Finished Reading “Heretics”

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  "G. K. Chesterton, the "Prince of Paradox," is at his witty best in this collection of twenty essays and articles from the turn of the twentieth century. Focusing on  "heretics" - those who pride themselves on their superiority to Christian views - Chesterton appraises prominent figures who fall into that category from the literary and art worlds... those who hold incomplete and inadequate views about "life, the universe, and everything." He is, in short, criticizing all that host of non-Christian views of reality, as he demonstrated in his follow-up book Orthodoxy. The book is both an easy read and a difficult read. But he manages to demonstrate, among other things, that our new 21st century heresies are really not new because he himself deals with most of them." (Goodreads)

Bothersome observations

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Scripture quoting is now being equated with plagiarism, being non-original, and close-mindedness to new and continuing revelation;

I hear more on universalism, less on eternal punishment;

More on the mercy of God, less on His wrath;

More on free will, less on responsibility;

More on destiny, less on Sovereignty;

More on maintaining "the walk," less on growing in faith or warnings against backsliding;

More on getting through our stuff, less on divine healing and deliverance;

More on convention, less on conviction;

More on time management, less on Sabbath and Sabbath-breaking;

More on leaving the past behind, less on the Second Coming;

More on managing your money, less on the stewardship of all God has entrusted;

More on "the cutting edge", less from the cutting edge;

More pointing to the Bible, less pointing from the Bible;

More on method, less on message.

“Know this also, that in the last days grievous times will be at hand. For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good, traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.” 2Ti 3:1-5

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