Among the many blogs I try to read are various Christian blogs that discuss relevant issues, tackle tough questions or simply challenge me to love God more. One such blog had a very interesting post that I wanted to share. It’s about a book called UnChristian where the authors tell us that Christianity has an “image problem.” Dusman makes some very good points about how we do have an image problem of sorts, just not the one the authors talk about.
You feel like a “product” because that is what you are to the market-driven “churches”. You are an opportunity for them to expand their market base. These religious institutions are merely the result of a “man-centered” approach to religion, a corporation-like mentality that desires to expand the sheer numbers of people in the congregation by attracting “seekers” through offering certain “products” that can increase the market-share of the religious institution. You might also feel like a product of evangelism in many other churches because of the false gospel of “decisionism”, a pragmatic approach to religion which teaches that people become Christians if they are emotionally manipulated into making a “decision” for Christ during an altar call, or through some other unbiblical means.