Cafeteria Religion Cafeteria Religion in the Bible Cafeteria

Cafeteria Religion

Cafeteria Religion in the Bible • “Cafeteria religion” is found at Mt. Sinai 32: 4 -5) (Ex. • “Cafeteria religion” is found at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12: 28) • Paul witnessed “cafeteria religion” when he came to Athens (Acts 17: 16 -23)

Cafeteria Religion • We witness “cafeteria religion” today… – No unified standard of authority, belief, or practice – Pick and choose from a variety of faiths, or no faith at all – “Cut and paste” religion – Burger King …“Have it your way”… religion

Cafeteria Religion A majority of all American Christians (52%) think that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life. Indeed, among Christians who believe many religions can lead to eternal life, 80% name at least one non-Christian faith that can do so. These are among the key findings of a national survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life from July 31 -Aug. 10, 2008, among 2, 905 adults. (http: //pewforum. org/docs/? Doc. ID=380)

Cafeteria Religion "I DETERMINE WHAT GOD IS!" Theology in the Age of "Cafeteria Religion" We live in the final phase of a culturally supported Christianity, yet by no means in a secular world. The Christian churches are losing their significance, but the demand for religion is strong. Cover stories of magazines such as Newsweek, Time, Der Spiegel, or Psychology Today confirm this trend. The nature of the trend is clear. Received doctrines and traditional forms of worship are rejected; at the same time, however, "Search for the Sacred, ” the search for religious experience, and the "Flight into Spirituality, ” are growing. According to Newsweek, one third of adult Americans report religious or mystical experiences, one fifth have the feeling that God has been revealed to them in the past year, and one eighth senses the presence of angels. The situation in Germany is similar. Every seventh person believes in magic and witchcraft, every third person considers the future predictable, and if Der Spiegel is right, then there are more seers and fortune-tellers offering their services than all Protestant and Catholic clergy put together. One thing is indisputable: Religion has not lost its fascination, but the church has lost its power of attraction. (Theology Today, April 2000)

Cafeteria Religion • “Cafeteria religion” is aggressively promoted today by Oprah Winfrey who reaches 7 million people each day via her magazine, TV, radio, & Internet. She said… – “one of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way to live … there are millions of ways … many paths to what you call God … there couldn’t possibly be just one way” – “I was able to open my mind … I took God out of the box” – “God is a feeling experience not a believing experience… if God for you is still about a belief then it’s not truly God”

Cafeteria Religion Among Churches of Christ Picking & choosing from the denominations… • Salvation by grace/faith alone • Institutional societies • Instrumental music • Women preachers • Open fellowship • Social gospel

Cafeteria Religion Focused on reaching the students during Lectureship, the student track offers more studentfriendly topics, such as mysticism, at later times in the evening. Monday night at 8: 45 p. m. in the Den Café at Barret Hall, the Spiritual Spectrum topic is Mysticism in a Modern World, hosted by Randy Harris, instructor of Bible, missions and ministry. Harris said the topic was picked because it appeals to students. "The director of the lectures wanted to have things that the whole campus would be involved in, especially students, " Harris said. "This is aimed at students, not the guests. " "I've done a number of things related to the topic, " Harris said. He's spent time at Trappist monastery, a Buddhist retreat, a Celtic retreat house and a hermit community for 40 days of silent prayer. "We're in a world where everyone is looking for religious experience, " Harris said. "Monks and hermits are people who seem to know about that - that's why I've gone to check 'em out. " Harris said he plans to talk for about 30 minutes and then have a question and answer time. "The idea is students are curious about those kinds of things, " Harris said.

Cafeteria Religion Harris said the appeal would be to students who are interested in the whole area of mysticism or meditation or contemplative prayer. Though he studies mysticism, Harris said his education on the subject includes learning through experience. "I've done a whole lot of reading about it, but you get to a point where you don't want to read about it, " Harris said. "I've really been on a search and kinda decided I would go any place in the world to try and learn from people who know about meditation or contemplative prayer or who were practicing a mystical tradition. " Mc. Kade Marshall, senior business major from Abilene, went on a retreat this summer where he experienced times of meditation and prayer. He said meditation allows time for people to reflect and focus. "I believe college kids are interested in the spiritual movement, ” Marshall said. "It's just a matter of what kind of spirituality they're going to meditate on, whether it is good or bad. ” http: //media. www. acuoptimist. com/media/storage/paper 891/news/2007/09/16/News/Prof essor. Pursues. Mystic. Life-2971290. shtml

Cafeteria Religion What Are the Results? • A broad way that leads to destruction 7: 13 -14) (Mt. • Sheep without a shepherd (Mt. 9: 36) • A doctrine-free, truth-free offer (1 Tim. 6: 3 -5) • Confusion and every vile deed (Jas. 3: 16)

Cafeteria Religion What Are We to Do? • Teach others to stop following self (Prov. 3: 5 -6; 14: 12; 16: 25; Jer. 10: 23) • Abstain from “cafeteria religion” (Rev. 2: 14 -15, 20) • Decide if we are giving (Acts 8: 4), or receiving (2 Jn. 9: 11) • Examine carefully everything that is taught (1 Thess. 5: 21 -22; 1 Jn. 4: 1 -6)

Cafeteria Religion What Are We to Do? • Continue to proclaim that there is only “one way” – Jesus Christ (Jn. 8: 24; 10: 9; 12: 48; 14: 6; Acts 4: 12) • Preach the exclusive way to God (Eph. 4: 4 -6)… – Not every one who is religious will be saved (Mt. 7: 21 -23; Lk. 13: 3, 5; Jn. 3: 3, 5 ) – Hear Jesus, no one else (Mt. 17: 5) – God speaks through his Son only (Heb. 1: 1 -2)