Christian author, clergywoman and professor Kenda Creasy Dean is warning Christian teens and their parents about the high number of Christian teens she deems as "fake" Christians because of their acceptance of Deistic ideas. She and other Christian leaders have labeled it "moralistic therapeutic Deism".
Deism teaches the importance of God-given reason. Deists apply their reason to the designs in Nature and believe those designs presuppose a Designer. Since Deism values the exercise of God-given reason, Deists reject the claims made by the "revealed" religions of having the word of God in their particular scriptures such as the Koran, Bible, Torah, etc. To Deists, the only possible word of God is the Universe itself.
Ms. Dean is a minister of the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church is an offshoot of the Methodist Church which is itself an offshoot of the Church of England which is an offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church. As such she believes in the man-made Christian doctrine of "original sin" in which all people are born sinful. The reason Christianity and its ever increasing denominations promote the idea that all beautiful innocent babies are actually born sinful is because that false idea gives the appearance of a need for Christianity. This is illustrated by the case of the American Revolutionary hero and Deist Ethan Allen. Ethan Allen wrote his Christian clergyman cousin stating that he did not believe in original sin. His cousin wrote back saying that without original sin there is no need for Christianity. Ethan answered him by stating he agreed, there is no need for Christianity! The fact that many teens who are in Christian households are questioning such harmful Christian doctrines as original sin is a great sign of hope!
Another belief held strongly by most Christians is that all of your sins, including the non-existent "original sin", can be washed away by the blood of Jesus if you have the "faith" to believe that Jesus is God's only son and that he died on the cross for your sins. However, if you are honest and look at this belief objectively, you soon see the Christian "word of God", the Bible, is not clear at all on this belief. And this belief that people are saved from burning in Hell for eternity by faith alone is a key part of most forms of Christianity even though their Bible is not at all clear on this most important question. The fact that many teens in the Christian community are no longer accepting these unreasonable man-made Christian doctrines is yet more indication the progress is on the way!
Ms. Dean should be thankful that many Christian/Biblical teachings are pretty much ignored these days. For example, she would be out of a job if Bible teachings about women were taken seriously. Bible teachings such as 1 Corinthians 14:34-36 which instructs, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." As a member of the United Methodist clergy and a professor and author she is in direct violation of this ignorant Christian teaching.
An objective look at the entire Bible will let us know there is no way to be a "fake" Christian since there is really no set definition of what a real Christian is. As the Deist Thomas Paine wrote, "The Calvinist, who damns children of a span long to hell to burn forever for the glory of God (and this is called Christianity), and the Universalist who preaches that all shall be saved and none shall be damned (and this also is called Christianity), boast alike of their holy [revealed] religion and their Christian faith."
As Deism continues to grow and to take the wind out of the sails of the "revealed" religions, more and more young people in Christian communities will begin to realize the innate conflict between their God-given reason and the man-made teachings of Christianity and the Bible. This can only bring about more real and natural progress for the individuals and for society. The fear based superstitions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, along with all "revealed" religions, will go the way of the belief in a flat Earth. Just as we could never have traveled to and from the moon if we still believed in a flat Earth, so we cannot truly make great strides towards meaningful peace and progress without letting go of the ancient superstitions of the various "revealed" religions. Thank God that teens in "revealed" religious communities, including Christianity, are moving away from them and towards Deism!
Deism teaches the importance of God-given reason. Deists apply their reason to the designs in Nature and believe those designs presuppose a Designer. Since Deism values the exercise of God-given reason, Deists reject the claims made by the "revealed" religions of having the word of God in their particular scriptures such as the Koran, Bible, Torah, etc. To Deists, the only possible word of God is the Universe itself.
Ms. Dean is a minister of the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church is an offshoot of the Methodist Church which is itself an offshoot of the Church of England which is an offshoot of the Roman Catholic Church. As such she believes in the man-made Christian doctrine of "original sin" in which all people are born sinful. The reason Christianity and its ever increasing denominations promote the idea that all beautiful innocent babies are actually born sinful is because that false idea gives the appearance of a need for Christianity. This is illustrated by the case of the American Revolutionary hero and Deist Ethan Allen. Ethan Allen wrote his Christian clergyman cousin stating that he did not believe in original sin. His cousin wrote back saying that without original sin there is no need for Christianity. Ethan answered him by stating he agreed, there is no need for Christianity! The fact that many teens who are in Christian households are questioning such harmful Christian doctrines as original sin is a great sign of hope!
Another belief held strongly by most Christians is that all of your sins, including the non-existent "original sin", can be washed away by the blood of Jesus if you have the "faith" to believe that Jesus is God's only son and that he died on the cross for your sins. However, if you are honest and look at this belief objectively, you soon see the Christian "word of God", the Bible, is not clear at all on this belief. And this belief that people are saved from burning in Hell for eternity by faith alone is a key part of most forms of Christianity even though their Bible is not at all clear on this most important question. The fact that many teens in the Christian community are no longer accepting these unreasonable man-made Christian doctrines is yet more indication the progress is on the way!
Ms. Dean should be thankful that many Christian/Biblical teachings are pretty much ignored these days. For example, she would be out of a job if Bible teachings about women were taken seriously. Bible teachings such as 1 Corinthians 14:34-36 which instructs, "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." As a member of the United Methodist clergy and a professor and author she is in direct violation of this ignorant Christian teaching.
An objective look at the entire Bible will let us know there is no way to be a "fake" Christian since there is really no set definition of what a real Christian is. As the Deist Thomas Paine wrote, "The Calvinist, who damns children of a span long to hell to burn forever for the glory of God (and this is called Christianity), and the Universalist who preaches that all shall be saved and none shall be damned (and this also is called Christianity), boast alike of their holy [revealed] religion and their Christian faith."
As Deism continues to grow and to take the wind out of the sails of the "revealed" religions, more and more young people in Christian communities will begin to realize the innate conflict between their God-given reason and the man-made teachings of Christianity and the Bible. This can only bring about more real and natural progress for the individuals and for society. The fear based superstitions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, along with all "revealed" religions, will go the way of the belief in a flat Earth. Just as we could never have traveled to and from the moon if we still believed in a flat Earth, so we cannot truly make great strides towards meaningful peace and progress without letting go of the ancient superstitions of the various "revealed" religions. Thank God that teens in "revealed" religious communities, including Christianity, are moving away from them and towards Deism!
