Comments on: Rethinking the Stumbling Block: Christian Culture as a Barrier

By: Felipa Chancey

Felipa Chancey — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:10:38 +0000

Performances may be similar, but MWR is a team on the rise while DEI appears to be going in the other direction. Look at the numbers from last year, or the year before, or the year before. You’ll see that every year MWR has gotten better while DEI has not.

By: Words on Christ & Culture | Pastor Dave Online

Words on Christ & Culture | Pastor Dave Online — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:20:14 +0000

[...] Noble has a brilliant article here, “Rethinking the Stumbling Block: Christian Culture as a [...]

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:10:14 +0000

Thanks for posting this, it was very timely! As a long time Christian from Australia – I have been rather shell shocked by the VERY prominent Christian culture in the US. Of course there was a recognisable Christian culture in Australia but nothing like what I have experienced since living here.

I’ve recently spent some considerable time evaluating my place within the American Christian culture that I find myself in and trying to deal with the alienation I felt. I have realised that it is ok to not think Fireproof was the best film of 2008, it is ok to not own a Christian slogan T-shirt, it is ok to not have the slightest inclination to vote Republican or think certain politicians are ordained by God to be in office or have a clue about contemporary Christian pop music. God loves me despite my being a bit of an outsider. And more importantly – my faith is still sincere and pleasing to God.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been challenged too to get rid of ungodly influences from secular culture in my life and seek after things worthy of praise. It’s just good to know that it’s ok for me to have my own cultural preferences without it becoming an issue of faith and salvation.

By: maureen

maureen — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:02:40 +0000

Love this post. Back in the 70′s when I became a believer it felt like I was on the conveyer belt of an assembly line. Dear Christian friends were all in line to make me look like a “Christian.” They wanted to change my clothes & fix my hair, hand me my politics, give me devotional books, smash my records & replace them with the Imperials, get me in the “right” theological camp, supply me with a stack of scary Chick tracks to hand out to my heathen friends, and make sure I read Romans first. I followed Christ in spite of the Christians I knew, not because of them. It did get better but 30-odd years later I still am not really into cutesy plaques and Testamints (yes, they really do make “Christian” breath mints).

By: David Dunham

David Dunham — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:44:07 +0000

Richard,

That is actually both hilarious and really sad.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:18:57 +0000

I’m a professional musician and
I really dislike pop music. I’m an Episcopalian (and yes I am a Christian!) and talked with a young Evangelical musician who played in a praise band. I asked whether he knew the music of Bach, his answer was that he only listened to “Christian” music.

By: Tomas

Tomas — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 19:12:06 +0000

well done. thank you!

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:15:13 +0000

Great article, Alan.

I think that this is a huge issue in the Church today. I think that the political and social climate of the past few years has incited this Christian Sub-culture. You could even point to prohibition as an early indicator of this in modern America (although this is not a new problem by any means).

I believe that cultural preferences the Church conflates with the Bible can be a stumbling block for non-christians. This is a topic that needs to be discussed by our generation.

I have many friends that are completely turned off by the “CCM generation”, and I can hardly blame them. Obviously there are those that buy into the contemporary Christian sub-culture, but just as many are repulsed by mediocre “Christian” art and/or non-Biblical “Christian” taboos.

Authentic faith can be expressed in many ways, and that’s what people need to see. It would be of great benefit for us to identify the essentials of Christianity and what are merely its cultural trappings.

By: Chris H.

Chris H. — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:47:20 +0000

Thanks to Alan Noble for clarifying. I really appreciate it.

By: Because sometimes Contemporary Christian stuff ain’t « Alice the Camel

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:54:26 +0000

[...] leave a comment » even when the new believer or nonbeliever understands that to follow Christ he or she does not need to wear a Christian tee-shirt, think Fireproof was the best film of 2008, or enjoy Christian stand-up comedians, this person could still feel alienated if he or she is lead to believe that Christian community is Christian culture. (Christ & Pop Culture) [...]

