cult (kult)
n.
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- A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
- The followers of such a religion or sect.
the only thing restraining the general public from calling Christianity a cult is it’s popularity. and you can quote me on that. soon, things are going to change. am i afraid of persecution? no, on the contrary, i welcome it. what i fear is much, much worse. so this essay i call the future of american in two possiblities.
first, the left wing wins out by turning the general opinion against the Christian world. Christianity is deplored for its intolerance by a majority of the people. those who belonged to half-hearted congregations fall out, never to return. churches close, pastors quit, once proud seminaries close their doors forever due to the extreme enrollment decline. america becomes “anti-Christian” passing laws and statutes outlawing public displays of Christianity. supporters of the new movement show convincingly how freedom of expression and choice are threatened by Christianity. the radical individualism we have come to love so much is in dire need of rescuing, so get rid of the intolerant Christians and we’ll have world peace. and so it gets worse and worse until “Christian” is a byword for hate and bigotry. then, the physical persecution will come. and it will hurt. Christians will be forced to fight, flee, or fry.
things will change. but it might happen a different way. the second path this nation could take is exponentially more harmful, and unfortunately, more likely.
the left could still win, but this time by absorbing Christianity into its motives and its means. religion has often been used in history to control a people. this time, the liberals scream “tolerance” and “acceptance” for all people, and the nation listens. Christianity becomes a byword for only peace, and only love. those who acknowledge the same God but with different attributes will be forced to take another name besides, “Christians.” we will be run out as extremists and biggots. once again being forced to resist, run, or rot.
personally, i’m in favor of the first, being more inclined to keep our Christian name and expose this nation for what it truly is. we have become a giant dragon of righteousness, with a rotting, fetid underbelly of corruption and deceit. but we don’t show that to anyone. we clean ourselves and polish and shine, showing a great beauty that is false and deadly.
which way will america take? which path will she tread in her determined, undaunted, unrelenting character?
i said i do not fear the persecution. nay, i welcome it. i can think of no other way to separate the wheat from the chaff, save our Savior coming down Himself with a winnowing fork. how i long for Christians to be “true” again. how i long to not be associated with liberals when i say “Christ is love.” make no mistake, the lines are getting clearer all the time. there are many so-called Christians who say living here is hard because the lines are getting smeared and shifted. the grey areas larger, and the easy to reconcile a small portion of our lives. perhaps the Bible was not as helpful as we thought? perhaps Christ never addressed the issues that are real and hard? but that’s wrong. i see the lines more clearly than ever. sides are being chosen, alliances made, pacts forged. those left in the middle will be swept up with the assailants, unwitting allies to a fruitless cause. if you cannot see the lines, it is not because they are not there, but because you have lost the taste for them. you have forgotten where to look. maybe you never knew.
no, persecution is not my great fear. my great fear is that when persecution comes, as i pray it does, i will falter and succumb to seductive power and comfort, choosing ease over holiness, and comfort over the very Creator of the cosmos. that is my great fear. may God preserve me in such an hour as that.
in conclusion, i would like to say there is another possible treadway for this nation. i say possible, but not probable. it is that those dedicated to Christ will grow and grow. and clear teaching will be nurtured. and the Holy Word of God be introduced into the soft belly of corruption as an antibiotic of sorts, killing the stink and rot of our cherished freedom. that is something to pray for as well.
but no matter what happens, the duty and joy of the Christian remains the same. to love the God of all. to enjoy Him, and give Hime glory. to clutch to His garment when we feel ourselves pulled toward the world. to be His and His only in ease or strife. ease, or strife.
it’s coming, can you feel it?
