Syncretism

This was a paper I wrote to give as a talk in my Sunday School. It deals with the very current issue of syncretism in the family, church, and nation. I hope that it will give you food for thought this week. . .

Has anyone ever heard the word “Syncretism” before? I hadn’t either until a couple of months ago. But once I dug a little and found out not only the meaning of the word, but how it was affecting my life, it changed my ways of thinking. A LOT!

The definition of “Syncretism” is “the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.” In other words, it means attempting to join two ideas which are actually quite opposite. As our family began to study this issue more, we noticed syncretism in three main spheres: the nation, the church, and the family. Here are a few observations:

The Nation

One fine example of syncretism lies in America’s government. As we study our Constitution, we can see that our country was founded on principles straight from the Bible. There were also moral and ethical understandings in place as part of the more Biblical culture of that time. But our government has strayed farther and farther from Biblical principles, to the point where I don’t believe we will be called a Christian nation for much longer. There are many examples of syncretism in our laws and judiciary system, but for the sake of time, I will only enumerate a few.

1.    The Welfare Society. Second Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’" I do not want to sound unkind or accusatory to those who do accept government funds, because I know many people who do, but according to scripture, those who do not work simply do not eat. That may sound harsh, especially since there are many people who completely rely on government funds to sustain themselves. But a better way is found in the Old Testament, where we see that the Lord provides care for the widows and orphans (Deuteronomy 10:18). James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” The church and the family should be the ones providing for those who need it, and the government should not be paying people for not working, according to the Biblical standard. First Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Unfortunately because of the way the church and the nation has compromised with respect to Biblical law, many suffer for other’s folly.

2.    Encouraging Immorality. Colossians 3:5 says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” How many government figures come to mind when I read off this list? Probably quite a few. Human nature is very sinful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9.) But it isn’t Biblical to encourage people’s sin nature! The government does exactly that when it encourages vocally and offers funds to homosexual movements, pays for abortions, and makes living out of wedlock more economical than marriage.

The Church

Sad to say, the church has compromised a great deal in the past century. The more my family and I study this out, the more we realize how anti-Biblical many modern church practices are. Here are a couple of examples:

1.    Worship of Man. One of the ways we believe the church is compromising is in “worshipping” other successful church leaders, and trying to emulate them, rather than looking to the Holy word of God as our perfect example. Romans 1:25 says, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” Humans are fallible, and we should look only to the word of God for principles to live by.

2.    The Teaching of False Doctrine. Sadly, many churches and pastors teach false doctrines that are completely anti-Biblical. I am shocked and saddened every day to hear about yet another church or pastor who has recanted basic Biblical teachings. Just this past month, a pastor of a mega-church in Michigan, Rob Bell, denied the existence of Hell in his newest book, “Love Wins.” On Evolution Sunday, 600 pastors preached evolution from their pulpits. It doesn’t get more heretical than this. Second Peter 2:1-3 sums this up very well: “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” Churches need to realize how dangerous it is to allow even a little compromise in, because once we step off the pinnacle, it’s all downhill.

The Family

I believe many-if not all-of the aforementioned examples of syncretism began in the family.

1.    Children do not respect parents. As teenagers, we are expected and even encouraged by our culture to rebel against authority. This is very detrimental to us, because we are not wise, but our parents are. Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

2.    We do not study and obey Scripture alone. This is SO IMPORTANT, yet so many professing Christians neglect studying the scriptures for themselves. How can we obey the law if we do not know it? I have witnessed much compromise in Christian teens, who do not read their Bibles simply because they DON’T desire to know the laws they are called to obey as Christians. Hebrews 10:26-27 says, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” And John 14:15 says, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

Eventually, I hope to share about a theological system of beliefs called “The Five Solas.” This simple doctrine emerged during the Protestant Reformation period (1500-1600’s) and I believe, holds much value for the Christian today. The five solas are Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solo Christo, and Soli Deo Gloria (Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, Christ Alone, and To God Alone be the Glory.) I hope that as we dive deeper into these simple truths, they will serve as an urgent call to a serious faith, and help move us away from the trend of syncretism. In order for another reformation to occur in the family, church, and nation, we need to understand the simple Biblical doctrines that fueled the Reformation of old.