The Dumbing Down of the Church

By: M.E. Townsend

In the early 1900’s, Germans were taught the Bible could not be trusted, but human reasoning could. Higher Criticism, rationalization, liberal philosophy filled the hearts and minds of the German populace paving the way for Hitler and the Holocaust – man’s inhumanity to man.

Dr. David Breese explains how this was possible:

“The initial effect of German rationalization upon a Christian culture was on the schools, churches, and scholarship of Europe…Even so, religion still continued in Europe. There were still large churches, burning candles, beautiful choirs, lovely stained glass windows, congregations…all of that was still there…The Bible was only empty pages written by men who were now dead, rather than revelation of the living God. European Christianity was destroyed from within while still possessing the external form by which it had been known for centuries…the leaders quoted everything but the Bible and preached everything but the gospel, and reality was gone…It was because of religious liberalize that Europe lost its soul.”

As we see the dumbing down of the church in America we cannot help but see a parallel emerge.

The church in America has exchanged Divine morality for moral relativism, and secular humanism, allowing pansies in the pulpit while politically correct congregants sit as paupers in the pews. “Christians” have become willing participants of complacency and passivity instead of warring powerhouses of truth with a Holy boldness of intolerance to compromise and accommodate.

“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation, Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”
Luke 6:24-25

Just as in Germany immediately preceding Hitler’ reign, the German people allowed false teaching to impact German culture. In order to regain national pride, financial abundance and stability they resolved to go along with the message and the means proposed by Hitler.

The masses followed blindly -

“For certain men have crept in unnoticed…ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only LORD God and our LORD Jesus the Christ.” Jude 4

- while the remnant stood strong.

Albert Einstein exiled from Germany for being Jewish noted:

“Being a lover of freedom, when the Nazi revolution came I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of the devotion to the cause of truth; but no, the universities were immediately silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers, whose flaming editorials in the days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks. Only the church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration for it because the church alone had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual and moral freedom. I am forced to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly.”

“But I say, did Israel not know. First Moses says: I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will anger you be a foolish nation.” Romans 10:19

Stand strong child of God. Provoke to jealousy those who do not know our LORD.

“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong…” I Corinthians 16:13

This can be our finest hour church – be brave, stand strong!

[Thanks to Brannon Howse for the wealth of information and superb research found in his WorldView Weekend Digest which led to the writing of this article. To God be the glory.!!..]