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| The "Lutherans" who ignored this were not Lutherans but Enthusiasts - dishonest, deceptive, and evil in all their ways. |
One advantage of living longer is to see the fads fade away. However, they often exemplify the old description - forgotten but not gone. The Social Gospel Movement gathered momentum in the early 20th century and never disappeared. The name did. I looked through the indexes of The Christian Century, originally a conservative magazine. Many articles included Social Gospel in their titles, but that faded away and was almost gone in 1930.
The term Social Gospel combines a liberal, rationalistic view of the Bible and a trust that the government can be used to legislate goodness for everyone. In other words, it is all Law and no Gospel. In addition, the best people to invite to join the congregation are those who share this mindset.
The Social Gospel mandates were very close to FDR's New Deal, which has not gone away. The assumption of governmental solutions for everything is stronger than ever. Righteousness is found in the mandates and the well-deserved punishment (they think) associated with the laws.
The Church Growth Movement is seldom named now, but it is the unquestioned agenda of the Lutheran denominations - ELCA, WELS, ELS, LCMS, CLC (sic). One enthusiast compared it to a "mighty river." Another described in great detail how the largest congregations became so large.
Management by Objectives, 1954, is the key concept by Peter Drucker that continues to plague America today. He sought the involvement of denominations to spread his secular good news. SMART goals - so cute. The new phrasing is - "This will align with our objectives..." I heard that constantly at Walmart meetings. The objectives have become a new stone tablet forged by anonymous wizards - and MUST BE OBEYED! The answer to any questioning of the goals..."This aligns with the objectives we all agreed upon."
It is far easier to displace the Gospel with another, parallel version than to fight the Biblical principles. Notice the majestic solemnity of this poppycock from Donald McGavran:
GOD WANTS (don't upset Him!)
HIS CHURCH (not yours, not mine, this is a big concept)
TO GROW! (drop all other activities, align all objectives with GROWTH!)
Anyone opposing this denominational (that is - sacred) mandate is doomed to experience the stink-eye, shunning, and other nefarious punishments.
That is why people must counter the nonsense with the effective Word - "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
