Evangelical Christianity: Objective Religion vs. Subjective Relationships
For centuries “evangelical Christianity,” heated by the flames of burned-over district fervor and zealously street-preaching to save the lost from the infernal flames of an eternal, has gone into the world with a number of set messages or questions:
“There is Good News!”
“Have you been saved?”
“Where will you spend your eternity?”
“Can I share with you a little something called, ‘The Romans Road?’ ”
“What do you think of Jesus?”
Branching off these themes, self-described (and self-appointed) Christian apologists have hit the ground running with a host of tactics, methods, and formulas aimed not so much at hearing and exchanging ideas but at winning. Not souls, but arguments. It almost seems that in our modern age of the Christian faith that it is much more important to be right on every point of doctrine (and to receive the applaud for having a victory) than to patiently endure unsound doctrine as a means to save some.
Objective Religion
Part of this is the result of objective religion taking over the hearts and minds of people rather than subjective relationships with God through Christ. Simply put, Objective Religion (loosely defined as religious orthodoxy, denominationalism (including the denomination of non-denominationalism), memberships, and religious demands placed upon people by “brick and mortar” religious institutions) is almost always focused on “producing and reaching their objectives” while subjective relationships are centered more so on relating with God and others according to the make-up of each individual and letting objectives take a back seat to allowing others to pace themselves with God according to their comfortability levels and not the desires of the institutions involved. We might compare the Objectives of Objective Religion to the Objectives of Subjective Relationships in the following way:
| Objective Religion | TOPIC | Subjective Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Sinners prayers Altar Calls Vetting the Experience | Spiritual Regeneration | Between the individual and God (with insights always available) |
| Modes and Methods Pre-regeneration or post To be a member By a certain person only | Water Baptism | Huh? However, whenever, whatever – but a beautiful heartfelt expression. |
| Policing for – Hierarchy of – Informing about – | SinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. | Between the individual and God |
| Calls for – Necessary for acceptance – Continual practice – | Repentance | May the Spirit guide |
| Trinity (period) Some Oneness Some Modalist Some Binity | Ontology of God | Teach all sides – let the Spirit guide. |
| Some formal – Others informal (but still formalized in terms of acceptance) | Memberships | Never. And let people attend where they want and wish WITHOUT punishment! |
| Encouraged at different levels – minimal to extremes | Activity | Do what you want. |
| Almost ubiquitously applied and used | Tithes | Forget it. Give as you are led. |
| Encouraged through a number of means | Church Attendance | Whatever. Come one week. Miss a year. Up to you. |
| (see sin) | Moral Legislation | |
| Encouragement to pressure | Service/Volunteerism | Open invitation but no pressure |
| Non-event to a major event | Dress Standards | None. |
| Non-event to a major event | Dietary Issues | None. |
| Non-event to major event | Lifestyle | None. |
| Non-event to major | Political Issues | None. |
| Typically to win rather than persuade | Apologetics | To persuade lovingly. Not to win. |
| Non-event to major event | Bible versions | Whatever. |
| Generally established and followed | “Isms” and “Ists” | None and all. |
| Almost always exclusionary; rarely truly inclusionary | Inclusion or Exclusion | Total Inclusion |
| Almost always conditional | Love | Absolutely unconditional. |
| Depends on Denomination | Church Hierarchy | None. No class of Believer. All equal in views, ideas, opinions, beliefs, and knowledge. |
The Significance of Numbers
In the end and according to the above, there is a desire in Objective Religion to gather unto itself those who will conform to its established edicts, ways, policies, and doctrines. Statistics and numbers are important. How many is often asked no matter what the subject.
The number of souls saved?
The number baptized?
The number who attended the festival?
How many attend on Sundays?
These are the quantifiers of Men and Man and their institutions because when the Spirit is working the numbers are often unknown. What is known is God was there, people were moved, lives improved, and hearts were encouraged, or softened, or opened, or healed.
