Explain the reasons why the Dark Ages were considered “Dark.” What impact does this have on the Emergent Church Movement today? 534-1 - 2-1

From last week’s DQ, “The years between 590 and 1517 AD are called “The Dark Ages” and indeed it was a time of suppression of Biblical Truth as the simple message of Jesus was degraded into legalism practiced to this day in some churches.”

The Roman Catholic Church had such a lock on Christianity that owning a Bible could land you on the Inquisition rack. Add to that the repressive religion of Islam was running rampant.

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/ moveable wooden or metal letters in 1436, completed by 1440. He printed the world's first book using movable type, the Gutenberg Bible. Gutenberg’s contribution to the advancement of knowledge was enormous and he was named “The Man of the Millennium.”

Fast-forward to the late 20th century and early 21st centuries. The availability of information has exploded; another sign of the end of days. Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” I have a Kindle Book with more than 20 Bibles on it including an English translation of the Septuagint, an Amplified Bible and a Bible concordance. I have an enormous amount of diverse information at my fingertips. Go online and ask about almost any subject and you are inundated with links.

In the 21st century the dissemination of ideas and beliefs has been greatly facilitated. While virtually the entire planet has been exposed to the gospel by the Internet and/or satellite TV the downside is the exposure to mass marketed apostasy. There are the less than credible faith healers as well as the “Name it and claim” prosperity preachers. Born Again Christians are labeled as being intolerant by the “All roads lead to God proponents.” Even some of evangelical churches are beginning to take the Palestinian side in the continuing conflict over the holy land.

The Emergent Church Movement seeks to reach the post-modern crowd. Post-modern, with thanks to KI and I604; “For every unconfused double standard there is a solid single standard behind it.” Post Modernism rejects the notion of Universal Truth, rather asserts its own truths about the Universe. Post-Modernist involves how truth is viewed by progressives, is constantly changing, how it plays out publicly and politically and how it can be thwarted. The election of 2012 is a great example of how truth was viewed by progressives. The election pitted a candidate who promoted abortion, same-sex marriage and throwing Israel under the bus against a candidate who, in my opinion, embraced Christian values. Universal Truth, just too old fashioned so the country voted in four more years of Obama.

God was thrown out of our schools for about two generations. In many are quite happy rejecting universal truths that likely are equated to Christian values. Perhaps the post-modern progressives fear that a return to Christian values could lead to a dark age of repression.