Any Ideas?

Every Thursday I meet with a batch of guys [a.k.a. my Havurah brethren] over at the Yard House for a little time of Biblical inquiry.

We got into a discussion with our server about study and school. She made the comment that she had recently read a book entitled, Lies My History Teacher Told Me. It's a book that addresses commonly held myths about American history.

This got us thinking...

What about a book entitled Lies My Pastor Told Me or perhaps Lies My Church Told Me? It could deal with commonly held myths we pass along as supposedly "Biblical". I think we're on to something here...

I wonder what such a book might include? Hhmmm.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Derek Frenzel]

Being a former history major, the concept of historiography fascinates me. It's really chic in history departments to look at the past with "new and improved" eyes. The only problem is that for many of the HM's I encountered, it was a platform for being bitter; a reaffirmation that the government, their teachers, parents, and whoever else are somehow propaganda agents, spinning the American Dream.
In my experience, the more educated one becomes, the more amplified the state of their heart. For the bitter person, more knowledge leads to more bitterness. For the person who is humble, more humbled... etc. Consider the difference between a secular professor and a pastor in their education. For some of us Christians a book like "Lies My Pastor Told Me" would be a breath of fresh air; others not. I'm more concerned for the non-believers who would pick up this book and be filled with even more of a distrust for Christianity. So, should we perpetuate things that are common myths about Christianity to keep the masses in order? (I just realized the Catholic irony in that statement) In the words of Paul, Certainly Not! I just wonder if perhaps a better title would be "Truth My Savior Told Me." I know...cheesy! But maybe it's all in the approach.

[Derek Frenzel]

BTW, Mike, I found Pete Townsend's blog the other night. Seriously, from The Who. You should check it out.

http://boywhoheardmusic.blogspot.com/

[Lars Rood]

Mike I agree with Derek- I think that this is a good conversation for some of us to have over a beer but I don't think its a book that would help the church. Sounds like a bitter vomit. :)

[Clint Walker]

I dont know..still think you are on to something...I think you need to relate it to "they love Jesus but not the church" type of an idea.

I think approaching it with more personal responsibility, such as lies I taught and believed in church until I knew Jesus better.

I think the equality of women would be a chapter.

So would the whole almost chosen nation mentality of Americans, and the myth that the nation was founded to be "Christian"

If I were writing it I would call it "repacking my suitcase." With the idea that we often at home and at churches have our suitcases packed for us when we are less mature, but there comes a time when we must unpack the baggage we have been given and repack it for ourselves.

[Eric Wakeling]

I think it could possibly help the church by forcing people to be honest and real and stop living with lies or make-believe "truths."

Section 1 - "Sins" that aren't in the Bible
Section 2 - Things that used to be "bad" but aren't anymore - drums, dancing, etc.
Section 3 - How Do I Get to Heaven section
Section 4 - Pleasing God section
Section 5 - What is spiritual and not spiritual section

I don't know. What else??

[Mike DeVries]

Hey Guys! Thanks for the comments and the ideas. Before you guys think this is just another bitter church post, I wanted to clarify that the post was meant to be taken tongue in the cheek. We were joking around about the things that we've heard in church all our lives as "gospel" truth [funny how we use that term] and then come to realize that it's more a theological "myth". It sounded nice from the pulpit, but in actuality... it was far from the truth.

So I was looking more for ideas and insight along those lines, like who came up with the thought that rock n' roll is a tool of Satan, as if the 4/4 beat was somehow connected to ancient pagan worship of some deity... therefore by listening to anythign that might sound like rock music, you're actually worshipping some obscure deity... yeah, right. [By the way, love the "drums" suggestion, Wake.]

So... just a quick clarification.

Peace.

[Stephen Baker]

How could you!!?? Blasphemer!!!! OK I'm kidding.....like the idea. The older I am getting the more and more I uncover that is just not truth even though it was sold that way. Sometimes it feels like the whole foundation of "Christianity" is sand and is sliding out from underneath my house of cards. It's good to question what society would like to feed the masses. And really - lets not be just another target to market. So yeah I say question everything. All of it. Hold it against what we know to be truth.

[Derek Frenzel]

I know you're not bitter Mike...hope I didn't come off that way. I too have "Yardhouse" discussions with my friends with similiar book titles in mind. I think the ultimate end goal all around is that people would encounter the "real" Jesus, not the buddy Christ (Dogma).

[Jered]

Addendum to Eric's breakdown:

Section 6 - "The Age of Accountability"
Section 7 - You Can't Tithe Less or More than 10%
Section 8 - Piercings and Tattoos

This one's bound to ruffle some feathers:

Section 9 - The Trinity

[Benjy]

Oh, I want in! What about backmasking, taking the creation account in Genesis as literal 24 hour days, that the fruit in the garden was an apple, or.....that hell is separation from God! Great post Mike.

[Zach]

there could be a "why most christians are power hungry control freaks" chapter. or if that's too wordy, we could always just call it "why most christians are purpose driven"

[Mike DeVries]

I was thinking about something along the line of how we've forgotten that the term "Christian" is actually a noun... not an adjective that we apply to something to make it "safe" for consumption [I'm thinking of... say... "Christian" music, "Christian" bookstore, "Christian" coffee, "Christian" breathmints, etc...]