The New IDOLATRY?
This comment from Keith on the comment section of the previous post says that the new idolatry of today is the idol of my rights, my freedom.
"It's amazing how many professing christians seem to become more like the world in their appearance after they are saved. They have little or no concern that their freedoms might affect younger believers in a way that would cause the weaker (the youth) to violate their own conscience (going against their parents' rules). This is in violation to scripture (1 Cor. 1:9). That person's freedoms/rights, in hands of a young person, will often be used as a weapon of rebellion against the parents. And just think, it came in through the church doors.
The new idol for many of today's church goers is the god of my RIGHT, my FREEDOM. I have the RIGHT to choose, I have the FREEDOM to do! This is IDOLATRY."
-KCO
Is body piercing the same as the idolatry of self-will and self rights? When it comes to piercings, how much is too much, how much is permissible, if any at all?
Should a christian youth worker insist upon his "right" to wear body piercings even though he may be influencing a child to go against God's command to honor his parents? If a youth leader ladened with body piercings gets up in front of kids to speak, I don't care what anybody says, he is condoning body piercing simply by the fact that he decides to display them on his body. I have to wonder... how many of the parents of the kids in that youth group are OK with body piercing, especially multiple ones. O, I know the kids aren't getting them... yet... but according to their youth leader's example, it is OK. There is nothing wrong with it.
We have to draw the line somewhere, even though nobody seems to want to do it.
This video talks about the idolatry of self. I am not saying that this is perfectly applicable to body piercing in every circumstance but in the context of Keith's comments above it can be a valid argument:
"It's amazing how many professing christians seem to become more like the world in their appearance after they are saved. They have little or no concern that their freedoms might affect younger believers in a way that would cause the weaker (the youth) to violate their own conscience (going against their parents' rules). This is in violation to scripture (1 Cor. 1:9). That person's freedoms/rights, in hands of a young person, will often be used as a weapon of rebellion against the parents. And just think, it came in through the church doors.
The new idol for many of today's church goers is the god of my RIGHT, my FREEDOM. I have the RIGHT to choose, I have the FREEDOM to do! This is IDOLATRY."
-KCO
Is body piercing the same as the idolatry of self-will and self rights? When it comes to piercings, how much is too much, how much is permissible, if any at all?
Should a christian youth worker insist upon his "right" to wear body piercings even though he may be influencing a child to go against God's command to honor his parents? If a youth leader ladened with body piercings gets up in front of kids to speak, I don't care what anybody says, he is condoning body piercing simply by the fact that he decides to display them on his body. I have to wonder... how many of the parents of the kids in that youth group are OK with body piercing, especially multiple ones. O, I know the kids aren't getting them... yet... but according to their youth leader's example, it is OK. There is nothing wrong with it.
We have to draw the line somewhere, even though nobody seems to want to do it.
This video talks about the idolatry of self. I am not saying that this is perfectly applicable to body piercing in every circumstance but in the context of Keith's comments above it can be a valid argument:
posted by kennyo at 10:55 AM
5 Comments:
This seems a good and Biblical way to pursue this. The God Tube spot you used speaks very well to what we as a Church are facing. Our victory can only be found in relationship to the Christ of the Bible speaking to and through us and not mere human interpretation. II Timothy 3:16 & 17 says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." I desire to hear God's Word speak to issues rather than personal preference or private interpretation. I Corinthians 1 well speaks of the body's responsibility to not get caught up in leadership personality but rather Christ. The issue then is how do we resolve our differences? If I understand Ephesians 4: 11-16 at all it must be in the context of the fruits and gifts of the Spirit leading God's people to truth as they pursue it through the pages, (inerrant) of the Bible. Please understand verse 15 tells us to speak the truth in love. Love, I believe is a sincere desire for the wellbeing of the one to whom you speak. I find it very hard to listen with much respect to those who argue their case ad hominemly.
Keith here. I'd like to add:
Paul Washer from HeartCry Missionary Society in Alabama deals with the problem of idolatry of the self committed by many Christians today. He states:
"Most of us have given our lives to self, self fulfillment, self esteem, our dreams, our purposes, our goals. What you don't even realize, is even though you've adopted them they're not yours. You're a product of your culture. You dress like your culture, wear your hair like your culture, you esteem the things your culture esteems and you don't realize the whole thing is rot."
-KCO
A passage of Scripture comes to mind here. Philippians 3:7 "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." It strikes me as incredibly sad that so many Christian leaders preach not the power of God in men but the way that seems right unto men. We do not preach the Law but we Preach Christ who became the ways to live the law. Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. This is what I saw on the grave stone of one of the finest Christian men I have ever known, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,"
I know what you mean by the body piercing that gets in the way of the Gospel. A wife of the pastor at our church got her nose pierced. She is one who leads the children's church. What kind of message does this send to the poor children? That it's okay? Then my wife got her nose pierced.
Should I leave the church? Should I leave my wife?
I am almost humored and wonder if that is your intent anonymous. You may be mixing apples with oranges here but I think that may be your intent.
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