The fruits of Neo-Protestantism are visibly bearing fruit in the United States. The widespread disbelief in the truthfulness of the Bible allows any story to be accepted as Christianity as long as the label “Jesus” is attached to it. A study reveals why “national Christianity” can enjoy such widespread appeal.
The fruits of Neo-Protestantism
“Neo-Protestantism” did a great job here. In the fluid transition from the “Age of Reason,” which produced so-called great minds such as Immanuel Kant, Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), Paul Henri Thiry d’Holbach, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Johann Gottlieb Fichte, the new Protestantism emerged at the beginning of the 19th century. The basic idea was that the Bible, too, had to be viewed with “reason” in the future. That means historically and critically, and above all, questioning whether everything could be done properly.
Semler – The Initiator
Johann Salomo Semler (1725–1791), a Protestant theologian and the main founder of the new discipline of “Enlightenment Theology,” intensively engaged with the “critical examination” of the Gospel. He was at the center of the movement of reason and enlightenment, which ultimately culminated in the French Revolution (1789–1799). His conclusion about the Bible was that the canon did not simply “fall from heaven,” but was based on the ideas of ancient authors. According to his personal insights, the writings were by no means inspired and, moreover, riddled with contradictions and errors.
This also opened up a whole new field of research, including newly created professorships at universities. Just as in the “postmodern era,” gender theory produced brand-new professors with a wealth of expertise on a newly created fiction. Ultimately, future generations must be enlightened in educational institutions.
Adapted Bibles
Such results produced figures such as Eberhard Nestle (1851-1913), Nathan Söderblom (1866-1931), and Kurt Aland (1915-1994). Nestle, the inventor of the “Novum Testamentum Graece,” which was intended to replace the majority text “Textus Receptus” as the basis for Bible societies, succeeded (sadly), as modern Bible editions are based on the original text compiled by Nestle and maintained by Aland from isolated finds, predominantly in the Alexandria region (Info).
Conditioning for ecumenism
Söderblom, a so-called religious scholar from Stockholm, Sweden, organized a major event in 1925 with some 600 representatives of Lutheran-Evangelical churches from 37 countries. The new scientific findings ultimately had to be communicated to the other distribution centers. Unity, especially a unified opinion about Scripture, is ultimately a prerequisite for returning daughters to stand united in repentance against the Mother of all churches, the Roman Catholic Church.
Doubt about the truthfulness of the Bible, especially the fact that it is the word inspired by God (through the Holy Spirit), has long since become the norm. It was simply “old, white patriarchs” who put their personal, convoluted worldview on paper. The Bible contains the word of God here and there, but on the whole, it is simply an ancient novella.
Without faith, open to everything
Where doubt and disbelief reign, and the originally immutable standard suddenly becomes merely one of numerous life coaches, a great deal of space has been created for innovation. Then it doesn’t matter at all to sprinkle in a bit of esotericism, integrate bits of Buddhism, and color the “theology” with the characters of Hindu “deities.” The main thing is that it feels good. Thus, spiritualism, which includes even the “simple” belief in the immortality of the soul, has become the unquestionable standard. An El Dorado for the true teachings of the parent organization with its headquarters in Rome.
A survey reveals (widely)
The results are clearly evident today among those who call themselves evangelical, Lutheran, or Protestant believers. Around half of all US evangelical Christians believe that the Bible is not the exclusive word of God. They view the Bible as a collection of “mystical stories” that should not be taken literally.
The following is just an excerpt from the topics surveyed in the Lifeway Research study. (Source – pdf):
Bible truth or mysticism?
“The Bible, like all holy scriptures, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths, but it is not literally true,” according to one statement. Forty-eight percent of Americans surveyed “somewhat” or “strongly” agreed with this statement. “Somewhat” or “strongly” was the answer of 43 percent of respondents.
Correct teachings?
When it comes to assessing the teachings of the Bible, 31 percent of respondents believe they are completely correct. In contrast, 28 percent believe this is not true at all, and 16 percent say “rather not.”
Is God infallible?
God is flawless and perfect, another key phrase. Fifty-three percent completely agree with this statement, 13 percent are hesitant, 17 percent completely disagree, and 9 percent only agree with reservations.
Was Jesus only human or also God?
A very relevant statement for ecumenism is the nature of Jesus Christ. The statement “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God” was open for evaluation. 48 percent of Americans agree with this. 40 percent strongly disagree or tend to disagree with this statement.
Bible as authority?
Forty-four percent of respondents agree that the Bible has full authority to dictate how people should live their lives. In contrast, 28 percent completely reject this statement.
The rotten fruit rises
Given these circumstances, is it any wonder that people, even those who call themselves Christians, can be told a version of “Alice in Wonderland” as gospel, and receive enthusiastic applause? This is precisely what is currently happening in the USA. The “national Christianity” that has now become part of the political agenda in the States can only gain traction because people either have no idea what the Bible actually says or because they consider the Bible to be a work of “mystical tales.”
The memorial service for Charlie Kirk, now declared a “Christian cult figure,” was very insightful in this regard, especially regarding biblical prophecy (Info).
But the Bible is just a fairy tale. Simply wrap the normative patriotism instilled from childhood in paper decorated with many crosses, slap the label “Jesus” on it, and at least half of the evangelicals will stand shoulder to shoulder to begin the fight against their declared enemies.
What doesn’t seem appropriate in the Bible is simply made to fit, because the view of partially inspired passages allows for an extremely high degree of flexibility depending on the situation. “This is a human idea and that is from the Holy Spirit,” because it just fits too well.
Most people don’t know what they are doing
Most of the frenetically cheering followers of the words proclaimed from political pulpits, due to their excessive evangelical veneer, fail to realize that they are actually singing the hymn dictated from Rome. The hymn that will cause the “Beast from the Earth” to impose the mark of the “Beast from the Sea” on men and women (Info).
Completely drunk on the wine of Babylon and totally blind to the truth.
Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:1-2
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)
