Failure of Christian Conservatism – Lessons for Us to Learn Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of the book:

The Failure of the Great Amish and Mennonite Dress Experiment

How you can have a much better, deeper relationship with God and with Jesus. Why Conservative Christianity isn’t the Answer.

History shows us that over time church denominations tend to adopt non-Biblical practices and beliefs. These manmade beliefs and practices are then taught as being Biblical and what one must do to live the Christian life. In the 1500’s, the reformers of the Reformation began studying the Bible for themselves and challenged the beliefs and practices of the Catholic church that had been added to the Bible. For example some of the reformers challenged the practice of infant baptism. The reformers taught that salvation was through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

In today’s culture of educational and technological advancement, we like to think that the Church has finally got things figured out and that we are above adopting non-Biblical teachings and practices like they did back in the middle ages. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Most denominations have adopted some non-Biblical teachings/applications as Biblical. It is our responsibility to study the Bible like the Reformers did and discern truth from error so that we and others do not reap consequences similar to what we have seen with the conservative dress experiment.

The failure of Christian conservatism as we have seen in the case study of The Great Amish and Mennonite Dress Experiment has been a sad one. The dress experiment and any belief or practice like it needs to be abandoned and/or rejected. It has failed in stopping immorality, sexual abuse and pornography. Too many people are being hurt with deep emotional traumas from consequences that come from the dress experiment. Even for those who have not been sexually or physically abused, their lives have been in bondage to man made rules that Jesus never intended them to be under.

Yes, you can have a better relationship with Christ than what you do now, but not by following conservative Christianity. Christian Conservatism is not nearly as right or safe as what it appears to many. In many ways it holds the opposite errors in belief from liberalism which conservatism is trying to avoid. It is like the ditches on either side of a road with conservatism on one side and liberalism on the other. If we follow Christian conservative thought and practice, we run into the ditch on the one side of the road. If we follow liberal thought and practice, we run into the ditch on the other side of the road. Jesus warned us about this ditch problem when he said: “Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39)

Are you looking for something more than just the same old concepts, interpretations, explanations, and perspectives you have heard regurgitated over and over again? This website will give you some new insights and things to think about. You may not agree with everything you read, but Biblical Research Reports will stimulate your thinking. Our goal is to help you to formulate in your own mind what is Jesus’ truth as you look at the research we share on the various subjects facing the Church.

The answer is not to be a moderate, but to be followers of Jesus and follow what He commands rather than the teachings, applications, rules, regulations, and theological belief systems of people, churches, and denominations.

Study the Bible for yourself to learn how to keep from reaping the mistakes and failures of Christian conservatism

Many conservatives, in following the dress requirements of their church thought that they were following Jesus. Instead, they are following commands of men that, because of their added detail, supersede the commands Christ has given us. The Dress Experiment is in direct disobedience to a number of commands that Christ has given to us in the New Testament. It is disregarding Christ’s warning not to dress in distinctive religious clothing. “Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing… these shall receive greater damnation.” Mark 12:38-40. It also ignores Jesus’ warning not to dress plain and extra modest: “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility… Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will- worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.” Colossians 2:18-23.

Some Lessons for us to learn from the Failure of Christian Conservatism

• The Dress Experiment is in direct disobedience to a number of commands that Christ has given to us in the New Testament. It is disregarding Christ’s warning not to dress in distinctive religious clothing. “Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing… these shall receive greater damnation.” Mark 12:38-40. It also ignores Jesus’ warning not to dress plain and extra modest: “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility… Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will- worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.” Colossians 2:18-23.
• Conservatism has created an ideal environment for sexual predators to “dress as wolves in sheep’s clothing”, to “creep into homes” and to sexually molest large numbers of boys and girls.
• Many sexual abuse victims suffer the deep emotional trauma from this failure of Christian conservatism for the rest of their lives, and many unrepentant conservative sexual abuse perpetrators and sexual predators who do not repent will spend eternity in hell for their sins.
• Conservative men are involved in lust more than what most of us ever imagined possible.
• Ultimately, Christian conservatism and the failure of the Modesty Doctrine boils down to this: conservative churches are teaching another gospel – a gospel that proclaims salvation from hell, but denies the power of God to save people from sin apart from man made boundaries of rules, regulations, and man’s own attempts to live right. They have traded the Gospel of the power of Christ for a gospel of behavior modification.
• The Dress Experiment of Christian conservatism has many other failures in addition to moral failures.
  • It has stifled evangelism – only a small percentage of Amish and conservative Mennonites have come from non-Amish or non-Mennonite homes.
  • It has put hundreds of thousands of people into bondage to the rules and regulations of men – the rules and regulations of their conservative churches.
  • It has saddled many women with false guilt and confusion about what is right and wrong. Conservative women are not the ones responsible for the moral failures of these men. Women, do not let anyone try to saddle you with that guilt. It is not your responsibility or your fault.
• The failure of Christian conservatism has resulted in many people being carnal Christians and following the teachings of men as God warned in I Corinthians 3:1-4 “… for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” 
• This carnal nature has resulted in division after division in Amish and Mennonite churches. There have been so many divisions, and the beliefs are so diverse and opposite, that the terms “Mennonite” and “Anabaptist” are meaningless to describe what a person believes.
• The conservative movement has ignored the strong warnings and commands that Jesus gave us about not being conservative, and that holding onto manmade rules and traditions that the Pharisees exemplified was more spiritually dangerous than the error of liberalism.

