10 Myths About Evangelical Christians
Jan 31, 2018 21:40:06 #
01/30/2018 10 Myths About Evangelical Christians
Kim Parker, LCSW
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/eastmeetswestsocialworker/2018/01/10-myths-evangelical-christians/
The word “evangelical” is used roughly to define Christians who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who consider Him their Lord and Savior, more or less attend church regularly, many partaking in bible studies, quiet time, and reading devotionals, pray regularly by self and in groups for themselves and for others, and who tend to be social conservatives (compared to the progressive ones who have nontraditional interpretation of the Bible).
According to one article, evangelicalism is a “distinct worldwide movement, emphasizing the ‘born again’ experience, the infallibility of the Bible, salvation by faith in Jesus alone, the need to evangelize or spread their message, and the rapture of the church in the end times.”
Are we uneducated “red necks”?
Stereotypes of gun carrying White cowboys or farmboy’s are just that—stereotypes.
The t***h is that we are a diverse group both denominationally and ethnically:
a. “24 percent of evangelicals were members of ethnic minorities in 2014, up from 19 percent in 2007.”
b. Evangelicals include Hispanic, Asian American, and African American Christians from various protestant denominations as well as Catholicism.
As a disclaimer, most Christians that I know who would be characterized as an evangelical, including myself, do not label ourselves as such or use this type of language.
Are we against science?
A great many evangelicals go into medicine, research, science, and other fields of higher academia.
We do not see a discrepancy between scientific research/understanding and the historical accounts/worldview presented in the Bible.
We see more of a collaboration toward t***h, and that all scientific discoveries ultimately reveal God’s t***h.
Some may be young Earth creationists (roughly six thousand years) while others are old Earth (millions of years) creationists.
Some believe in a g****l w*****g pattern being caused by man, while others believe the data point to natural cycles of c*****e c****e.
What’s definite is not that these Christians are ignorant or lazy about pursuing science, any more than the general population are stupid or anti-intellectual, but that we are aware of the negative stigma that nonbelievers (especially political progressives prevalent in the mainstream media and popular culture) reap on us:
“Dumb Evangelicals Are Holding the US Hostage” and “Delusional religion has become delusional politics.”
Are we all Republicans?
We are multi-affiliated or not affiliated with political parties at all.
Evangelicals, because we hold the Bible in highest regard, oftentimes get disillusioned by politicians and the double edge sword of political involvement.
When we are involved, we tend to be socially conservative, labeling politicians as “RINOs” (Republican in name only) those who are reportedly on the political right, who may be fiscal or foreign policy conservatives but not theological conservatives.
Although many of us may be politically charged, conservative, or Republican, we mostly don’t believe the main goal of the church is to be political.
In fact, according to a Christian Post article, research shows that evangelicals who have the lowest level of church involvement are the most politically active.
Are we rich and powerful?
Although evangelical W****s are associated with the established, powerful political right, who unfortunately are seen by outsiders as being opposed to civil rights, e******y and social justice, the t***h is that they belong to a range of socioeconomic demographics.
And my observation is that most evangelicals do not feel rich or powerful. Frankly, for me and my fellow Christian moms, we spend our conversations discussing the job, the kids, the spouse, the latest local news, or what’s on sale.
When evangelical men get together, I hear them talking about the same thing, minus the sale, plus sports, and plus the state of America.
Any extra time or funds go to church ministries, outreach to the local community, and missionary work.
My church friends and I rarely talk politics and I still don’t know who anyone v**ed for in the last e******n and neither have I been asked by these friends (whom I socialize with weekly).
While we may not be as politically active as our progressive counterparts, we care about the direction of society and there’s a whole lot of talk about our country “going to hell in a hand basket” and can’t wait for Jesus Christ to return and make things right: “Lord, come quickly.”
Are we hypocritical promoters of “family values”?
Most everyone knows that there’s no perfect person but few nonbelievers understand that being a Christian means that you will not do that perfectly.
Just because we are firmly convicted with biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality and proclaim Christ, some of us even bravely sharing and inviting others to church, does not mean that our relationships are problem free.
