There has been a movement within religion for over 3 decades to redefine the nature of God, if one still uses the name God.
This article will focus not on a global investigation, but American investigation of redefining God. I understand even within that last sentence, the current readers and thinkers would find offense in my choice of words.
State Of The United States
As one scans the various churches, religious groups, and spiritual ideologies, there is deconstruction of the nature of God.
This deconstruction of the nature of God is not unexpected. The beginning of this deconstruction of God’s nature is found in Genes 3:1, when the serpent asked, “Did God really say?”
This question became evident in people’s live, which is way when God saw the wickedness of humans, He allowed a flood to occur. (Genesis 6)
It continued throughout time, which is way Paul wrote in Romans 1:28, “God gave them over to a corrupt mind.” People weren’t seeking God, but accepting lies for truth, so God gave them what they wanted.
Which leads us to our current state, which can be found in Paul’s letter to Timothy, “In the last days there will be hard times.” (2 Timothy 3:1) After Paul wrote this, he gave a list of ways people will live that deconstructs the nature of God, for which Paul wrote this, “holding to a form of godliness, but denying it’s power.” (2 Timothy 3:5)
And finally, a warning from Paul in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, that people won’t want to hear sound doctrine, but they will find teachers who will tell them what they want to hear.
As a country we don’t want to know truth, if we believe there is a truth. We want to redefine God and all of morality, in a way that makes us feel good.
How This Redefining Began?
To pinpoint an exact time isn’t possible, but there has been a shift that has been occurring in Protestantism for almost 70 years.
The notable first signs of deconstruction, were in the curriculum in mainstream divinity schools, which were educating and training our pastors.
Divinity schools, seminaries, are now led by “Baby Boomers” who aren’t as committed to traditional orthodoxies as their predecessors.
God’s authority, truth, and nature, became some of the main topics in the courtroom of people’s thinking.
The second notable sign of deconstruction, were in homes. The passing down of faith through family devotions and church involvement became less and less as time passed.
Each generation that proceeded, became less committed, less involved, and less persuaded, than the previous one.
The third notable signs of deconstruction, were in society. The redefining of God into a gentler and mystical image, became attractive to people, which continued the authority issues that pastors struggled with in divinity schools.
As people tried to connect to an image of God, they stopped looking above for truth, and they began to dive into a smorgasbord of various influences, theologies, and ideologies that moved them to happiness.
The Redefining Process
It is true that not everyone is deconstructing to accept these spiritual variations, but it is becoming more common as time passes.
The mindset behind redefining the nature of God, can be found in this way of thinking, “If I don’t like this view of God, I will redefine God into something or someone that I can agree with.”
God can’t be this race, this ethnicity, this gender, this social class, this economic group, etc BECAUSE of _________, so this identity must be __________.
We begin to define God through our oppression, our circumstances, or our experiences. This redefining removes the true nature of God, as well as the responsibility of the Church.
It is hard to view God as a Father, when you come from a divorced home.
It is hard to view God as a male, when you experienced oppression by men.
The Results of Redefining God
First, by redefining God, we lose the truth about God.
Second, by redefining God, the church loses their identity.
Third, by redefining God, society loses the light of God.
We have strayed away from the God of the Bible, to transform God into our individualistic likeness, instead of allowing God to transform us into His likeness.