It is important that we learn from the mistakes of the Great Amish and Mennonite Dress Experiment so that in the coming revival, we do not repeat the same failures that Christian conservatism has made. Conservative dress, actions, and thought patterns are not Godly or being Godly.

For church leaders, now that you know the errors and failures of Christian conservatism and conservative “modest” dress rules, if you continue to require your people to dress that way, to continue to hold onto conservative beliefs and practices and not change, or if your church has other non-Biblical teachings or practices, you bear responsibility for the consequences that result. Be a man and make the necessary changes. Ask God to forgive you for requiring people to follow rules and traditions that He has not given and for teaching another gospel.

If you are a member of a church that holds manmade teachings, I plead with you to repent of following man and the church’s rules and regulations, and follow Christ alone before it is too late.

Evaluate what you believe and practice. Hold everything up to the light of God’s Word. Did God really command what you think He has commanded? Or are you practicing traditions that are “based” on God’s Word, but not actually commanded by God?

BEWARE of any person who does one or more of the following:

• Who defends a sexual predator.
• Who covers up sexual abuse.
• Who wants the sexual abuse victim to “forgive and forget” and then act like it never happened.
• Who verbally attacks or blames a sexual abuse victim.
• Who puts their image or reputation or the church’s image or reputation ahead of addressing the sin and the needs of the victim.
• Who, after seeing the evidence in this book, denies that a problem exists without having their own concrete evidence that shows that the problem does not exist. A person who denies that the problem exists and wants you to believe them based on their opinion and words alone.

The reason we need to beware of a person who does one of the above is this question. Why would a person, who claims to be a Christian, take Satan’s side of the sexual sin situation rather than follow what Christ has commanded and publicly rebuke sin and care for the deep needs of those who have been so wrongly violated? Do they also have hidden sin in their lives? Are they a hypocrite? Are they a false teacher/preacher? Are they also, a predator in “sheep’s clothing”? Not everyone who professes to be a Christian and does things in the name of Jesus is going to heaven. (Matt. 7:22, 23)

STAND UP for the sexually abused and speak out against the abuse even if you don’t think it is happening in your church or your church group. Make sure that sexual abuse is not happening and does not happen. Don’t give sexual predators anywhere to hide.

I encourage you to search the Bible for yourself, to learn to hear God’s voice, and to ask God to teach you what truth is. When we find out that we have been deceived, it is easy to turn and go too far in the opposite direction into error again. God has a “gold mine” in the Bible of things to teach you that you have never seen before. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Responsibility for your own beliefs, to not repeat the errors and failures of Christian Conservatism

If you are an adult, you are fully responsible before God for what you believe and what you do. Blaming others or the church for your beliefs and actions will not vindicate you on Judgment Day. We each have our own copy of the Bible and can read and study it for ourselves. We also have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth if we ask Him. Jesus gave us the responsibility to beware and to not be deceived. He told us to beware of false teachers and false teachings numerous times. But more importantly, as it applies to the Great Amish and Mennonite Dress experiment, God warned us to not follow the traditions of man which includes denominational traditions and the Dress Experiment. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) Can God make it any plainer than that? We need to be careful and fully check things out with the word of God. An excellent powerful Bible study program that is very helpful in studying the Bible can be downloaded for free at www.e-sword.net. Versions of the E-Sword program are available for a computer, iPad, and, smart phone.

Be a man or a woman after Jesus’ heart and serve Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Live for Jesus the rest of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His power and guide you into what is true, to show you what God wants you to do, and to help you have victory over sin. Cast away the rules, regulations, and traditions of man and walk in newness of life. Help those that have been hurt by conservatism or the Dress Experiment. Be the man or woman that God wants you to be.

Yes! You can have a much better and deeper relationship with God and Jesus! The past is not better than the present. We can have as good or better relationship with Christ and a deeper understanding of Spiritual things than those of the past.

God Bless!