Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 12

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Apr 072013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 3: WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—A Categorization

Chapter 12: They’re Endeavoring—Living Discipleship in Christ as Laboring Christians

 

In the ideal Christian world the Disciples of Christ continually embrace all of the values discussed in chapter 6 and live lives exemplary of the Savior. Shortly after the ascension of Jesus Christ the Christian community lived in great harmony where “all that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44) and were assembled to be taught as Christians (Acts 11:26).

Jesus taught laboring is part of believing (John 6:27-29) demonstrating tireless service and telling his apostles “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). All those who follow Jesus Christ and emulate the Savior’s example of laboring in the service of others find joy (John 13:17) and reap the rewards of that labor (1 Cor. 3:8). Again, this is the ideal Christian scenario.

While America falls short today of the ideal Christian scenario with the vast majority of Christians disserting (Departing), settling for mediocrity (Adequate), or vacillating (Hesitant), there are a small number who are anxiously endeavoring in that ideal Christian scenario—such are called Laboring Christians.

The Laboring Christian is not perfect, but actively seeks and feels the perfect love of Christ when serving their families, churches and communities. These individuals have cultivated resilient and solid faith through life experiences of practicing what they believe. The Laboring Christian knows he or she has been blessed with much and is unafraid to step up to do what is required.

Laboring Christians come from all walks of life among a multitude of denominations. While all of us can surely assemble an impressive list of well known Laboring Christians throughout history, the greatest examples of Laboring Christians will never be known to the masses and may be working this very moment in schools, churches, neighborhoods, and cities around the world.

Being a Laboring Christian is not easy to sustain, despite the spiritual rewards and joy that comes from doing so. Living in the world but not becoming of the world (John 15:19) requires constant energy and attention. For example, the miraculous Mother Teresa of Calcutta served tirelessly and selflessly nearly all of her adult life and would be considered a model Laboring Christian; however, the book Mother Teresa: Come be My Light by Reverend Brian Kolodiejchuk revealed her mighty personal struggles with feeling the love of God in her life. Despite such struggles Mother Teresa never stopped laboring and changed the lives of countless individuals.

There is a fifth type of Christian—the Latent Christian—one that is extremely rare. The Latent Christian demonstrates an abundance of works with little faith to support those works. For the time being we will defer this Christian type and focus on the main four. Now that we know these Christian types the question is: “which one are you?” You might take a guess; however, the next chapter provides an exercise that can show you exactly what type of Christian you are.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 11

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Mar 312013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 3: WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—A Categorization

Chapter 11: They’re Vacillating—Living Under Their Potential as Hesitant Christians

 

Many Christians, those who are not departing or hiding, are instead dithering and vacillating with great faith waiting to be cut loose! There is a large group of Christians out there that have enormous potential who are sitting on the sidelines indecisive about entering the game. Composer Gian Carlo Menotti passionately stated, “Hell begins on that day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts we wasted, of all that we might have done that we did not do.”

The question for all Christians is “what is your personal potential in Christ?” Paul wrote “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). Jesus taught “with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). The eroding state of current spiritual affairs in the United States could be entirely turned around if every Christian rose up and did just that—live their full potential in the Savior.

Before introducing the next Christian type it is important to realize what our potential is as disciples of Christ. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 states that each of us has been given talents, every man according to his several ability (Matt. 25:15). The servants in the parable who doubled their talents understood the principle of “…For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” (Luke 12:48). The Bible makes it clear that although Christians are given different abilities and responsibilities, each has the opportunity for the same spiritual blessings of eternal life through faith and sacrifice. The potential of each Christian is tremendous, but all too often that potential is unrealized in a spectacular fashion despite having faith sufficient to do so.

This brings us to the third type of Christian—the Hesitant Christian. This is a Christian who routinely operates under his or her potential. The Hesitant Christian has great faith but is not living up to the potential of that faith.

Paul referred to the potential of the Hesitant Christian when he wrote “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us… (Eph. 3:20-21, emphasis added). The Hesitant Christian may at times be “weary in well doing” (2 Thess. 3:13) and therefore misses service opportunities presented by the Lord despite having the “several ability.”

In answering the question of “where are the Christians?, a portion of them are hesitating, and as the old adage goes: “he who hesitates is lost”—defined as “a person who spends too much time deliberating about what to do loses the chance to act altogether.” When it comes to faith we must use it or lose it.

We have now been introduced to the first three types of Christians, each of which is lagging behind and not making the difference they are capable of making. Next we will look at those Christians who are stepping up to their potential and carrying much of the load in Christian America.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 10

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Mar 242013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 3: WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—A Categorization

Chapter 10: They’re Hiding—Not Practicing Their Faith as Adequate Christians

 

The second place where one can find the Christians is “in hiding.” These are Christians that are not leaving, but are instead concealing themselves in the shadows unseen, ducking any and all spiritual responsibility in a desire to be left alone. This is a Christian that Paul describes as one who professes “they know God, but in works they deny him” (Titus 1:16).

