Antagonism Or Indifference
Frequently we are confronted with the question of why we do not convert more people than we do, generally speaking. And even more often, the minds and hearts of the zealous among us are perplexed by this most disappointing and disconcerting fact.
Since it is but natural to come up with some sort of answer to our perplexities, many and varied reasons have been assigned for this failure, most of which, according to the analysis of the situation this writer has made, are but poor substitutes for the right answer.
It is not my purpose to name and to dispose of the fallacies involved in the thinking of those who have assigned what, to me, are erroneous reasons for this disappointing experience, but rather to point out a general condition which is, to a greater degree than anything else responsible for it, and then to name another factor which I think is basic as a consideration.
During the last ten years we have seen churches established in many foreign countries. All the churches of our homeland have been flooded with reports of the successes and failures, hardships and persecutions these efforts have encountered, and it is generally agreed among brethren in this country, based upon these reports, that it is much more difficult to succeed in turning people to Christ, establishing and numerically increasing the churches among the people over there, than it is in this country. Hence, many and fervent are the prayers that ascend for those, "who are preaching the gospel in hard and difficult places," meaning our preachers abroad.
Now, I join fervently in praying for the success of the gospel anywhere it is preached, and I understand why the brethren phrase their prayers as they do with reference to the preaching of the gospel in fields abroad; yet I am not sure that I agree that fields abroad are any more difficult, in the sense of reaching people with the truth and converting them, than they are right here in our own land. It is admitted that the persecutions suffered over here and the loneliness of being separated from loved ones and friends are great burdens to be borne, but that they make the field any more difficult and less fruitful is indeed, another matter. And as for the persecutions, these have always, as Paul puts it in his letter to the Philippians, "Fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel."
It is just here that I think we make our most general and most serious mistake; a mistake which has fathered a whole flock of evils which infest the churches in this country and which constitute the real reason for the development of the condition which has resulted in our failure to convert as many people from the denominational world as we formerly did.
It is so easy to conclude that opposition and persecution are the greatest hindrances encountered in the spreading of the gospel, but the testimony of history and experience is to the contrary. The most hindering obstacle ever encountered in any land, in my judgment, is the chilling, irresponsive, impossible obstacle of plain indifference which is so prevalent in the popular mind in this country today. If an enemy will stop and fight there is the possibility of triumph, but so long as he ignores, refuses, and turns away in indifference or disdain, what can you do?
I am not saying that the popular mind in this country is wholly, or even predominantly, indifferent to religion; quite the contrary. Statistics show that there has never been a time when organized religion, as it is represented by denominational churches, carried so many names on their membership rosters or enjoyed a larger attendance at all their services. But it is also true, that there has never been a time since the days of the Reformation and the establishment of these churches, when doctrinal differences among them have been so minimized and pushed into the background as now. This is true to the extent that, in the minds of their constituency in general, these differences simply do not exist.
What has been called "doctrinal preaching" has, among denominational churches, been supplanted completely with the preaching of a "Social Gospel," a spiritualized fraternalism known as "The Brotherhood of Man", and a thorough saturation of the whole with the idea that has been summed up in the universally accepted platitude that, "it makes no difference what one believes just so he is honest and keeps a clear conscience."
Southern Baptists, meaning principally Texas Baptists, constitute the only exception to this generally accepted concept worthy of mention, and theirs is only a vocal objection which they, at once, invalidate and compromise by immediately recognizing all others as heirs with them of eternal salvation.
Denominationalism, as it represents organized religion in the world today, is then, a religious system based actually, upon mere tradition. And it is perpetuated by bias, prejudice, and expediential preference.
The average individual making up the membership of the popular denominations of this country really has no convictions concerning what the scriptures teach. He does not know of himself, from any study he himself has made of the question, whether the Bible was written by George Washington, Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare, or some other; he could not correctly quote three passages from the Bible to save his life, much less to give the references where these passages could be read in the Book. And that the Bible contains upon its pages a definitive body of divine truth which it is possible for man to know and to understand, and about which he must therefore, hold definite and positive convictions in order to be saved is to him simply preposterous! And anyone who tries to tell him that such is true is to him, an oddity, a misguided enthusiast or a dogmatist, is to be pitied, ignored and avoided; and with such a person or with such an idea he is not at all concerned.
This state of mind is not only quite universal, it is almost impenetrable, and it has very well destroyed all interest in any feature of religion save its social and fraternal features, and these, by the denominations, have been so emphasized and increased as to make up the principal part of their concern and their functioning.
I have said all this to say that, as for me, I would much rather meet the active opposition, persecution, the innuendoes, rocks and spit of Italian Catholicism, and feel that I had a much better chance to succeed in turning some to Christ, than in trying to break through this wall of denominational indifference to the truth which has captured the popular mind in this country. I believe just this much in the power of truth over error; but when the forces of error refuse to fight, choose rather to stifle you with indifference, disdain, or both, as the sects of Christendom in this country do, what chance have you? How can you whip a man who won't fight?
And this brings me to that other matter which, as I said at the beginning, in my opinion, is basic to the problem, and vitally complicates its early and effective solution. It is the overflow of this ignorance, indifference, and pacifism into the very church of the Lord, and which has effectively snuffed out every vestige of militancy and aggression, in the membership and from the pulpits, of many of the churches of Christ. No attack is being made on anybody or anything nor would it be permitted; nothing must be allowed to upset the equilibrium, dignity, and composure of the status quo! Such would be unbecoming and unethical; moreover, we have outgrown the negative, antagonistic, traditional preaching characteristic of past generations! Let us have a positive approach to our problems!
How long it will take for those churches and us preachers who do not share this attitude nor proceed along these lines, to overcome this condition, is a question which it is not easy to answer. However, the solution to the problem is found only in that unfailing prescription which contains infallibly correct solution for all the spiritual and moral problems confronting the Lord's church in this or any other age, i.e. the continued plain, unequivocal, uncompromising preaching and teaching of divine revelation, exposing error and inculcating truth, upon every occasion that presents itself. The gospel is still, "The power of God unto salvation," and will in God's own time bring about the results he designed it to achieve.
Meantime, for the reasons here set out, I think there is no place on the face of the earth today which is a more difficult field in which successfully to preach the gospel, than the land we call America.