by T. H. Orin

Created on: November 08, 2008

Cafeteria Christianity is becoming more and more prevalent in our culture.

The idea behind Cafeteria Christianity is that we pick and choose our beliefs based on our current moods and inclinations, in much the same way we would decide what foods to pick and choose from in a large cafeteria. The Bible (God's word), is powerful and active, and it does not allow for picking and choosing. If you believe that what it says is true, you must believe that the whole thing is true, because it is God's word. Good would not allow his word to reside in a book that was half true! He uses it to educate us about His nature, our history, and His will for us, and as an active "manual for life" He cannot allow it to be polluted with partial truths. He has guarded it for millennia and kept it pure for all generations.

Too many people read one part and decide that they like its meaning, and then read another part and decide that they don't find that portion agreeable, or they find it 'confusing'. If more Christians would take time to read (and study) the whole Bible, however, they would see that the big picture is a wondrous and amazing thing - the Bible cannot be other than God's very word, and it deserves to be obeyed and believed completely. Every part.

Sadly, many Christians are also choosing churches with about as much thought as they put into what food they are in the mood for.

They go to a church for a while, and they like the people there, and some of the ministries, but then they decide that they youth ministry is focused on kids a little older than theirs, or the choir just isn't big enough - or maybe it's too big, and mom isn't offered as many chances to sing solos as she was at their last church. They think about how the pastor is very nice, but he just doesn't visit the sick enough - he depends on deacons or associate pastors too much in that area. They notice that the music is a bit too modern, or a bit too traditional for their tastes.

They come up with a list of things that are "not quite right", and then they begin to shop around for another church that can address some of the preferences on that list. Later, when they find such a church, they start a new list, because the new church is "not quite right" in some other ways, and they eventually move on from there.

As you might notice, there's a lack of real commitment here, and the church-hopping Christian is missing out on some biblical truths.

Church is not something you shop around for, like the latest style of jeans,

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