Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

There's a new religion on the horizon... a new pagan religion... moralistic therapeutic deism. It is a belief of the immature (many American teenagers ascribe to something like it) that goes as follows:

1. "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth." 2. "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions." 3. "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself." 4. "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem." 5. "Good people go to heaven when they die."

It, in effect, makes God the servant of the believer. If you're not happy, you call God up and order a fix. Otherwise, you don't need him. And you certainly don't have to worship or serve him, how convenient. No church service, no tithe, no call to serve, nothing, just keep him around in case you don't feel good some day. It makes God into a cosmic therapist for the dissatisfied.

According to 'Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Eyes of American Teenagers' by Christian Smith with Melinda Lundquist, most followers of the 'new' religion eiither do not really comprehend what their own religious traditions say they are supposed to believe, or they do understand it and simply do not care to believe it.

These people have a vast emptiness in their understanding. They just can't quite get it together about 'God and stuff.'

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is also "about providing therapeutic benefits to its adherents." As the researchers explained, "This is not a religion of repentance from sin, of keeping the Sabbath, of living as a servant of sovereign divinity, of steadfastly saying one's prayers, of faithfully observing high holy days, of building character through suffering, of basking in God's love and grace, of spending oneself in gratitude and love for the cause of social justice, et cetera. Rather, it is centrally about feeling good, happy, secure, at peace. It is about attaining subjective well-being, being able to resolve problems, and getting along amiably with other people." In other words, it's a self-serving, not God-serving 'religion.'

Obviously, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is not an organized faith. This belief system has no denominational headquarters and no mailing address. Nevertheless, it has millions and millions of devotees across the United States and other advanced cultures, where subtle cultural shifts have produced a context in which belief in such an undemanding deity makes sense. Furthermore, this deity does not challenge the most basic self-centered assumptions of our postmodern age. Particularly when it comes to so-called "lifestyle" issues, this God is exceedingly tolerant and this religion is radically undemanding. Just the thing for those who are self centered and interested in nothing much but their own satisfaction in things.

This 'religion' replaces the sovereignty of God with the sovereignty of the self. Human problems are reduced to pathologies in need of a treatment plan. Sin is simply excluded from the picture, and doctrines as central as the wrath and justice of God are discarded as out of step with the times. There will be a rude awakening for these folks on judgement day! And for us, who failed to teach biblical Christianity in our churches, watered down the gospel, feared saying it 'like it is,' and not doing our jobs in spreading the real gospel.