From time to time we struggle with either family of origins issues, trusting God and waiting for that special “soulmate” for us, or we are praying for our marriage and parenting to take a turn for the better.
A good number of evangelicals are in nontraditional family structures–dealing with marital breakdown, divorce, or step-parenting issues.
But the binding characteristic is that we all need God to give us hope and strength to do our relationships well.
We don’t see hypocrisy when we do our best to live according to God’s values and we’re not ashamed to admit when we’ve failed.
Also, we are not embarrassed by what God teaches in the Bible about holiness, family relationships, or righteousness.
Do we h**e women/women’s rights?
We may not be marching or protesting, but be assured that we are quietly working behind the scenes, either at home or at the office, to improve our lives and those whom we love.
The fact is that some of the most influential leaders are married women who have husbands, brothers, and sons.
We see two sides of the coin, dare I say the yin and yang side?
Male and female, no one is more evil than the other or less sinful than the other. We believe in both the law and grace. While we stand firmly against sexual harassment and abuse of power, for every #metoo, we know there’s a #himtoo not yet articulated.
Evangelical women are often overlooked or completely ignored by feminists because our biblical value system is so foreign.
We value efforts to encourage each person to be the best that God created him or her to be.
We do not believe that anyone is automatically a victim or innocent because of their group identity.
We are not into identity politics because it is d******e and ultimately leaves out the hope, t***h, and grace of God.
Do we h**e immigrants?
Rather, the more pertinent question is should law breaking (i.e. a foreigner entering the country without legal permission) be allowed?
If so, why have federal i*********n l*ws?
As a mother, I often subscribe to Love and Logic’s parenting approach: give children a big dose of empathy, but then let them experience the natural or logical consequences of their misbehaviors.
If the kids break a conduct rule at school and get suspended, they will not be rescued by bigger, more powerful, loving mama because the real world operates on t***h and natural consequences–tough love, Baby.
There are consequences for rule breaking or defiance of authority (assuming the authority is God given, reasonable, not tyrannical).
How can we teach “give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar” if folks raided Caesar’s home and then demanded that Caesar step down in the name of e******y?
The t***h is that the evangelical Christian congregations, in response to their deep faith, are the first to open their doors to immigrants when there’s a need and the federal government has issued green cards to foreign applicants.
As a former refugee from a war torn country who was sponsored by a small Lutheran Church, helped by working and middle class W****s from a small Texas town, given a green card by the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service, now broken into three agencies) before I boarded the plane to America.
I will not perpetuate the political propaganda l*****ts put out that evangelicals are anti-immigrants.
Pg.2, East Meets West Parenting book
Most refugees and legal immigrants I know were sponsored to come to America by ordinary citizens, volunteers from Christian churches (Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, & other denominations).
Today, the evangelicals I personally know are working to help get new immigrants on their feet, as a partnership with federal authorities.
Others are donating their hard earned money or working overseas to meet the vulnerable where they are at, helping them with food, shelter, and the Word of God.
This Christian charity may also include helping those who are already here without legal authorization.
Do we h**e L***Q+ folks?
We pray for l***q+ neighbors like we pray for nonbelieving family members.
Sometimes, this includes our spouse or children.
We believe in what the bible names as sexual immorality, are keenly aware that we sin, too, in different ways, and we do not h**e anyone.
To be honest, yes, I’ve been hurt by some evangelical Christians.
But to be fair, I, too, have I hurt others. Hurt people hurt people.
This phrase really applies to people from all faith backgrounds, not just to evangelical Christians.
Non-evangelicals don’t understand that we are merely advocating for religious freedom to peacefully practice our faith and live according to our conscience in this pluralistic environment without fear of punishment from the government.
We are not suppressing anyone’s rights or imposing our values on anyone. The “h**e” perception comes from a mistrust and misunderstanding between the two groups, leading each to politically arm against the other.
How can Christian parents and pastors work to stem the tide of increasing fear and distrust without compromising our conscience?
Do we h**e Muslims?
We pray for Muslims like we pray for nonbelieving neighbors.
We h**e crime and terrorism whether committed by US citizens or noncitizens, Christians or nonChristians.
