The other day, I met this young man who came up to me unexpectantly and began a conversation. As time went by, the conversation began to discuss the subject of religion. As we talked, I was reminded about my feelings about the postmodern / emergent churches and the numerous blog conversations I participated in about this phenomeon. The conversation went something like this:

Young man: Do you believe in God?

I: I believe in Jesus Christ.

Young man: Do you go to a worship center?

I: Yes I do, I attend (and gave the name of my) Church.

Young Man: I attend The Fishbone (name changed but the name was very similar without the word Church)

I: (in a questioning mode) The Fishbone??????

Young Man: Yes, I attend The Fishbone.

I: What kind of church are you? Baptist, Charismatic, non-denominational?

Young Man: We are a thriving worship center. We despise the word ‘church’ because people think of Jimmy Swaggart, big buildings, committees, etc. Church describes our father’s place of worship. We are vibrant, cutting edge, and seeker-sensitive worship center that is ’soaking’ in the Spirit. You may want to join me and attend our weekly Warrior David Men’s Group.

I: What are your core beliefs.

Young Man: I would like to invite you to visually see the God we believe and exalt our worship celebration next Sunday morning at 10 AM…. (proceeding to give me directions)

I: I’ll see if I can make it.

I politely shook his hand as I had to excuse myself from the ‘nebulous nausea’ I had just heard. I found the “watering down” in the conversation to be rampant in the name of being ’sensitive, non-offensive, tolerant, and diverse”. The church that bashed the Democrats for being politically correct have adopted the same PC concepts and made them ’spiritually correct’. This concept even starts with the name of the church for the name does not have the word ‘church’ in the name. Also, when you have questions about their church in reference to doctrine, you usually get a ‘come and find out’ question.

I have found that one gets nebulous answers to direct questions and where fundamantalists were ‘different’ in the name of ‘being seperate from the world’ and preaching common Christian core doctrines held by all, the emergent churches are being common with the world while ‘being seperate from the churches’ in the name of being ‘the cutting edge JoShUa X-TrEEme remnant generation”. The ‘difference’ implies Christian elitism when their renamed concepts are really the same stuff re-packaged in new colors.

I want the real Jesus, offensive, not watered down, powerful, and life-changing.