How has Christianity been hijacked and what can we do about it? Part 2.
Very powerful forces want to remake Christianity in their own image. We have to decide for ourselves if these messages represent Jesus or some self-serving interest.
Today’s churches have a crucial role to play in championing what is humane and just. If it’s inhumane it doesn’t represent love, and therefore, cannot accurately represent the teachings of Jesus. How can we prevent this takeover of Christianity.
Podcast show links with added content: Substack, YouTube video, Spotify, and Apple podcasts. These appear a day after blog-article posts.
The power of truth must be our weapon. Jesus himself spoke truth, and those who resonated with it followed him. Just as in his time, new generations today, Millenials, Z, and A, resonate with Jesus’s authentic truth and readily recognize the false and often harmful portrayals of Christianity that have emerged. It is this inherent truth that will ultimately prevail.
Ref. verses
Jesus said:
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35 (NASV)
“You will know them (his followers) by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” – Matthew 7:16-20
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:21-23
“And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:39
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10
“Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray.’”- Matthew 24:4
Hijacking the message: the end times are now, so hide from the world
Jesus might have said these things that resonate with his words in the gospels:
The Spirit of Jesus looked for groups of two or three gathered together in his name, but saw the numbers were dwindling. Where are my people, my sheep, my followers? He sent angels to mingle among them so see what was up. They saw many were trembling in fear and spreading fear about the end of the world. Many were hiding from the world. Some were even condemning the beautiful world God had created and calling for the end of it so they could watch people burn. They reported these things back to Jesus.
People burning? No! The Romans killed many of my people after I left, and many hid in the hills or foreign lands. But eventually we were victorious! What are they thinking? God wants all people to enter the kingdom and do well. They’re like thieves stealing lives!
What is this perversion? God did not send me, his Son, into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. God put the kingdom of God in their midst, it’s now and forever. All they have to do is knock and choose goodness. Even one single lost sheep I’ll go after. I sent them!
I don’t understand what they’re thinking. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. If they believe in me, they do my works. Why are they putting their lamps under a basket, hiding them from the world? Have they given up?
People who love me, love others as I did. They don’t hide. They favor them, or even lay down their lives for them. Only bad trees produce bad fruit. They must have lost their way. I will find them and bring them back.
How much damage can we do with false prophecies?
One prevalent, and arguably damaging, interpretation of scripture centers around the idea of imminent end times. This belief, popularized by institutions like the Bretheren, Dallas Theological Seminary, authors like Hal Lindsey, many evangelicals, and the “Left Behind” series, posits that we are living in the final days. It’s a bit of a leap. Only in the last 200 years has this been taught by Christians.
Consider this alternative interpretation which is truer to history and Jesus’ mission:
True history and interpretation of end times
A careful examination of historical evidence and the prophecies attributed to Jesus reveals that these predicted events largely transpired within the first two centuries of the church’s existence. It’s painfully obvious that many people lack a comprehensive understanding of church history beyond the biblical era. This historical amnesia allows them to fixate on minute details, searching for any sign, however tenuous, to support their pre-conceived notions of the end.
Furthermore, this “end times” and apocalypse ideology has had significant real-world consequences. It has infected the thinking of individuals in positions of power, from the Pentagon to soldiers on the ground, fostering discrimination against other religions and influencing actions in war zones, often leading to extreme mistreatment. This destroys the image of Christianity and positions it as a religion of hate and even violence.
For a stark illustration of the disastrous effects of this mindset, consider the true story recounted in the book Tabernacle of Hate by Kerry Noble.
The vagaries of scriptural interpretation leads to errors
An example of how scriptural interpretation isn’t grounded in information by those who propagate this misinformation, is the meaning of 666. For some, six can be the number of man. Three of a number indicates the fullness of something. Similarly 777 can indicate the fullness of God. Yet these numbers have other meanings, historically including the word “beast.”
The article The Number 666 – A Blessing in Disguise? has very in depth information about this number. In the Book of Revelation (revealing), what exactly does it mean? Much of what is written in the book is purposely hidden to prevent the Romans from realizing it was about them and arresting and killing those who wrote it. Those were very dangerous times.
Another example is the passage the Apostle Paul wrote about in his letter to the Corinthian Church, who were asking questions about what kind of body we will have in Heaven (1 Corinthians 15). Paul advises that our bodies will be like those of Jesus, metamorphosized instantly into a supernatural body. Death, the last enemy, is defeated.
Some have taken verse 15 and transformed it into a premillennial vision of Christians suddenly being removed from the earth. Yet the overwhelming theme of 1 Corinthians 15 is new spiritual bodies that are incorruptible and can’t die.
They pair this with the eschatological teachings of Jesus in Matthew 24-25. In this Jesus talks about the Jewish Temple being completely destroyed. Regarding the time of the “end” of the age, Jesus said ““So, when you see the horrible thing (told about by Daniel the prophet) standing in a holy place, then those in Judea must flee into the Judean hills.”
Daniel referred to Alexander the Great placing pagan statues in the Temple. And for the future Jesus referred to Roman soldiers being in the Temple and destroying it, which they did. He talked about horrible persecution of the Jews at an extreme never seen before, and then those in Judea would flee into the Judean hills, which they did. This was the end of the age of the influence of the Temple, and the beginning of Jesus as the Temple.
What happened at the end? This followed the punishment the Romans inflicted on the Jews because of Zealot uprisings against them. In 128 CE, they completely destroyed Jerusalem and people fled to the hills, or left the country to avoid being killed.