And we strive for law and order, desiring a stable and peaceful country.
The various news sources reporting terroristic acts committed by radical extremes (maybe they aren’t true Muslims like the a******n clinic bombers are not true Christians?) cause us to fear being too open and vulnerable a society that we might naively bring upon our own doom and destruction.
Do we really suffer as much as everyone else?
In reality, evangelicals have our fair share of family dysfunctions, mental illness, health problems, financial problems, etc…
The only difference is that we are more connected with each other through regular fellowship and prayers.
Our biggest lifeline is prayer with a personal, loving, caring God.
We have prayer chains because there’s a sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit that only fellow believers will understand and benefit from.
If you don’t already have access to this incredible lifeline, are you interested in learning more?
Can you think of any other myths of evangelical Christians?
What myths would you like to see dispelled?
Kim Parker, LCSW
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/eastmeetswestsocialworker/2018/01/10-myths-evangelical-christians/
The word “evangelical” is used roughly to define Christians who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who consider Him their Lord and Savior, more or less attend church regularly, many partaking in bible studies, quiet time, and reading devotionals, pray regularly by self and in groups for themselves and for others, and who tend to be social conservatives (compared to the progressive ones who have nontraditional interpretation of the Bible).
According to one article, evangelicalism is a “distinct worldwide movement, emphasizing the ‘born again’ experience, the infallibility of the Bible, salvation by faith in Jesus alone, the need to evangelize or spread their message, and the rapture of the church in the end times.”
Are we uneducated “red necks”?
Stereotypes of gun carrying White cowboys or farmboy’s are just that—stereotypes.
The t***h is that we are a diverse group both denominationally and ethnically:
a. “24 percent of evangelicals were members of ethnic minorities in 2014, up from 19 percent in 2007.”
b. Evangelicals include Hispanic, Asian American, and African American Christians from various protestant denominations as well as Catholicism.
As a disclaimer, most Christians that I know who would be characterized as an evangelical, including myself, do not label ourselves as such or use this type of language.
Are we against science?
A great many evangelicals go into medicine, research, science, and other fields of higher academia.
We do not see a discrepancy between scientific research/understanding and the historical accounts/worldview presented in the Bible.
We see more of a collaboration toward t***h, and that all scientific discoveries ultimately reveal God’s t***h.
Some may be young Earth creationists (roughly six thousand years) while others are old Earth (millions of years) creationists.
Some believe in a g****l w*****g pattern being caused by man, while others believe the data point to natural cycles of c*****e c****e.
What’s definite is not that these Christians are ignorant or lazy about pursuing science, any more than the general population are stupid or anti-intellectual, but that we are aware of the negative stigma that nonbelievers (especially political progressives prevalent in the mainstream media and popular culture) reap on us:
“Dumb Evangelicals Are Holding the US Hostage” and “Delusional religion has become delusional politics.”
Are we all Republicans?
We are multi-affiliated or not affiliated with political parties at all.
Evangelicals, because we hold the Bible in highest regard, oftentimes get disillusioned by politicians and the double edge sword of political involvement.
When we are involved, we tend to be socially conservative, labeling politicians as “RINOs” (Republican in name only) those who are reportedly on the political right, who may be fiscal or foreign policy conservatives but not theological conservatives.
Although many of us may be politically charged, conservative, or Republican, we mostly don’t believe the main goal of the church is to be political.
In fact, according to a Christian Post article, research shows that evangelicals who have the lowest level of church involvement are the most politically active.
Are we rich and powerful?
Although evangelical W****s are associated with the established, powerful political right, who unfortunately are seen by outsiders as being opposed to civil rights, e******y and social justice, the t***h is that they belong to a range of socioeconomic demographics.
And my observation is that most evangelicals do not feel rich or powerful. Frankly, for me and my fellow Christian moms, we spend our conversations discussing the job, the kids, the spouse, the latest local news, or what’s on sale.
When evangelical men get together, I hear them talking about the same thing, minus the sale, plus sports, and plus the state of America.
Any extra time or funds go to church ministries, outreach to the local community, and missionary work.
