Toxic Faith, Arterburn & Felton

[Nell]

Originally Posted by SpeakersCorner

Nell,

...So my point is that while I agree with you that many of these traits are indeed toxic .... some of them are simply differences between cultures.

Would you agree with that?


SC

SC,

Sorry, I mostly don't agree with you in the context of the book "Toxic Faith". I understand what you're saying, but this book is not about toxic culture. It's about toxic faith.

Cultures are what they are; faith is another matter. There are people of faith in every culture. God's word is definitive for "faith" or "the faith" regardless of culture. Faith is based on another life indwelling the hearts of men and living by that life regardless of the cultural background of the believer.

Fallen men come along and take advantage of the believer's faith in Jesus Christ. These fallen men may be men of faith, but there is a pattern to their behavior that has become toxic to those who trust in the leadership of men rather than God...often innocently.

Technically speaking, in the context of Christian faith, the words "toxic" and "faith", are mutually exclusive in the same way that "spiritual" and "abuse" are mutually exclussive.

Nell

Originally Posted by Roger

Speaker,

Differences between cultures is not an issue here. If the shoe (ten points) fits, then a group should wear it, no matter how much need we feel to perserve some aspect of that group.

Roger

Roger,

Whatever is of God will remain. Everything else, including group think, can go away. That's pretty much the attitude that I took when I left the LC. I wiped the slate clean. If any particular "thing" made it back into my life as a belief, it had to be a clear teaching of the Bible and I had to be convinced in my own mind by the Lord's leading.

It's like the shows on HGTV. Before they remodel a room, they strip it bare. Walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, clutter...everything goes. Poor example, but it works for me. Everything that makes it back into my room actually belongs there...by God's design.

Nell

[SpeakersCorner]

Nell,

Since I haven't read the book (and most likely won't), I should probably just excuse myself from this discussion. But I would like to take up one point you brought up. You said,

God's word is definitive for "faith" or "the faith" regardless of culture. Faith is based on another life indwelling the hearts of men and living by that life regardless of the cultural background of the believer.

I am reading Tim Keller's book, "The Reason for God." He makes the strong point that Christianity is unique among religions of the world in that it has no single culture. It adapts to whatever culture it comes to. Nigel Tomes in his latest writing/speaking has been addressing this matter of God being 'translatable' to whatever culture it comes.

Doesn't faith, as you speak of it here, have this same trait, that it can fit itself into whatever culture it comes? For instance, in superstitious cultures, faith often uses that trait to reveal some of God's supernatural action. In intellectual cultures (or sub-cultures), faith can emerge as a result of thought and study. Witness C.S. Lewis, Lee Stroebel, and others.

I'll follow this thread. Perhaps I will find it worthwhile to read the book.


SC