The Poison of Humanism

I recently took in a temp job doing some accounts receivable work in New York City and work with a room full of people between 23 and 40.

All claim to be Christians, except for one agnostic. The agnostic guy has head on the straightest.

The others spew nothing but liberal, new age and prosperity gospel leanings. Any verses used are morphed drastically out of context. I hear things like:

"Well, Jesus can't be the only way, what about people in Africa who've never heard of him?"

"God wants you to succeed and be wealthy. He created us just below Him; just below God!"

"What is absolute truth? Christianity is all about what you can get from it."

"The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He'll never force Himself on anyone!"

"It's not a religion; it's a relationship!"

As respectfully as I do it, they get really testy when challenged. I can't help but throw in earbuds and listen to RefNet.

Anyone deal with these heresies daily?

Just a question from ignorance here but is it wrong to think of the Holy Spirit as "gentlemanly" for lack of a better term. Is not the Holy Spirit peaceable in our dealings with us,

johnny said:

Just a question from ignorance here but is it wrong to think of the Holy Spirit as "gentlemanly" for lack of a better term. Is not the Holy Spirit peaceable in our dealings with us,

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Indeed the Holy Spirit is gracious, however the expression "the Holy Spirit is a gentleman" is an Arminian construct intended to refute irresistible grace.

"Dealing" with what you are experiencing is no small task. As I age I am realizing patience and long suffering toward such will be a life long task, but be ready when Our Lord opens a door for you to give a reason for The Hope that lies within you. Our job, as laymen, is not to preach but to show forth what we are....Christians who love God first and all men.

I am speaking from experience in that I understand how you feel for those who ears are closed to Jesus, and they will not only experience Him in mercy but shall experience Him in hell if they do not trust in Him.

BTW yes I do indeed hear and deal (in the appropriate time) every day the horrible heresies daily.

The big problem is not when those who are unsaved think those things, its when the church promotes heresys such as word of faith, dominion, latter day rain stuff in their ranks!

Disclaimer: There are no silver-bullet answers. If humanism is a cancer, you won't get rid of it by giving it a shot. What I've found is that in 90% of the cases, most of these people have no idea what any of those platitudes mean. Ask them questions.

Daniel M. said:

I recently took in a temp job doing some accounts receivable work in New York City and work with a room full of people between 23 and 40.

All claim to be Christians, except for one agnostic. The agnostic guy has head on the straightest.

The others spew nothing but liberal, new age and prosperity gospel leanings. Any verses used are morphed drastically out of context. I hear things like:

"Well, Jesus can't be the only way, what about people in Africa who've never heard of him?"

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Why are those two claims logically incompatible? Our position might seem "mean" but that doesn't mean it is wrong.

"God wants you to succeed and be wealthy. He created us just below Him; just below God!"

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Says who?

"What is absolute truth? Christianity is all about what you can get from it."

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Ask them if that is a true statement.

"The Holy Spirit is a gentleman; He'll never force Himself on anyone!"

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How do you know he is a gentleman? And what do you mean by "force?" How does an immaterial spirit "force" a material person? We say he enlightens our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renews our wills and persuades us to embrace Jesus. That's not "forcing" language.

"It's not a religion; it's a relationship!"

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I've had a lot of bad relationships in my life, so we need something more than that.

This is the best book on the subject.
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-Go...8-1&keywords=love+your+god+with+all+your+mind

Many people have bought into the health and wealth Gospel message promoted throughout our culture, so they would indeed see God as almost like our genie, whose main goal would be to make sure we get what we wnat when we want it!

What our Brother is encountering at work is a byproduct of much of USA Christianity adopting non biblical viewpoints regarding Christianity.