This person is a Christian that doesn’t know their religion, who lives a form of “Christian-atheism,” avoids practicing their faith, and is content with their level of believing without the works that come from that belief in Christ. This group is likely the largest contingent of Christians in the United States today, whose potential is enormous when it comes to building and nurturing the kingdom of God on earth—a potential that is sorely unrealized today. This individual is the Adequate Christian.

Virtually all Christian denominations teach truth about Christ and His teachings of love, service and sacrifice. If every Christian lived the tenets of the denomination to which they belong, the world would be a fantastic place. Unfortunately ignorance and unwillingness are significant self-inflicted barriers to realizing the true potential of Christianity in the United States—thus the Adequate Christian.

The Adequate Christian is ignorant of his or her religion. A survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life among adults found a sizable number of Christians don’t know their religion, and are in fact lacking basic intelligence relating to Christianity. Mormons and white Evangelical Protestants scored the highest, while black Protestants and Catholics scored the lowest. Not coincidentally, the Pew scores reflect entirely the same denominational rankings as those found in Chapter 7—something that brings great validity to the synthesis conducted by the author Shuster. One can therefore understand the precept that those who know their religion are more apt to live it.

The Adequate Christian is lukewarm in living Christianity. To be lukewarm means not being a passionate disciple of Jesus Christ while at the same time refraining from serious sin thus demonstrating a mediocre commitment to the gospel. The scripture from Revelation 3:15-16 should scare anyone who is found to be a “lukewarm” Christian. There have been other terms given to these Christian types such as Christian Atheists (Groeschel), Cultural Christians, Nominal Christians (Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization) or Casual Christians (Barna). Each of these terms arrives at the same destination of describing a Christian who believes in Jesus Christ but fails to practice what they profess to believe.

So far we have located the first two places to look for the Christians—those that are leaving the faith (Departing Christians) and those hiding in the faith (Adequate Christians). Next we will locate a third group of Christians— those who can’t make up their mind.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 9

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Mar 172013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 3: WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—A Categorization

Chapter 9: They’re Leaving—Losing Their Belief as Departing Christians

 

There are 2 billion Christians in the world today; nearly 250 million people in the United States who identify themselves as Christians giving America a Christian population that is over double that of the entire world on a per capita basis. Yet corruption, greed, crime and moral disintegration are all on the rise in the United States. In such a great country where Christianity abounds in vast numbers how can such a trend be? It causes one to ask… Where are the Christians?

The five chapters of Section 3 answer the question by revealing the five major types of Christians in America today—Departing, Adequate, Hesitant, Laboring and Latent—and how one can complete an exercise to identify themselves among these five.

The first Christian type to be explored is the Departing Christian. These are Christians who are literally or psychologically losing their faith. These are Christians that don’t believe as they once did (or perhaps never did), who are living watered down doctrines of Christianity, and losing their testimony of the Savior through inactivity and prolonged sin without repentance. Simply put, these are Christians who are leaving the faith.

The Departing Christian has lost faith in the scriptures. Although there has been 6 billion Bibles sold since its first publication, only 82% of Americans consider it to be sacred scripture and only 69% consider it to contain “everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life” according to the American Bible Society. Other studies suggest lots of Bibles in American homes, but few that are being read.

The Departing Christian lives a watered down faith. Studies show Christians adopting beliefs and practices that are inconsistent with traditional Christianity. A 2002 Barna study showed 76% of Christians relying on personal scriptural interpretation while 51% believe in praying to deceased saints. A 2009 study by Pew Research revealed 65% of adults adopting elements New Age thinking, 25% believing in astrology, and 24% believing in reincarnation.

The Departing Christian is fed up, disillusioned and dismayed. Negative experiences such as the death of a loved one and natural disasters challenge the faith of the Departing Christian who loses hope and becomes dismayed as to why God would allow such events to take place.

The systematic decrease in the percentage of the American population that considers themselves to be Christian is shown in the National Council of Church’s Yearbook for 2012 where five of the ten largest Christian Churches reported a decrease in membership. Other studies show leading indicators of a waning Christian faith, many of which are likely Departing Christians.

German philosopher Hermann Keyserling introduced the phrase “Post-Christian” in his 1929 book titled America Set Free. Keyserling’s work grew legs into the 1960’s with the “death of God” movement leveraging the phrase used by Nietzche in the 19th century. While the population of Departing Christians may not be large, the elements that have led to their faithlessness are elements that are affecting many in America. Next we will examine the Adequate Christian.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 8

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Mar 102013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 2: WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?—a Definition

Chapter 8: It’s Complicated According to the Critics

 

Complicating matters in defining a Christian is the existence of Modern-day Pharisees—the “critics” among the Christian community. These critics are nothing new. Jesus Christ during his public ministry was often confronted by the Pharisees who challenged his authority and spiritual legitimacy.

