Sociology to the Rescue


All of writing about religion and politics is finding the perfect metaphor. Today there was a perfect one describing how so many Christians who believe there is a way to bring huge numbers back into the fold. It describes Christians as standing on the shore watching their ship sail into the distance having futile conversations of how to turn it around. The conversations bring up polls which claim young men are returning or polls saying many who have left remain "spiritual". The ship pays no attention.

The link discusses a book by a sociologist that will be covered here later. It also brings up the question as to why those Christians who write and speak in public are unable to understand what has happened. They search for an answer but cannot find one because they still do not understand the problem.

The problem is that the Christian message of sin, forgiveness, the Bible and the afterlife are ideas of a previous time. The culture has moved on and the faith is stuck in the past. The link discusses the many reasons the culture has changed, we have discussed the often here.

The stupidest reason some Christians give for the popularity of secularism is that people want to sin but not pay the penalty. Why can't they understand contemporary society does not buy the notion there is sin. You first have to be a Christian, then you believe there is sin. Secular people certainly know all about good behavior and bad behavior and that there are consequences. They just don't believe in imaginary people or imaginary consequences. 

We have a granddaughter in her early 20's who is in college and likes sociology. At dinner with she and her parents recently her dad started bugging her about studying sociology. He wondered where the jobs are in that field? I'm afraid he is right, there are not many jobs that smile on the study of sociology. But, I'm so happy to have a granddaughter who is so interesting to talk to and follow in her life.

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