A Response to: "The Church has to adapt and change with the times or else it will die."

How many churches have to die before people will realize that it is not the Church's job to affirm every new social movement that comes along and to change its teachings to accommodate the feelings of those simple pewsitters who are unaware of the ramifications of messing with theology and doctrine.

Witness the steady decline of the Episcopal church which has bent over backwards to adapt with the times in regards to female ordination, caving in on divorce, gay ordination, gay marriage, and gender neutral language in worship. The charge towards the cliff has been largely led by clergy who should know better, with a generous helping hand from their uninformed congregants.

As if the example of the Episcopal church is not enough, we still hear the old "Adapt or Die" meme pop up in other denominations.

From Pirate Christian who posted the following in "Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs"

These ideas, catch phrases and concepts have infiltrated the church and have laid a false foundation. They’re a “set-up.” Because many Christians believe these things, false teachings are slipping into the church all over the place.

“Christianity has to adapt and change with the times or else it will die.”  

 This idea is just plain false; it’s a pragmatic “let’s fix it ourselves because God needs our help” way of thinking. Think about it; are your religious beliefs so shallow and frail that they can’t stand up against whatever new trend is affecting society? God’s truth is above us, distinct from us and unchanging; otherwise it’s just something we’re making up as we go. Historically, the Christian church was stronger when it went against the culture of the day. The early church began and flourished under the (sometimes very) hostile Roman Empire. But it was weakened and diluted when it became enmeshed with political and social power.   

The constant striving to make church “relevant” is usually counter-productive, and the unbelieving world often views our attempts at “marketing God” as shallow pandering. 

Striving to make the Church relevant when it is already charged with delivering the most relevant message the world has ever heard does nothing but dilute the message and as the example of the Episcopal church makes clear, adapting the Church to the times can lead to the Church becoming a purveyor of false teachings, apostasy, and heresy. Such a Church will have to answer to God for its sins.

Pirate Christian has other dirty bombs to defuse, and he adds scriptural references to drive home his points. For the "Adapt or Die" claim, he counters with,

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.” 

Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

My experience with those who would deny scriptural references in order to advance change in the Church is that they would have no problem ignoring Romans 12:2 and Galatians 1:10.

Ignore the warnings and the Church will die.