The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum "Pop" Theology

What "Pop theology" bugs you? I read posts on discussion lists sometimes that either make me grin and bear it, or shake my head incredulously.

A couple of one's that bug me; comic book theology - where the poster has gotten their information from a Chick comic book <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />; or, the economics major who wrote a book on the Bible version controversy and messes up treatment of the original languages, and yet has a big following who swear by her book <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />; then there's the good ol' prayer of Jabez <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. So what bugs you?

SDG,
Dan

Easy-believism. Seeker-sensitive. Anything off TBN.


God bless,

william

That whole "I don't need theology, I just need Jesus Christ" mentality.

Ugh...you both listed some pretty nasty ones!

A friend at work and I were talking about how many the praise choruses today are shallow and lack true doctrine. Pair that with worship leaders who act like charismatic-wannabees and you got a real annoyance (even more annoying than charismania itself!)

Agghhhhh! All of you guys are mentioning scary ones. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/Eeeeeek.gif" alt="" />

I told my folks that our church needs to be seeker sensitive. Since the Bible says that there are none who seek after God, yet Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost, then our worship should be sensitive to the desires of Jesus Christ. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

SDG,
Dan

Great response, Dan. Another place you might mention in the same answer is John 4 -- God seeks men to worship him in spirit and in truth.

I think a lot of this comes from a consumer mentality that has infected us. We market our churches with "new" and "fresh" ideas and we attend churches where we "get" something out of the service.

In my own faith our worship format is virtually unchanged for centuries, and we don't feel the pressing need to update or modernized our liturgy. It is a comfort to me that at least while i'm at church I am sheltered from the madness of the marketplace.

I think our posture ought to be of our service, devotion, and worship to God and not an expectation of "getting." We then ought to trust that God will not fail to bless us and we shouldn't try to wrench that blessing from his hand.

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

catholicsoldier

Here's another one to start your morning off creepy....two words.......Left Behind.

SDG,
Dan

That may be true for some or even most of the churches within the RCC, but let me assure you that there are many churches which have adopted "modern worship styles". There are not a few who have a folk band up front playing guitars, etc. And of course, some are even charismatic, in that there are those who allegedly speak in tongues, prophesy, etc.

At St. Thomas Aquinas College, in Grand Rapids.... back in the mid '70's, Barthianism was being taught to the students and transubstantiation was questioned by many of the students.

The point is, that the Roman State Church has its own set of problems that are effecting its traditional worship, theology, practice, etc. It is not in reality what it would like people to believe, i.e., this austere body which has remained the same for centuries since its inception. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In His Grace,

OOOHHHH.....

I don't know which is more chilling...the rain this morning or those words!

Amen to that!

I dunno if this would be considered a "pop theology", and this might be off topic, but I get kinda annoyed when people preach against the guitar and other instruments. I don't wanna get into the music debate again. But I think there are a lot of instruments that we have that we could use in worship and for playing music that can add a lot to the sound (cellos, flutes, trumpets, harps, acoustic guitars, bass guitar, etc.) and because we should only have piano and organ or no music at all, these instruments, which sound beautiful when played together and alone, are ignored and people may be missing out on something.

Afterall, we are willing to listen to Handel's Messiah or Beethoven on a CD, why can't we play similar music in worship or compose our own symphonies for worship to use in church?

Please correct me if I am wrong...

Although there is MUCH that 'bugs' me, the two that qualify for top honors would be:

1) Sandemanianism, aka: 'Easy Believism', another Gospel.
2) Contemporary 'Worship', aka: Idolatry.

Of course these two things are mutally beneficial as they feed off each other. The first is most detrimental to men. The second is most injurious to the honor of God.

Pie-in-the-sky American Evangelicalism with its arminian emphasis on man and how their felt needs can be met.

Religion as a commodity that must be packaged and sold to a consumer oriented society.

Christianoid trinket stores selling "Jesus Junk"

Perhaps one should ask about the music; "is there a difference between entertainment and worship? Does it preach the word?" Is it doctrinally rich, or is it trite repetetive phrases. Does the instrument lead and accompany or overpower the message of the word in the music?" So much of today's modern worship is due to "pop' mentality and that is what is so annoying.

It is so annoying that studies are showing the only ones who really go for "contemporary" worship any more are the boomers. This generation of teenagers says, "you've got electric guitars in church- we've got better ones on MTV. You've got loud repetetive music - we've got better on VH1. We don't want what we already have, we want worship that is out of the ordinary, that connects us to the eternal rather than the temporal, we want something with history and roots."

The pendulum has swung once again.

SDG,
Dan