J.P Moreland’s thesis in the first chapter states that once Christians withdrew from the intellectual world, it has now become difficult for them to connect their faith to any source that is outside of the church. The influence of this idea resulted in severe damage within the Christian community and allowed secular ideals to become the leading authority in the academic area. Without the church as a leading voice, the world was forced to rely on ideas outside of fundamental biblical principles.
In order to explain just how the American Evangelical church reached this point and how extensive the problem is exactly, Moreland begins with a brief history lesson. With the days of the Puritans, who were actually quite fond of scholarly learning, …show more content…
Towards the end of the chapter, there was a section regarding morals. In this paragraph, Moreland mentions assisted suicide and labels it as a sin. I was confused as to whether he was referring to suicide in itself as a sin, or assisted suicide as a sin because essentially, the doctor is killing someone, therefore it would be considered murder. To address the question given, as to whether or not Christians today have the same reasoning for possessing an anti- intellectual stand point as those in the late 1800s, I would answer no. What is considered the “Gospel of Felt Needs” was merely the beginning of the self-centered and apathetic generation that was soon to follow. A culture dominated by one’s own personal needs without concern to anything or anyone else. Not only has the secular culture altered the way non-Christians think, it has infiltrated the entire church body. Nowadays, Christians have fallen into a state fideism. They believe what they are told simply because it is much easier. What Christians profess to believe is a mere regurgitation of what they have heard time after time throughout the course of millions of church services. Generation to generation, the work ethic has slowly waned leaving behind a shell of what used to be. Moreland gives the illustration of small groups and how rather than thinking about what the passage actually states
In order to explain just how the American Evangelical church reached this point and how extensive the problem is exactly, Moreland begins with a brief history lesson. With the days of the Puritans, who were actually quite fond of scholarly learning, …show more content…
Towards the end of the chapter, there was a section regarding morals. In this paragraph, Moreland mentions assisted suicide and labels it as a sin. I was confused as to whether he was referring to suicide in itself as a sin, or assisted suicide as a sin because essentially, the doctor is killing someone, therefore it would be considered murder. To address the question given, as to whether or not Christians today have the same reasoning for possessing an anti- intellectual stand point as those in the late 1800s, I would answer no. What is considered the “Gospel of Felt Needs” was merely the beginning of the self-centered and apathetic generation that was soon to follow. A culture dominated by one’s own personal needs without concern to anything or anyone else. Not only has the secular culture altered the way non-Christians think, it has infiltrated the entire church body. Nowadays, Christians have fallen into a state fideism. They believe what they are told simply because it is much easier. What Christians profess to believe is a mere regurgitation of what they have heard time after time throughout the course of millions of church services. Generation to generation, the work ethic has slowly waned leaving behind a shell of what used to be. Moreland gives the illustration of small groups and how rather than thinking about what the passage actually states