"Bible Teaching and Religious Practices"

In this essay, the main point that stood out to me in class the most was the line when Twain says that the patient creates the change instead of the physician, implying that God is not in control. In our society today, I have seen this many different times. In Twain's time and earlier, people were becoming tired of pastors and priest always preaching "hell, fire and damnation." Although many were preaching this, the people began to dislike this version of the Bible. Because of this, the priests, in a sense, had to cater to the customer. The "customers," or church goers, began to desire to hear more about God's love for us instead of the consequences of our sin, being hell. The essay also discusses how people tend to take a concept of the Bible out of context. I have seen this many times. I have a friend who literally crosses things that she does not like out of the Bible. In today's society, it seems as though people desire to hear only the good news. Churches (not all, but a lot) tend to water down the Gospel simply to cater to people's needs, and allow them hear what they want to hear. Radically living for Christ seems to be on the back burner, and "American Christianity" tends to be at the forefront. When Jesus says, "how hard is it for a rich person to get to Heaven," many of us (including myself), struggle to believe that we fall into this category. However, the more and more money becomes an issue in my life and others, I am beginning to believe it. If Jesus came to me like He did the rich young ruler and told me to sell everything and follow Him, I know for a fact that I would struggle immensely to do so. But living for Christ is not the easy thing to do. I personally pray for churches and the struggle to water down the Gospel simply to give people what they want to hear. It can be the easy thing to do, however, I do not think that is what Jesus would do. He came to bring a message of hope and Grace yes, but He also desires us to follow Him, leaving everything in our old lives behind. This is not an easy thing to do, and I am so thankful for Grace, because I have no idea where I would be without it. Instead of complaining about the church (which is easy for me to do personally), people who follow Jesus should simply be the Church that He has called us to be. I just find that Twain's struggle with the church seems to be a struggle still existent today among many Christians.