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We are in the season of hearing "Fear Not" from our scripture passages. Charles Matthews, a UVA professor, was published with this thoughtful analysis in the Washington Post. Please ignore the source, but read what he has to say.

It's right on target.

I have tried three times today, on three different websites, to read this article. I get the same message over and over, to read it, I have to subscribe to the Washington Post. I gave up.

John

Ignore the source? Matthews is credible, and so is the Post.

I made it through four or so paragraphs and am still laughing...straight from the Maddow/MSNBC/Matthews playbook. The poor guy should do as others have done concerning the election last year, take a bottle of aspirin per week, a tranquilizer at night and/or see a shrink who's not already seeing a shrink.

If you had any doubts about the veracity of the Matthews piece, Jim's comments should erase all doubt and confirm it for you. If that's Jim's reaction, then the guy nailed it.

I also read it on FB and thought it was perceptive, and spot on in many places.

I wrote a lot but then realized it was a waste of time (for me).

My take on article -

Lame --- Ignorant --- Made his point, though his point is biased and simply stupid - says one who is an educated white male.

Cheap shot filled hit piece. Not a lot of thinking required. Should appeal to the mindless religious left.

I thought what he had to say about the "nones" being driven to be "none" by Christians own fear of losing to secularism as being quite perceptive. It fits scholarly works I've read about the topic, including "Tribal Church" by Carol Howard Merritt, a well known author and pastor in the PCUSA.

Neil, if it is on the WAPO site, which wants a subscription, how do you "read it on FB"?

I'm a WAPO subscriber, so I do know.

I find it interesting when some write about evangelical Christians’ fears of losing control of the culture (which they have already lost) but are loathe to mention that many Christians have changed gears to embrace the new dominant culture. I guess that is a "good" cultural problem since that agrees with what they want.

Marsh is a UVA colleague of Matthews at UVA. I imagine they know each other through the Lived Theology project.

It would do wonders for this chat if I were not the only revenant on this board to give careful consideration to Marsh on Bonhoeffer and the politics of stupidity and his letter of NY Eve 1942 facing 43

Definition of evangelical (M-W, 11th edition, [adjective]): “emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual.” [Noun]: “one holding evangelical principles or belonging to an evangelical party or church.” This explains why the Mainstream Denominations are radically declining. They have substituted political correctness for spirit-inspired living (that is, that anything goes if it feels good and doesn't kill somebody). The main-streamers, by foreclosing evangelism as key, have spit in the face of Christ vis-a-vis virtually his last words on earth before ascending. The Episcopal Church lost 17% of its members between 2011 and 2015. The main-streamers are dying on the vine, headed for demise by their own collective hand as they replace the sacred with the secular.