Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Caring and Community
Introdction to an article behind the pay wall @ Christianity Today:
The problem is in our souis and it belongs very much to the predominant strain of Evangelicalism that says Christianity is about personal salvation. A fact which a) creates churcxhs that are not communities and b) does not teach us to build community in other settings.
Think about it and get back to me.
church community social ills
I recently heard sociologist Robert Putnam speak at a Georgetown University event that gathered people of faith and no faith to discuss the common good. In his speech, he complained about America's "radically shriveled sense of we." The author of "Bowling Alone," the famous 1995 essay on the decline of social capital—our connection to each other through activities and institutions—Putnam converted to Judaism in part because of its strong sense of community.HOGWASH! NONESENSE! This problem is real, but not political, nor is it economic.
[...]
Putnam was talking about inequality, which, he said, causes problems that need both conservative and liberal solutions. Liberals, he said, must learn to appreciate the conservative stress on family structures and the potential of faith communities. Solutions "have to involve churches," he said in a 2012 speech.
Further, he said, "I happen to think that hugs and time are more important than money." But, he went on, "money is important, too," and that means conservatives are going to have to recognize the need for government action in everything from tax structure ...
The problem is in our souis and it belongs very much to the predominant strain of Evangelicalism that says Christianity is about personal salvation. A fact which a) creates churcxhs that are not communities and b) does not teach us to build community in other settings.
Think about it and get back to me.
church community social ills