My church friends and I rarely talk politics and I still don’t know who anyone v**ed for in the last e******n and neither have I been asked by these friends (whom I socialize with weekly).
While we may not be as politically active as our progressive counterparts, we care about the direction of society and there’s a whole lot of talk about our country “going to hell in a hand basket” and can’t wait for Jesus Christ to return and make things right: “Lord, come quickly.”
Are we hypocritical promoters of “family values”?
Most everyone knows that there’s no perfect person but few nonbelievers understand that being a Christian means that you will not do that perfectly.
Just because we are firmly convicted with biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality and proclaim Christ, some of us even bravely sharing and inviting others to church, does not mean that our relationships are problem free.
From time to time we struggle with either family of origins issues, trusting God and waiting for that special “soulmate” for us, or we are praying for our marriage and parenting to take a turn for the better.
A good number of evangelicals are in nontraditional family structures–dealing with marital breakdown, divorce, or step-parenting issues.
But the binding characteristic is that we all need God to give us hope and strength to do our relationships well.
We don’t see hypocrisy when we do our best to live according to God’s values and we’re not ashamed to admit when we’ve failed.
Also, we are not embarrassed by what God teaches in the Bible about holiness, family relationships, or righteousness.
Do we h**e women/women’s rights?
We may not be marching or protesting, but be assured that we are quietly working behind the scenes, either at home or at the office, to improve our lives and those whom we love.
The fact is that some of the most influential leaders are married women who have husbands, brothers, and sons.
We see two sides of the coin, dare I say the yin and yang side?
Male and female, no one is more evil than the other or less sinful than the other. We believe in both the law and grace. While we stand firmly against sexual harassment and abuse of power, for every #metoo, we know there’s a #himtoo not yet articulated.
Evangelical women are often overlooked or completely ignored by feminists because our biblical value system is so foreign.
We value efforts to encourage each person to be the best that God created him or her to be.
We do not believe that anyone is automatically a victim or innocent because of their group identity.
We are not into identity politics because it is d******e and ultimately leaves out the hope, t***h, and grace of God.
Do we h**e immigrants?
Rather, the more pertinent question is should law breaking (i.e. a foreigner entering the country without legal permission) be allowed?
If so, why have federal i*********n l*ws?
As a mother, I often subscribe to Love and Logic’s parenting approach: give children a big dose of empathy, but then let them experience the natural or logical consequences of their misbehaviors.
If the kids break a conduct rule at school and get suspended, they will not be rescued by bigger, more powerful, loving mama because the real world operates on t***h and natural consequences–tough love, Baby.
There are consequences for rule breaking or defiance of authority (assuming the authority is God given, reasonable, not tyrannical).
How can we teach “give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar” if folks raided Caesar’s home and then demanded that Caesar step down in the name of e******y?
The t***h is that the evangelical Christian congregations, in response to their deep faith, are the first to open their doors to immigrants when there’s a need and the federal government has issued green cards to foreign applicants.
As a former refugee from a war torn country who was sponsored by a small Lutheran Church, helped by working and middle class W****s from a small Texas town, given a green card by the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service, now broken into three agencies) before I boarded the plane to America.
I will not perpetuate the political propaganda l*****ts put out that evangelicals are anti-immigrants.
Pg.2, East Meets West Parenting book
Most refugees and legal immigrants I know were sponsored to come to America by ordinary citizens, volunteers from Christian churches (Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, & other denominations).
Today, the evangelicals I personally know are working to help get new immigrants on their feet, as a partnership with federal authorities.
Others are donating their hard earned money or working overseas to meet the vulnerable where they are at, helping them with food, shelter, and the Word of God.
This Christian charity may also include helping those who are already here without legal authorization.
Do we h**e L***Q+ folks?
We pray for l***q+ neighbors like we pray for nonbelieving family members.
Sometimes, this includes our spouse or children.
We believe in what the bible names as sexual immorality, are keenly aware that we sin, too, in different ways, and we do not h**e anyone.
To be honest, yes, I’ve been hurt by some evangelical Christians.
But to be fair, I, too, have I hurt others. Hurt people hurt people.
