Fr. Dwight Longenecker6. Progressive Christianity will die out because it makes no great demands for its devotees to be religious. Ask any modernist, “Why should I come to Church?” What would he answer? “You don’t have to come to church. It’s there if you want it. If it does you good, and makes you feel better, we’re here to serve you.” Modernist Catholic priests wring their hands and wonder why no one comes to Mass anymore. It’s because for forty years they’ve been saying, “It’s not really a mortal sin to miss Mass. You should come because you love God, not because you fear him.” While this sentiment may be laudable, they shouldn’t therefore be surprised if no one comes to Mass.
The progressive himself does not really understand why anyone should be religious. He started out as a religious man believing in sin, redemption and the supernaturalist story. He became modernist gradually and all the time continued his religious practice, but he has never stopped to ask why such a thing should be necessary. If he is honest and asks himself the question he will soon stop the practice of his religion too. Unless, of course, he is a clergyman. If he is a religious professional he would have to get another job, so it is easier to keep the show on the road.
8. Progressives allow for moral degeneracy and that saps the strength out of real religion. Devotees of all supernaturalist religions demand moral purity, self discipline and restraint. Real religion requires self discipline. The modernist sees religion not as self denial but self fulfillment. Hedonists will soon realize that religion–even in its watered down modernist form–is not worth the trouble.
Another aspect of this point is that progressive Christians use artificial contraception and endorse abortion. It’s not rocket science to conclude that a population who stop having babies will soon die out.
9. The Church of the South is on the rise. Christianity is most vital in Africa, Asia and South America. The Christians there are both historic and modern. They’re young, they’re energetic and they follow a joyful and dynamic gospel. The African Anglicans moving to expel the Episcopalians is a hint of the future. Historic Christianity will rise up and defeat progressive Christianity simply because the first is authentic and the second is a counterfeit faith.
10. Progressives are dull and respectable. They used to think they were the radical ones, but they’ve gone grey and suburban and become part of the establishment. They always go with the crowd, especially if that crowd pretends to be “radical” or “subversive”. Respectability is the kiss of death to real religion, and bourgeois radicalism is really the pits.
11. The Historic Christians are now the radicals. When the whole world becomes liberal it is the conservative who is the radical. When the whole world is wrapped in moral decadence chastity becomes radical. When the whole world is consumed with gluttony the one who fasts is radical. When the whole world is devoured by relativism the dogmatist is the radical. When the whole world is blinded by materialism it is the supernaturalist who is the radical. Christianity is only good news when it is radical and so it is the historic and heroic Christians who will prevail.
12. All Are Welcome…to leave. The irony is that their final, infallible dogma for progressives is that “all are welcome”. They never stop to realize that a religion can only be a religion if it has boundaries. It’s not a club if there are no membership rules and its not a church if there’s no dogma or moral expectations. Consequently, while they cry happily, “This is a house of prayer for all people” it will increasingly be an empty house of prayer for no people. The doors of the progressive churches may be wide open…but that’s so the people can get out as soon as possible.
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