THE ALL TIME RELIGION

MTD or “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” is a postmodern view of God that seems to currently dominate the religious views of many, if not most, church going Americans today.

When MTD is clearly defined, we better understand the rise in the “feel good – watered down” religion of our day which has brought with it a radical reduction of Christian evangelism and clear moral convictions within Christian circles.

While the cults and pagan/secular religions continue to undermine our nation’s Judeo-Christian foundations and attack America’s Christian heritage, Christian are, for the most part, remaining silent and increasingly fearful to stand in the academic or public arenas to defend their historic biblical beliefs. By their guilty silence they are telling lost souls to just “go to hell” rather than making themselves uncomfortable in contending for the faith delivered to them by the Scriptures. Jude 1

The five tenets of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism are:

(1) A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.

(2) God wants people to be good, nice, fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

(3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

(4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.

(5) All good people go to heaven when they die.

Now, do you see that reflected in churches near you or by preachers and religious teachers on television or in local pulpits? SURE YOU DO!

Dr. D.A. Carson wrote:
“In other words:  God exists, but only to make us happy and nice, which is the aim of existence.  Otherwise God minds his own business.  That’s how I read the Bible, and who are you to say something different?

By contrast, the truth of the Bible, focuses on our rebellion and need as God sees them, and on God as the ruler, sovereign, judge, and gracious Savior who alone can rescue us from our sin and reconcile us to himself.”

Some poor soul thinking that he or she has a new and better faith than that of the Bible might ask in a condescending way, “Isn’t that what Christians believed before they were enlightened, isn’t it the “Old Time Religion?” No my friend, it is the “All Time Religion.”

Devotedly,

Dr. Richard Lee