As children grow up, it is important to acknowledge that the historical church has not always stood on the right side of issues. Due to human weaknesses, the church isn’t perfect; and therefore has a few skeletons in her closet. For example, early church leaders claimed that the earth was in the center of the universe, and persecuted those who supported Copernicus’ theory of a sun-centered solar system. Galileo, a scientist was arrested and placed under house arrest for supporting Copernicus’ theory.
The church definitely has a list of dark moments including: the Crusades, various periods of witch trials, slavery, domestic abuse, and the concept of “Manifest Destiny.” Church leaders sometimes defended the atrocities of their times using bias interpretations of the Bible, while at other times they remained silent.
Bringing up the ugly past of the church may be difficult, but it is crucial for the healthy development of emerging adults. EA’s need to have a clear understanding of church history before discovering these flaws in an academic environment that can be hostile to their faith. Some emerging adults feel as if they have been deceived by parents and the church and causes them to be disillusioned with their faith.
Rather than covering up past failures, the church should be open about confessing its faults, and seek to be an authentic institution being led into change by the Holy Spirit to redeem the world and further God’s Kingdom. In the Old Testament, illustrates the ups and downs of God’s people, why do we feel as if the church today would not have issues?
So here are a few thoughts to help you discuss with your emerging adults through the Dark Side of Church History.
1. Be Honest about the past.
Acknowledge the church didn’t stand on the right side. The church and its theology has been greatly affected throughout history by race, power, and politics. Decisions on how the Bible should be interpreted were highly influenced by more than just the Holy Spirit, but were often taken over by sinful human will. All of us approach scripture with a biased perception and often interpret the Bible to support our views.
Acknowledge the church didn’t stand on the same side. During Hitler’s rise to power, the church split over their support for the dictator. Martin Niemöller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer were two leaders of the German church who opposed him, and put their lives in jeopardy to stand for what they believed. Sometimes church leaders changed their positions as the culture and climate changed.
In the United States, most churches in the south supported slavery, while other Christians fought for abolition. Their beliefs were highly influenced by geographical location. Different beliefs towards slavery divided denominations; divisions that still exist today.
While the past is dark, emerging adults can handle the truth.
2. Don’t speak for the Past.
As a Christian, you don’t have to speak for the past. Your child needs to understand that they don’t need to be the defense attorney for Christianity in their Introduction to Philosophy class. Our limited perspective doesn’t allow us too. You were not there, and you will not be held accountable for the failures of others.
However, you can mourn the past, and be sorrowful over what has occurred. Discover ways to identify with the past, and understand the issues. (For example, I suggest watching 12 Years a Slave in order to address the difficulties of slavery.) Identifying with those wronged by the church will help us develop empathy, and enable us to direct them to Christ.
3. Learn from the Past.
When examining the Old Testament, Paul states that we should remember to learn from their example, and to respond in humility. I Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.…”
God is the judge, and so let Him judge the past actions of others. However, we can learn from them, and examine our own beliefs and actions.
The church is not yet perfect. God is redeeming the church and our world. We are called to follow God and work to further His Kingdom. Each generation is bound to make mistakes, just as those before us. There is a desperate need for humility as we approaches the Word, while discerning how to respond to social issues.
The church is not perfect, it is only spotless by the blood of Jesus.
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