By: Tim Hahne

Tim Hahne — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:32:52 +0000

Very interesting… I’m not really that informed on what is Christian culture and what is not… kind of a lame duck of sorts, but I do realize that many so called Christian things and ways simply don’tappeal to me. I don’t let them stumble me but I must admit I’m puzzled by what is considered cool or popular… Been out of the loop to long, but that’s ok by me.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:38:18 +0000

As someone who came to know Christ later in life, I can attest that Christian culture really was a stumbling block for me to even consider the Christian faith as a valid worldview. It was only until I met believers that demonstrated their freedom to engage the culture — the world — that I lived in, that I began to seriously think about the Christian faith. I say this not with the intent to offend anyone who enjoys the Christian culture, but simply to offer evidence that sometimes it is a stumbling block.

By: AmandaBeck

AmandaBeck — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:53:36 +0000

Alan,

Good article. I agree with the idea that the Christian culture can be pointed towards another gospel, be it advertisement or family-friendliness, etc. Thanks to you and your commentators for putting these thoughts into words.

~Amanda

By: Alan Noble

Alan Noble — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:20:09 +0000

Rich combined the articles AND brought over the comments? High fives all around.

By: The Dane

The Dane — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:52:06 +0000

I do think that it may be apropos to state that the biblical language of the stumbling block doesn’t have to do with causing people to sin, but instead causing them to stumble from the path of life, to reject the life of faith for their formerly pagan ways. So a movie that causes one to (however briefly) have a lustful thought is not a stumbling block, while a believer who nullifies the worth of the gospel and the truth of the Path by saying it doesn’t matter if one indulges a steady diet of porn is himself a stumbling block. In that sense, I can see how the American Christian pop-culture could be a stumbling block to some, leading one away from faith in Christ and toward faith in a Christian culture (what we might call another gospel). I think Christian involvement and support of various political machines can behave as stumbling blocks as well. .-= The Dane´s last blog ..20090417.teaParty =-.

By: Richard Clark

Richard Clark — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:51:04 +0000

Alright, done!

By: The Dane

The Dane — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:04:06 +0000

@Rich – Thanks!

@Alan – Truth be known, I put me up to it. Which makes sense, because I am the only one with strong enough influence over me to put me up to anything. Well, maybe Michelle can. Maybe.
.-= The Dane´s last blog ..20090417.teaParty =-.

By: The Dane

The Dane — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:59:17 +0000

I’d also like to take to task the term family friendly, which wasn’t used in your article(s) Alan, but does rear its dastardly head in the comments here. It’s really kind of a strange term and definitely a misnomer. Absolutely it finds its origin in a particular kind of propaganda.

Here’s what I mean.

In the first part, family-friendly means little more than catering to the lowest common denominator in a mythological group. Family-friendly means that this is something my five-year-old can safely enjoy. And not even my five-year-old, but some fictional five-year-old who will never bear any resemblance to my five-year-old.

Nevermind my nine, eleven, and fourteen year-olds—whose minds will surely stultify or rot if inundated with family-friendly product.

In the second part, the term is obtuse in that it presumes to know what families are and what is friendly to them. What people seem to mean by the term is that the content of a particular cultural product is innocuous. But innocuous by whose standards? And for how long can an innocuous thing be innocuous before it become virulent?

Why would I as a father wish to keep family-friendly products away from my family? (Or at least administer them in small doses?) Because I believe that a better and healthier interaction with the world concerns itself with ideas that contradict one’s established parameters for thought and that one may even consider inappropriate or offensive. I believe that the cultural produce that one consumes may have an impact on those that consume such—therefore, how could I, as a responsible father, allow my family to consume only this, quote-unquote, family-friendly fare?
.-= The Dane´s last blog ..20090417.teaParty =-.

By: Alan Noble

Alan Noble — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:57:22 +0000

Just to be clear, I did not put the Dane up to that comment. ;-)

By: Richard Clark

Richard Clark — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:56:03 +0000

Fair enough, I’ll get on that as soon as I have a spare moment.