spent no time trying to learn or understand what is happening. They take their own opinion of how ex Christians think and make up worthless solutions: If ex Christians understood the Bible they would not have left. Explain how wrong they are and they will come back to church. 

That is like saying if U.S. capitalists and believers in the democratic form of government would just read and understand the Communist Manifesto they would become Communists. Does anyone believe this?

Today Western nations like the U.S. and England are pulling their troops out of Afghanistan. We all know the country will, in the near future at least, be run by a religious faction of Islam, the Taliban. The U.S. invaded the country but was defeated. Christians could learn a lesson on how to accept defeat from both our current President Biden and former President Trump.

Both Presidents have carried on a dialogue with the incoming government of Afghanistan. They could have kept attacking and insulting the new government. Their thinking was, apparently, it was in U.S. interests to ask for concessions like safe passage and reasonable security of those left behind. Apparently they have obtained at least some of this cooperation.  

With Christianity rapidly approaching minority status in the U.S. now would be a good time to begin negotiations with secular leaders. Approaching the secular community in some reasonable way may allow Christianity a larger role in the future than constantly declaring its superiority and that it will shortly return to ascendency. 

The current approach of evangelical Christianity to its decline is one of ignorance. It has better options.  

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