My friend, a retired Lutheran pastor, confessed in a sermon that he was a believer on Sunday, but by Thursday nearly an atheist. Yes, he was overstating the case — maybe. But he was also telling it like it is. Our society, which for generations offered at least tacit support and even approval of faith — and particularly Protestant Christian faith — has now withdrawn it. No, we are not being persecuted. There is no “war on Christmas.” Nevertheless, the general public finds itself somewhere between indifference and suspicion when it comes to faith of any kind, including Christianity. Members of churches are not exempt, either. Reasons for this are many, including recoiling from aggressive and triumphalist forms of fundamentalism (Christian and otherwise); headline stories about clergy sexual abuse; distrust of institutions; and widespread misconceptions of who we are and what we are about. The elephant in the room is this: Our culture challenges faith every day, sometimes directly, … [Read more...]