Honestly - Matt

So the deal apparently is that I respond to my wife's postings either in agreement or with some kind of loving retort, so here goes. (This is my first ever blog post.)

Christianity has become too nationalistic, America is behind the rest of the world on this because of it's young age, but going back to the unfortunate reformation age each nation state created its own state form of Christianity, Lutherans from German states, Presbyterians from Scotland, Puritans (and Church of England) from England, etc. Although this is largely a generalisation I still think its a fair point to make. It was like a massive power grab for the religious support of the populace who were largely unsure of why to follow the Catholic church. Unfortunately in America it wasn't a nation or a King that created a religion, it was much worse, it was an economic system that created a Christianity that is so far removed from the real world that many of the people who used to find Catholicism so abhorrent have managed to find there way back home to the true church. Capitalism is to blame for a church that loves getting bigger and largely desires the same evidence of growth that a fortune 500 company would look for. More employees, larger real estate, more consumers (members) through the door each week. It is a sad case, so it is no wonder so many of us are disillusioned with our churches and are either leaving or are finding other ways to worship. Churches think they can stand alone as non-denominational which is completely against what the churches teach. That we are one body of believers in Christ. No church stands alone, but they seem to want to. Pastors look for target markets, making their church undesirable to certain groups in society. We church plant in suburbs whilst inner cities go without that crucial locality of a church and access to a body of people who can testify through action to the saving grace of Christ, we do this because we don't want to do life with these people. I think we also do it because Capitalism says be successful, and you can't be successful right away in an area that requires turning around with regards to their feelings towards Church, that takes too much time. What we need is a unity not more non-denominational churches. We need a general consensus, a rejection of the complex theological grids that bind us and an embracing of the acting out of the Love of Christ to our neighbors.

Or in others words, yes dear you are right.

Matthew