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All references to Christianity here are referring only to Bible based or scripturally centered faith unless otherwise stated. In politics the term RINO has emerged of late, meaning Republican in name only. Borrowing from that acronym the religious counterpart of a RINO would be CINO. (Christian in name only) We are in the throes of the biggest apostasy (Falling away) of the Christian faith in the last twenty centuries and many churches and organizations that spearhead this apostasy are certainly, CINO. 1. The indisputable number one reason real Christianity is despised is because it declares that man’s greatest problem is sin. We have for centuries seen the problems of man as a lack of knowledge, economics, race problems, politics and dozens more. The Bible recognizes none of these things as the root problem of man. Rather the scriptures declares that the fallen condition of man drives us all to a propensity to sin that ultimately causes the problems of all mankind. Wars, economic disparities, race problems and all else is a result of man’s willingness to sin and live out lives of sin without recognizing that they are sinners. The Bible has many things to say about sin but the central focus is that Jesus Christ came into the world mainly to deal with the problem of sin once and for all. His death on the cross was no accident or untimely thwarting of his goals and ministry. It was the primary reason he came and the ultimate goal of his life. (Jn 18: 37) He came as the one sacrifice that would forever placate God and after his work was completed all sacrifice, religious precept, self flagellation, austerity, and system of morality was rendered completely useless. His final deed, however, does not universally cover everyone; each person must come to terms with what Christ has done for them on a completely personal and individual basis. Christ said a man must be born again, sometimes we call that being, saved, or we say a man has had a religious experience. When an individual sees who Christ is and responds by attaching themselves to him in faith and laying down a lifestyle of sin, that act of submission produces what’s called, a spiritual rebirth. Christ declares that without it no man will see eternal life. This is where the world gets antsy because it is a dependence that threatens their independence. It marks the end of self rule and the beginning of submission to the King of kings and Lord of lords. (Rev 17: 14) 2. Christianity is resisted and in many ways hated because it is part of what has come to be known as the Judeo/Christian heritage. Put simply, that means that Christianity is always a friend to Israel. Beyond that is the knowledge that God has never given up on his chosen people and will very soon redeem them and raise them to prominence in the world. As anti-Semitism grows so will anti-Christian sentiments grow; it is inevitable 3. True Christianity does not just deal with personal sins but it stands diametrically opposite the social trends of the day namely, abortion and the gay agenda. It sees these two collective trends as sins that mark time as we know it and is a sure declaration that man is heading toward a last days encounter with God. That encounter is called, judgment and is meticulously outlined in the final book of the Bible we call the Revelation. The disregard for the lives of the unborn and the rise in perverted and deviant lifestyles are only two of dozens of signs that promise rather than merely predict the demise of the entire world. More than just making the world antsy, the stand against these two trends makes the world downright angry. Labeling Christians as haters, bigots or worse is the way the world responds and thereby slips past the obvious. The scripture declares these things not to condemn, but to point the world away from its own demise. Christ said, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (Jn 3: 17) 4. Christianity is assumed to be anti-science and against seeking knowledge. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact Christianity encourages all disciplines that aid mankind and promote the well being of our species. To be more specific the secular world despises what they perceive to be Christianity’s narrow mindedness about evolution. Not only does the Bible declare hundreds of times that God alone is responsible for creation but the theory of evolution cannot stand on its own evidence. Anyone from high school and on, that might dare to take a serious look at the recent discoveries of creation science, would come away with more than just a few doubts about the evolutionary model. In fact if any serious time is spent in the creation science findings only someone who is willing to live in a complete state of denial would continue with evolution as we know it today. I can’t prove this by just declaring it here, but you can prove it and of that I am sure. In a world thoroughly indoctrinated by the evolutionary model for a generation now; the odds are that very few will take me up on this challenge. 5. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, President George W. Bush was heard to say, “Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended.” Not all definitions of cowardice are so strong but any endeavor begun in good faith only to be abandoned in short notice is a microcosmic example of cowardice. If the slightest fear turns us around what do we call it when a person starts to walk in a new life with Christ, and then turns back? “Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Lu 9: 62) The church is experiencing the greatest resistance in its 2000 year long history and many churches are buckling under the pressure. Apostasy has been predicted in the Bible (2 Thess 2: 3f) and is actually one of the signs that we are entering into the last generation of time as we know it. The bottom line that the CINO Christians are woefully unaware of is; that the world may not know much about true Christianity but it does know that it hates a coward. 6. The world is fully aware of the church’s apostasy but it is also taking note of its perversions and twists. The Emergent Church and Dominionism are just a couple of the latest side trips into nonsense but there are many more common extravagances that are seen as cause to steer clear of the Christian message. Although the bible does declare that God is willing to bestow his own with plenty of this worlds materials for their journey, the excesses found in the over emphasis of that teaching are doing inestimable damage to the gospel. Ministries that pound away at what has come to be known as the prosperity gospel are seen as misguided money mills that should be avoided at all cost. Perception may sometimes overtake reality but in fact nothing takes precedence over the preaching of the gospel. Rick Warren could have saved himself a lot of time and energy by referring to the famous definition found in the Scottish Catechism (Presbyterian) as it pertains to the full purpose of man. The answer to mans purpose in relationship to God is; “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” The Bible verifies this simple yet profound definition but goes further to indicate that this purpose can be enjoyed by rich, poor, free or incarcerated, and the great and the small. 7. Real Christianity both sees and fully resists the coming one world government that the Bible so clearly predicts will fall under the leadership of the world’s last dictator. (Rev 13: 7) I once found myself arguing that Europe would form a united kingdom and would become a single nation; that was almost 40 years ago. I also warned that nations would come together in the last days to seek and find a way to become one world under one seemingly magnanimous world leader. That is obviously a prevailing thought in today’s world and the fulfillment of these prophecies is without doubt, just around the corner. Naturally the world interprets the resistance to the great dream of one homogenously engineered world as something worthy of scorn, and one day; something worthy of death. (Rev 20: 4) It is this part of the gospel that the CINO’s and the squeamish would rather not acknowledge. Many are turning away because they cannot bear to think that these days are now upon us. The crowd carries them along with the wail of music, laughter and full emersion in all of the fleshy and contemplative indulgences of the day. The path of least resistance rules: at least for today. 8. Finally, Untold millions have begun to reject Christianity for its exclusivity. A generation long effort by proponents of the great political correctness movement, and comparative religion courses; have emerged triumphant in the lives of many. In the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations the effects of years of that kind of gobbledygook is apparent. Religious leaders can be seen wearing collars and religious garb with sashes imprinted with the symbols of many different religions. They mill freely around the crowds and can hardly offend anyone. No gospel of salvation for the lost and dying of the world, just a lot of syrupy religious hokey pokey. A little something for everyone coupled with a pious remark or prayer and it’s off to the next circle of performers, poets, and aimless squatters. Here is a small picture of what the larger world expects will come out of a one world order. My answer has always been, not so much about why other religions are only ‘religions,’ but rather why the gospel is the path to life. Until someone from some religion finally comes to deal with my sins, and then after dying for me is resurrected from the dead to add credence to that proclamation I will stick with the Savior known as the Lord Jesus Christ. I see why Christ alone had cause to say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Jn 14 6) I don’t flaunt this exclusivity but I trust it with my life, and my entire future how could I or any real Christian possibly be ashamed of it? http://www.americanprophet.org has since 2005 featured the articles of columnist Rev Michael Bresciani along with news and reviews that have earned this site the title of The Website for Insight. Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe.
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