I know you missed my philosophical musings while I was away

So. . .

Here’s is an interesting inquiry into church membership in the evangelical community.

Basically, it covers the idea of regulating membership in evangelical churches, which brings me to a point I've pondered previously.

In my personal opinion, anyone can call themselves a Christian without fear of reproach, because there really is no set definition of what that means. Now, I for one am supportive of this idea, however, I can understand why particular churches might not be. Like in the Catholic Church and the Jewish synagogue, there are strict processes which you must undergo to become part of the community; they, in that sense, stress the community specifically and not that of the individual. There is a set of guidelines by which you are Catholic or Jewish.

This has been my problem with modern evangelical Protestantism in general, because it kind of seems to defeat all practical and useful purposes of organized religion, and maybe that’s why people are so turned off by it. There is no solidarity, and I think these people are on to something.

It’s so difficult to call anyone an evangelical because there is no set definition for it, and therefore, I would imagine, these people are upset when their members give them a bad name. With slightly more regimented membership clauses, these churches can create a stronger sense of identity for themselves, which I think can be a good thing. The question, though, is whether or not this undermines the initial purpose of the Reformation, which was to let any and all come to know the faith of their own volition.