A Twisted Crown of Thorns ®

Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.

Church Removes Cross To Appease Non-Christians

10 Comments Posted by on June 29, 2010

By Andrew Zarowny

Ooops!

The town of Spring Lake, Michigan, near Grand Haven, has become the front line in the ongoing war from Progressivism. Christ Community Church has changed it’s named to the C3 Exchange and has removed it’s cross. Pastor Ian Lawton claims this was done to reflect it’s diverse membership. “Our community has been a really open-minded community for some years now. We’ve has a number of Muslim people, Jewish people, Buddhists, atheists, we’re catching up to ourselves.”

Removing the cross, as well as the name of Christ to the church may not be the only changes. Lawton is considering painting images of a heart and a globe on the exterior walls. On March 21 of this year, Lawton gave a sermon where he compared using the cross as a symbol of Christ to that of using a bullet to remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lawton hails from Australia where he was ordained as an Anglican priest. After getting a degree in sociology, he began developing a more progressive political slant and left first for New Zealand, then America. A believer in Liberation Theology, Lawson has been busy preaching social justice since 1994. Since his arrival in America, Lawton has become a leading figure in Progressive Christianity. He helped create SBNR.org, Spiritual But Not Religious, a worldwide network to advance his views.

Now practicing Zen and meditation, Lawton has caused a stir before. Last year, he delivered a sermon on how Mardi Gras was a celebration of sexuality. He mixes a wide range of other beliefs in his preaching, from Paganism to Sioux mythology. He blogs that he is proud to be a heretic.

Ian Lawton taking down the cross and changed the name of his congregation from Christ Community Church to C3 Exchange is just the latest move in what he describes as his own personal growth. In one sermon, he describes the crucifixion of Christ as “cosmic child abuse”. He finds the cross as an offensive symbol, a symbol of failure. He called the cross outside his church a problem. Well, it’s no longer a problem as he has taken it down. Original Article

Editor’s Note: “If we do not preach about sin and God’s judgment on it, we cannot present Christ as Saviour from sin and the wrath of God. And if we are silent about these things, and preach a Christ who saves only from self and the sorrows of this world, we are not preaching the Christ of the Bible . . . Such preaching may soothe some, but it will help nobody; for a Christ who is not seen and sought as a Saviour from sin will not be found to save from self or from anything else”

Christianity, Modern Church Pragmatism , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

10 responses to “Church Removes Cross To Appease Non-Christians”

  1. communiosanctorum June 29, 2010 at 12:21

    I don’t know why Christians are so obsessed with this “Jesus the Christ” figure…get over it already, he’s 2,000 years old!

    In all seriously now, WOW…good find. There’s so much I could say, but I have to head out. I’m not surprised that they are rejecting Jesus though.

    Reply
    • JesusRocks June 29, 2010 at 17:40

      Yea, me neither. I don’t understand why people still talk about Buddha and Lao Tzu, or Alexander the Great, or Pluto, or Socrates, or Aristotle, or Caesar. Since all of them are just as old as Jesus, if not older. Since when did a lapse of time dictate whether a person should stop being studied, and in Jesus’ case worshiped? haha, I’m glad we do agree on one thing, we both aren’t surprised they are rejecting Jesus.

      Reply
      • Acidri July 8, 2010 at 10:08

        JesusRocks (nice name), you are right its hard to see why people are obsessed with this man called “Jesus”. The message of the cross is foolishness except to those who are being saved by it. Man has sinned against a holy God. If one rape makes a man a rapist for life, one lie makes a man a liar for life. And if in your life you have told only one lie you will be guilty of breaking the ninth of God’s moral laws (The Ten commandments). With out holiness it is impossible to see God. But you see the message of the cross says that God sent Jesus his only son to take your lie or which ever sin you have committed and pay the penalty-which is death. Jesus who was righteous and holy died on the cross with your sin tag on him to appease God’s wrath. And if you only repent and put your trust in Jesus, God will forgive you once and for all and impute on to your account Jesus’ perfect righeousness since he became your substitute. That is the message of the cross. To some it is foolishness but to those it is saving it is the power of God to salvation.

    • Acidri July 8, 2010 at 10:07

      Communiosanctorum, you are right its hard to see why people are obsessed with this man called “Jesus”. The message of the cross is foolishness except to those who are being saved by it. Man has sinned against a holy God. If one rape makes a man a rapist for life, one lie makes a man a liar for life. And if in your life you have told only one lie you will be guilty of breaking the ninth of God’s moral laws (The Ten commandments). With out holiness it is impossible to see God. But you see the message of the cross says that God sent Jesus his only son to take your lie or which ever sin you have committed and pay the penalty-which is death. Jesus who was righteous and holy died on the cross with your sin tag on him to appease God’s wrath. And if you only repent and put your trust in Jesus, God will forgive you once and for all and impute on to your account Jesus’ perfect righeousness since he became your substitute. That is the message of the cross. To some it is foolishness but to those it is saving it is the power of God to salvation.

      Reply
  2. communiosanctorum July 8, 2010 at 10:09

    I hope everyone knows I was being sarcastic…just look at my blog and you will see

    Reply
  3. Pastor Rick / Canada July 26, 2010 at 02:54

    Just a few thoughts:

    1. – 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

    2. – Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

    3. – Philippians 3:18 – “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame – who set their mind on earthly things.”

    4. – 2 Timothy 4:3 – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

    5. – 2 Peter 2:1-3 – “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”

    6. – Matthew 7:15 – (words of Jesus) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.

    Let the Word of God speak for itself. The cross is our banner. Let it be lifted HIGH for the whole world to see.

    Reply
  4. April Fegurgur August 22, 2010 at 21:57

    Good Post. Thank you.

    Reply

  5. Pingback: Political Correctness Goes Awry As Churches Open Doors to Muslim Worship « Twisted Crown of Thorns ®

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