NathanTeacher.com Nathan Conkey

This day marks the arrival of the most barbaric abortion legislation to Northern Ireland since Christian times. This shift in attitudes comes as a surprise to many sincere believers, but it ought not. Our powerlessness before this proclamation, and the widespread acceptance and welcoming of this return of paganism is welcomed by many, in and out of the churches. 

Why are we failing to win on this issue? Why the ongoing cultural degradation? It is simple, yet tragic, the 'gospel' proclaimed in most churches is a gospel for the other world, with minor personal behaviour changes, in this world. The churches cannot change the culture because they have adopted the reigning religion, humanism of various shades, wholesale. The Christianity which remains is piecemeal and concerned with heaven, the four walls of what we call 'church' plus Sunday openings and what we ought not to do in the bedroom. 

Why this great change? We have said that God is not concerned with the central activity of culture, the preservation of its central values and their transference to the next generation. This, it is maintained, is a neutral matter. Cultural activity for Christ is 'dangerous' and tends towards 'works-salvation' and has Judaizing tendencies. 

I can show clearly, with reference to written statements made by public representatives of the two main Protestant denominations in N. Ireland, that, between the two periods surveyed, the 1830's and 2010's, the names have remained, but the religion has changed.  

What is the answer? Great big prayer meetings? Marching on Stormont? These can be great things, but without repentance, surely this is nothing but smoke in God's eyes. We need repentance, we need to treat God as God of the whole earth, not just a local diety of the church buildings or of heaven. We don't need special effects, smoke machines, or a re-jigging of Christianity. We need to bring back The King, not just in our churches, but also in our schools. This can never be done within the state system, which enthrones the cardinal doctrines of humanism, new institutions must be built which seek accreditation from God, not the state. 

Things are dire, but there is hope, but only with a recognition of how far we have fallen, repentance, and works in keeping with repentance. 

May God give us grace to act.



Nathan F Conkey