The tragedy of the Religious Right has been the falling away of people, especially young people from the faith. Christian leaders cannot afford to be so wrong on pivotal issues such as the Iraq war and claiming a leader is anointed of God and then expect church rolls to expand. Youth have been taught that their leaders but especially their pastors and preachers are supposed to be right, that they can be depended on and depended on surely where people's lives are at stake.
Many people, young people have been effected by this country's misguided religious leadership being set up for the fall by christian leaders that have promoted a misguided excursion into Iraq and promoted almost saintly adulation on a misguided president. Many people now are disillusioned about their spiritual leaders but tragically some are even disillusioned about God. Some are even rejecting God because of this fallout from the disaster of Iraq and the very poor showing of what they once heard was an anointed leader of God. God has not slackened once but rather it is the leadership of so many churches especially mega churches that have fallen for emotional attachments to a overly prosperity promoting political party impeading spiritual discernment necessary to correctly hear and yield to the leading of God. The result has been misguided religious right leaders in high places falling for drugs and sexual immorality, young people turning from God embarrassed because of their church's defense of a president and an Iraq invasion which has proved a tragic fiasco and to some a laughingstock bumbling example of incompetence. Anyone's life could come upon trouble at any time but there has been a definite increase in the trouble of the lives of those who supported president Bush, the republicans and the Iraq war. Embarrassment, bitterness , anger and vengfulness taking the most vindictive, petty and dishonorable forms is characteristic and there are even those who have incredibly rejected God altogether.
What can explain such personal catastrophe is that so many have wholly trusted their religious leaders, abandoning spiritual discernment to them instead of, as the bible teaches, examining oneself for spiritual integtity so that all can operate fully as true Christians testing the spirit, and also surely not ignoring that these leaders neglected teaching the proper denial of self that is necessary for this true spiritual integrity.
With the lifestyle of so many religious leaders in America inundated with material and fleshly influences and the social pressure imperative not to offend the profit motive it is not a surprise but the tragedy is that during a time of impending war this lack of discipline dulls their ability to discern the truth and discourage error. True spirituality brings strength, the flesh brings fear and the fall under man's natural logic and weakness. Many compromised religious leaders can float and fake it during good times but when the going gets tough they turn to the logic and means of the world rather than the courageous truth of God and that tragic turn to the logic and means of the world is what has transpired. However, the Love of God calls out to deliver our hearts from under this dark spell, refresh our spirit and fill us with his discerning truth and overcoming love once again. With the greatest of rewards, denial of self for Christ becomes our integrity leading to real victory.
There are still young people that understand this, that understand the necessary discipline and integrity required to live correctly and victoriously for God. Just as more and more young people today desire discipline from those in authority they also desire getting real with their faith. They understand that too much fleshly activity and materialistic immersion is not how you get it done for Christ. Our religious right leaders and for that matter some other religious leaders today are unfortunately behind that curve.
It is said a child will lead them and perhaps it is young people who will show us an important component of faith which is necessary to truly deliver us from the dark clutches of the world. They have been taught that good things rarely come easy and they are telling us what we taught them, for one thing that true discernment only comes with real spiritual commitment. For their sakes, are we listening?
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To live my life in the context of my childhood understanding, and, now as a man, continue to look unquestioning to authoritative parent figures for my choices, would be to deny my responsibility for finding my own way in life, and in the finding of God’s truth that resonates with my own God given reason and moral compass. And, for me, discoverable truth is also God’s truth.
This is why my acceptance of scientifically proven fact trumps superstition and pseudo science. This is why I defer to scientific and medical conclusion over tradition, over speculation, over bias.
For me this does not conflict with God’s will, it only increases my love and amazement for Him and what He has created.
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