The word Pharisee comes from the Latin word pharisæus, meaning “set apart.” The Pharisaical movement started around 140–37 BC, viewing themselves as defenders of the Mosaic Law and the oral Torah as part of a society that was devout, political, cultural, social, religious and educational. The Pharisees in our modern era view themselves similarly falling into the same prototypes leading to negative unintended consequences and complicating Christian matters unnecessarily.

The New Testament reveals a model of behaviors and attitudes among the Pharisees of Jesus’ time—the pharisaical pattern. This pattern can be observed today among the Pharisees of our time including three major components: 1) pride and hypocrisy; 2) panic and paranoia; and 3) contention and destruction. Modern-day Pharisees are oblivious to their attitudes and actions believing they are the defenders of the true gospel leaving a trail of division and contention among Christians in their wake.

By studying the Pharisees of Jesus’ time one can identify the same behaviors and attitudes in specific individuals in the modern era. For example, Jesus proclaimed the Pharisees to be hypocrites (or full of hypocrisy)—eight times in one continuous sermon as recorded in the 23rd chapter of Matthew. In our day well known cases of such pharisaical behavior can be found in TV Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart who globally preached the gospel of Jesus Christ only to be caught having sex with prostitutes in 1988 and again in 1991. There is Ted Haggard, former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals who publicly mocked Catholics, Mormons, and Jews and then admitted in 2006 to having sex with a male masseuse and purchasing illegal drugs.

One of the dangers facing Christians today is the reckless practice of spiritual profiling—judging someone based solely upon their denominational choice or specific outward behaviors. Shuster provides instructive examinations of America’s Founding Fathers (e.g. Washington, Jefferson, etc.), historical and modern-day individuals (Hitler, Jones, etc.), and even Biblical figures (David, Paul, etc.) to demonstrate show outward appearances can completely derail the accuracy of spiritual profiling.

Where are the Christians? offers an exercise that can be completed by the reader which calculates the degree to which the participant exhibits the pharisaical pattern—their tendency to be a Modern-day Pharisee (i.e. a Christian critic). The exercise is fun, enlightening and can be completed online at www.findyourchristianity.com.

Knowing who the Christians are historically from Section 1 and what a Christian is from Section 2, it is time for the next leg of the journey to explore the core question of “’Where are the Christians?” Although you may have your own answers to this thought provoking question, you may be surprised to learn the details behind the answers provided by the author.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 7

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Mar 032013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

* * *

SECTION 2: WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?—a Definition

Chapter 7: It’s Revealing According to the Data

 

The two part definition of a Christian developed in chapter 6 can be put to the test; however, such a test is not trivial. Measuring belief and practice is complex and thus the caution of Jesus Christ to “Judge not according to the appearance” (John 7:24). Chapter 7 doesn’t seek to judge, but rather to measure how well various Christian denominations are performing in inspiring their members to be strong Believing and Practicing Christians.

To achieve an accurate measurement of effectiveness Shuster analyzes data from three robust landmark quantitative studies conducted in the United States from 2000 to 2008—one from the Barna Group and two from the National Survey of Youth and Religion (NSYR). All three studies are highly respected and widely sourced in the public domain for religiosity across a large number of behavioral attributes.

Because of alignment issues with the three studies it was necessary to select 12 common attributes from all three. There are four attributes relating to belief (belief in Jesus Christ, God, the importance of faith and the reality of evil) and eight attributes relating to practice (praying, reading the Bible, attending church, attending Sunday School, attending small group activities, volunteering, sharing the gospel and tithing). The Barna study covered adults and the two NSYR studies covered youth and young adults allowing for sound coverage of the full spectrum of denominational adherents. To simplify the analysis the vast number of Christian denominations is consolidated into five categories using the REKTRAD method: Conservative Protestants, Mainline Protestants, Black Protestants, Roman Catholics and Mormons (LDS).

This unprecedented exercise has its limitations due to the variation of faith traditions between denominations, the comparability of attributes between studies and the accuracy of applying a quantitative measurement to something that is inherently qualitative. Nonetheless the results were extremely informative:

  • There are more Believing Christians than Practicing Christians across all denominations
  • There is a decrease of belief and practice with age (Mormons being the exception)
  • Conservative Protestants generally performed well across all 12 attributes
  • Mainline Protestants tend to reflect the mainstream of the Christian population (the average)
  • Catholics lag behind all denominations in belief and practice across all age categories
  • Mormons recorded the highest composite scores among all Christian denominations
  • Lots of other surprises and a few jaw droppers

Looking ahead, chapter 13 includes an exclusive exercise a Christian can take that will categorize that Christian into one of five types covered in Section 3 of the book (go to www.findyourchristianity.com to take the survey). Perhaps instead of asking someone “Are you Christian,” the more relevant question might be “How strong of a Christian are you?” or “What type of a Christian are you?” Next we will study the critics who desire to make this more complicated for their own benefit.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

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