In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John also referred to these things in the future, referring to Rome and the destruction to come. These things all happened and are historically dated. Those who were killed were instantly transformed into new supernatural bodies like Jesus’. The ancient Jews believed in ashes to ashes. Jesus told them of an eternal body, incorruptible.
Jesus returned as the church with his followers being his body. The Spirit of Jesus is always with us in our hearts, and even more where we band together. We people carry out the actions of love for others as Jesus’ Way. We bring the Good News of forgiveness, love, and the kingdom to all nations.
About the very end of times, Jesus said that no one knows when this will happen. Think about that. How can you or anyone else know?
I was engaged with this end times interpretation in the early 1980s. I became disturbed by what I saw happening in churches who withdrew from their purpose and focused on end times teachings. I researched it extensively and wrote a book exposing the errors. I got feedback from my college professor, but never was able to publish it.
Perhaps the most onerous aspect of these beliefs about the end is the way they misdirect Christians. It’s puzzling why the notion of seeking punishment for others, rather than loving them as Jesus commanded, holds such appeal.
This focus on judgment pushes people away from Christianity instead of attracting them to it. And this focus ostracizes the people of the church from the mission field they are supposed to work in to bring others into the domain of a loving God.
Interesting reading: The Origins of the Rapture.
Why the end times focus?
I just wrote in my new book on creating change that many people find thrills and purpose in dark messages. It resonates with them and partly explains the fascination with horror, catastrophe, outrage, and revenge movies. At worst it can give some a sense of power in scaring others into some action they want, possibly because they are angry and fearful. Or at best prepare them for future scares and be life affirming. What are we asking people we talk to, to resonate with, fear or love?
I don’t know all the reasons for some having an obsession with end of the world themes. Jesus spoke of the immediacy of coming problems and the end of the age. They happened and were as horrible as can be. He said very little about the end of the world even though like today many were focused on it.
If you study the purpose of the ancient prophets in their proclamations, prophecy was to assure the nation of Israel that invaders would be punished and they would be restored. It was a message of hope for them. It could also be a call to repentance. It’s the same purpose in the Book of Revelations, a message of hope, and also a call for repentance and change.
We need to stick to that consistent message offered to us by God: Hope.
Ultimately, the true mission of the church is to minister to everyone with the message of Jesus, a message centered on love and participation in the spiritual kingdom.
Conclusion
The Christian mission isn’t to tell people about the end of the world. It does scare a few people, but is mostly counterproductive, driving many away. We don’t represent God’s punishment. We represent God’s love. The mission is to attract people through demonstrations of love of others that represents Jesus, because that is what is in our heart.
Christianity is about acquainting people with the way to live, as demonstrated by Jesus, so they enter the “spiritual domain” [kingdom] of God that is here, now, and is spiritual not physical. It’s about love, which encompasses all human action and activity.
“Outrage (righteous wrath) can be good if it compels us to positive action but not to hate.”
– Dorian Scott Cole
“With hate, we have more to lose than gain – break the cycle” – Dorian Scott Cole
Probability Space
What probability spaces can we open in our minds to replace messages of despair and destruction with messages of love and hope?
(A probability space is where all of the elements necessary for something to happen are present and it’s almost inevitable. All it takes is intention.)
Potential Space
If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, how can we permanently focus our minds on hope as offered to us by God?
(A potential space is a virtual space in our minds where entirely new things can take shape.) More: Is Music A Form Of Prayer?
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This helps me improve my work.
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Below is information for church planning to minister to new generations, building a community of action, service opportunities, education opportunities for new generations, and descriptions of the author’s nonfiction books.
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– Dorian
Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.
Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Laugh, sing, and dance regularly, even every day. Happy. This is why we dance to celebrate life: Reindeer actually running and dancing.
Building a Community of Action
New Way Forward community
Can we make positive change in our world and end a lot of suffering?
Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, said: “Although the world is full of suffering, it’s also full of the overcoming of it.”
The human spirit yearns for a world without suffering, but it’s through facing challenges that we progress. The world isn’t perfect, but together we can create a future with less hardship. Famine, discrimination, gun violence, and injurious economic and educational disparities are complex problems, yet understanding their root causes empowers us to find solutions.
Launching in first quarter 2025, the New Way Forward community will connect individuals seeking practical solutions and creating lasting change. We’ll focus on understanding problems and their solutions, and how to effectively create change.
Join us in building a brighter tomorrow! New Way Forward on Facebook.
Civic service opportunities
Do Unto Others Kindness Campaign, and civic engagement.
United Methodist Church Volunteer Opportunities.
Join or support Zero Hour and amplify the voices of youth organizing for climate action.
Peoples Hub. Resistance, Resilience, Restoration, Re-imagination. Online Popular Education. For movement workers to learn, connect, collaborate, and strategize – in and across the disability justice and solidarity economy movements.
Stakeholder Capitalism – a video podcast series from the World Economic Forum. Can capitalism be made to work for all of us – and to improve rather than destroy the state of the planet?
General service and aid opportunities (on One Spirit Resources Website). To add your service opportunity to the One Spirit Resources list, contact the author (me) through Facebook Messenger. Note that I only friend people I know.
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Education Opportunities for new generations
Becoming an Entrepreneur – MITx online
Evaluating Social Programs – MITx online
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Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.
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Author and books
Appease the Volcano: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love. Love is a major emphasis in all major religions and replaces law.
The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.
Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.
Author Website: Dorian Scott Cole
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