This phrase really applies to people from all faith backgrounds, not just to evangelical Christians.
Non-evangelicals don’t understand that we are merely advocating for religious freedom to peacefully practice our faith and live according to our conscience in this pluralistic environment without fear of punishment from the government.
We are not suppressing anyone’s rights or imposing our values on anyone. The “h**e” perception comes from a mistrust and misunderstanding between the two groups, leading each to politically arm against the other.
How can Christian parents and pastors work to stem the tide of increasing fear and distrust without compromising our conscience?
Do we h**e Muslims?
We pray for Muslims like we pray for nonbelieving neighbors.
We h**e crime and terrorism whether committed by US citizens or noncitizens, Christians or nonChristians.
And we strive for law and order, desiring a stable and peaceful country.
The various news sources reporting terroristic acts committed by radical extremes (maybe they aren’t true Muslims like the a******n clinic bombers are not true Christians?) cause us to fear being too open and vulnerable a society that we might naively bring upon our own doom and destruction.
Do we really suffer as much as everyone else?
In reality, evangelicals have our fair share of family dysfunctions, mental illness, health problems, financial problems, etc…
The only difference is that we are more connected with each other through regular fellowship and prayers.
Our biggest lifeline is prayer with a personal, loving, caring God.
We have prayer chains because there’s a sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit that only fellow believers will understand and benefit from.
If you don’t already have access to this incredible lifeline, are you interested in learning more?
Can you think of any other myths of evangelical Christians?
What myths would you like to see dispelled?
Jan 31, 2018 22:12:02 #
this is a marvelous explanation of the mindset of Christian Evangelicals. Thanks Doc for posting it.
Jan 31, 2018 22:25:46 #
Have you finished reading Thomas Aquinas ?
Happy New Year . . . .
Happy New Year . . . .
Manning345 wrote:
this is a marvelous explanation of the mindset of Christian Evangelicals. Thanks Doc for posting it.
Feb 1, 2018 06:54:52 #
Yes that clarifies, what most evangelicals believe, myself included. We are not an amorphous blob of stepford wives trying to swallow America. We are simply trying to live in ways pleasing to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sensitive to Gods leading and Word, the evils of the world are more apparent.
Feb 1, 2018 09:43:36 #
80% of you put a con artist and sex offender in the whit house and tried to put a pedifile I congress.
By his own admission he has never saw the need to repent, so your just v**es to him.
God does not want us to pick the lesser eveal he adamit about avoiding it.
So if you apply God's standards vary seldom could a Christian v**e.
we are merely visitors on earth.
By his own admission he has never saw the need to repent, so your just v**es to him.
God does not want us to pick the lesser eveal he adamit about avoiding it.
So if you apply God's standards vary seldom could a Christian v**e.
we are merely visitors on earth.
out of the woods wrote:
Yes that clarifies, what most evangelicals believe, myself included. We are not an amorphous blob of stepford wives trying to swallow America. We are simply trying to live in ways pleasing to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sensitive to Gods leading and Word, the evils of the world are more apparent.
Feb 1, 2018 10:11:53 #
Justsss
Loc: Wisconsin
[quote=Lonewolf]80% of you put a con artist and sex offender in the whit house and tried to put a pedifile I congress.
What p*******e ? Now that Judge Roy Moore is out the accusers have disappeared. Gloria Allred did her duty and the real losers here are the woman who lied about Judge Roy Moore and got nothing for it. They will pay a heavy price for this, Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
What p*******e ? Now that Judge Roy Moore is out the accusers have disappeared. Gloria Allred did her duty and the real losers here are the woman who lied about Judge Roy Moore and got nothing for it. They will pay a heavy price for this, Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Feb 1, 2018 10:18:45 #
Lonewolf wrote:
80% of you put a con artist and sex offender in the whit house and tried to put a pedifile I congress.
By his own admission he has never saw the need to repent, so your just v**es to him.
God does not want us to pick the lesser eveal he adamit about avoiding it.
So if you apply God's standards vary seldom could a Christian v**e.
we are merely visitors on earth.
By his own admission he has never saw the need to repent, so your just v**es to him.
