Basic HTML Version
drummer or hear a different beat. 1
just ama leader."
Said another:
" 1
don ' t have any–
thing against the church. A certain
amount of people need that kind of
life. They need to believe,
r
guess."
With experience in severa!
churches, another was openly hos–
tile.
" I
have been to chu rches
... and the guy carne down and
dragged me up front [in an altar
call].
I
told him, 'When
1
get ready,
I
can walk up on my own two feet.'
Nobody's going to drag me down.
coax me up.... lf they would leave
me alone, probably l'd go ...."
3)
The Burned-Our.
Overexposed,
even as children, or "used up" in
ehurch service- having
fi
lled every
office, handled every duty, carried
too much load- this was the story of
the too heavily involved. Now they
are tired. Or the church no longer
seems to promise help to their ca–
reers. They may keep their member–
ship. but for now they just aren't
around to be asked for their time
anymore. They plan to go back–
someday.
4)
The Cop-Outs.
" 1
couldn't be–
lieve J'd go to hell for [ignoring
church taboos/traditions)."
"Oh,
I
don't know that
1
ever lost
my interest.
I
just don't have the
time."
Akin to the
Apathetic
are the
Drifters,
who go here and go there
but never take any church seriously.
One described her curren! choice:
"Then we found this little [denomi–
national) church- we chose it for
looks, the right location and so
forth. nothing else.''
5)
The Happy Hedonists
are en–
joying the thrills of the Hesh, not
necessarily things actually morally
wrong. They are busy, happy. They
feel no guilt.
6)
The Locked-Our
include the
Rejected
("1 know poor people has a
rough time in churches. 'Cause we
have been down there. We just ain't
got clothes fitten to wear"); the
Ne–
glected
(many of the elderly, espe–
cially); and the
Discriminated
Against
("Manuel had a personal
confiict there. He is Mexican-Ameri–
can.... Certain remarks were made
by certain people. He won't go to
that church again").
The
PLAIN TRUTH August t 978
7)
The Nomads.
From illegal im–
migrants to .upper-class business
people subject to frequent transfer
by their companies, for one reason
or another sorne people are unwill–
ing or unable to find roots.
8)
The Pilgrims
bounce from
church to church to church Iooking
for the ultimate truth- and are still
searching.
The churches had better
believe that
Christians speak the
languages of mortal
men, not of angels.
And every act of the
Christian is observed,
analyzed and evaluated
by non-Christians.
9)
The Publicans.
According to
almost all the unchurched, church
people are hypocrites, phonies and
fakers. How much of this is a face–
saving device for the outsider? And
how much of it is honest misunder–
standing of how perfection is at–
tained? Misunderstanding appears
to be the main factor. "If that's a
Christian,
1
don't want to be one."
"He was one of the biggest crooks
1
ever ran into in my life." "Churches
aren't too good for people.
1
think
they are leading people astray."
1O)
The Scandalized
Is Christ di–
vided?
(I
Cor.
1:
13.) Multitudes are
turned off by the multiplicity of
Christian-professing denominations.
and the splits and schisms even
within the historie denominations.
" l f every church could get to–
gether ... instead of always knock–
ing the other one [many might
believe]."
11)
The True Unbelievers
are
made up of the
Atheistsl Agnostics
(the true evolutionists); th e
Deists/ Rationalists
who think the
universe itself is God ("If there is a
God, He is in the beauty of the
fiower, the tree, the hills, the moun-
tains." "Belief in a personal God is
just not rational"); and the
Human–
istsl Secularists
("The thing that is
most importan! to me is having faith
in and Iove for people. That, to me.
is what God is").
12)
The Uncertain.
"Legion were
those who simply said,
'1
don't know
why
l
don't go to church.
1
really
don't know.'"
lt's Not What You Say,
But What You Do
Having researched, compiled and
sifted his material. author Hale con–
eludes: "Even the most cursory sur–
vey ... is evidence that hosts of
unchurched people have been learn–
ing more 'bad news' than 'good
news' from the churches and pulpits
they have known. Sectarian versions
of the Christian message have come
across to many who are now out–
siders as overloaded with law. mor–
alism, judgment and rejection.
Many have simply never heard of a
loving God who accepts persons
while they are yet sinners."
And so clearly does this message
come across that one may be
tempted to wonder if the following
idea-a result of the belief in a stern,
harsh , unloving God and dis–
illusionment with hypocritical clergy
and members- which was repeated
by severa! people in Alabama, may
not actually be common: "You are
safer outside the church. Because
then you don't hear the Word and
what God requires of you. Then
you're ignoran! and God may be
easier ()n you. But if you go to
church, then follow the devil instead
of God , you're in real trouble!
You're going to hell. That's what
the Bible says. You better believe
it."
The churches had better believe
that Christians speak the language
of mortal men, not of angels. And
every act of the Christian is ob–
served, analyzed and evaluated by
non-Christians. Thus the outsider is
often able to say, "Look, their lives
and acts are just like our own. They
do not correspond in the Ieast to
what they are saying."
A mere excuse? In many cases,
yes. But a
real
excuse. never–
theless.
o
33