God does not want us to pick the lesser eveal he adamit about avoiding it.
So if you apply God's standards vary seldom could a Christian v**e.
we are merely visitors on earth.
What a garbled repy, drunk, at this hour? Well, correct, there will never be a candidate, or any person, who lives up to Gods standard of Holiness, but God has been using us sinful souls for eons to promote his ends. And by the way, He wins, you might want to think about changing teams.
Feb 1, 2018 10:30:46 #
Justsss
Loc: Wisconsin
out of the woods wrote:
What a garbled repy, drunk, at this hour? Well, correct, there will never be a candidate, or any person, who lives up to Gods standard of Holiness, but God has been using us sinful souls for eons to promote his ends. And by the way, He wins, you might want to think about changing teams.
Feb 3, 2018 00:18:26 #
Doc110 wrote:
Have you finished reading Thomas Aquinas ?
Happy New Year . . . .
Happy New Year . . . .
I bought G.K Chesterton's collection which included both Assisi and Aquinas, and have read some of it. The Aquinas document you sent I can't convert or show in PDF, but I haven't been able to solve it. The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted that no one responded to was derived from Aquinas view of God, Eternal Law and Devine Law, and Natural Law. I took it down just now, since no one was interested.
A Happy New Year to you also!
Feb 3, 2018 01:45:05 #
Manning345,
The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted, sorry didn't view that one, could you send it to me. ?
The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted, sorry didn't view that one, could you send it to me. ?
Manning345 wrote:
I bought G.K Chesterton's collection which included both Assisi and Aquinas, and have read some of it.
The Aquinas document you sent I can't convert or show in PDF, but I haven't been able to solve it.
The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted that no one responded to was derived from Aquinas view of God, Eternal Law and Devine Law, and Natural Law.
I took it down just now, since no one was interested.
A Happy New Year to you also!
The Aquinas document you sent I can't convert or show in PDF, but I haven't been able to solve it.
The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted that no one responded to was derived from Aquinas view of God, Eternal Law and Devine Law, and Natural Law.
I took it down just now, since no one was interested.
A Happy New Year to you also!
Feb 5, 2018 15:45:56 #
Doc110 wrote:
Manning345,
The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted, sorry didn't view that one, could you send it to me. ?
The Belief Matrix flow chart I posted, sorry didn't view that one, could you send it to me. ?
Worldview: Part 1: Belief Matrix:
My predilection is to map at least the highlights of everything on a subject onto one page. As a significant part of my developing Worldview, I needed to express my religious beliefs in a coherent way, so I set about setting the beliefs I hold onto the following illustration: Figure 2;: Belief Matrix. It is a matrix since my belief is that all of the elements I have identified communicate in some manner with all of the rest. I have indicated several major paths for this communication, namely from God to the rest (yellow); and from you and me "upwards" towards God (light red).
There are two major elements that fuse together the matrix from top to bottom. These are: the Right Reason/Philosophy element, which marries the various Theology elements with Natural Law; and the Natural Law element that marries the Right Reason/Philosophy element with You and Me/Psychology element. I expanded the Natural Law element and the Virtues element to help visualize their role in shaping my religious and political outlooks within the overall worldview.
One interesting conclusion can be drawn from this: every step of the way "you and me" or we take falls under the guidance and direction of God, especially including political actions, if only we can listen and hear it well.
Feb 7, 2018 13:38:42 #
Manning345 wrote:
Worldview: Part 1: Belief Matrix: br br My predil... (show quote)
Hi doc, I am wondering if you have any comments on my Matrix? So far, no one has said a thing, so I am curious as to why!
Sep 18, 2018 18:05:39 #
Manning345,
Sorry I've been out of town for work for several months,
I'll try and tackle it soon.
Doc110
Sorry I've been out of town for work for several months,
I'll try and tackle it soon.
Doc110
Manning345 wrote:
Hi doc, I am wondering if you have any comments on my Matrix? So far, no one has said a thing, so I am curious as to why!
Hi doc, I am wondering if you have any comments on my Matrix? So far, no one has said a thing, so I am curious as to why!
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.