Precisely stated!!
Except, for this discussion, I would amend that to read:
Is the SEMINARY a Thermometer or a Thermostat?"
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BUT, admittedly, seminaries are, (or, very well should be) directly expressive of the doctrines of the church (or, if you will, "Church" or "denomination") whose next-generation clergy they are chartered to supply. Therefore, the blame actually rests on compliant church leaders who are either
1) failing to exercise proper doctrinal control over the curricula of their own seminaries.
or
2) actually reacting to lowest-level parishioners' licentious wishes by dictating that seminaries adjust their curricula accordingly.
or
3) have abdicated their stewardship of church doctrine by admitting graduates of non-compliant (or "other church") seminaries into their church's clergy.
(Sadly, the "or"s above are, all too often, "and"s...) :-(
In any case, the seductive and evil hand and voice of the Deceiver, himself, is clearly at work in all ("major") churches (of which I'm aware).
Clearly, there are still churches (and by that I mean independent, mostly small and rural congregations) who literally seem "frozen" in the "purity" of prior centuries. But most "Christians" nowadays avoid them for various reasons -- basically they find them to be too "fundamentlist" for their comfort.
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IMHO, I'd say that Satan's "tools" of "'congregation ["body count"] growth' expectations" and "meeting (ever-expanding) budgets" lie at the root of this creeping perversity.
NOTE: Those secular criteria for measuring clerical performance are NOT required for successful propagation of the Gospel of Christ -- as our Lord commanded it to be done! (See Matthew 28:16-20...)
Our "Rock" is turning to mush...
But, we should not be surprised: our Lord, Himself, foretold that things would trend thusly -- as the time of His return nears...
BUT, He also foretold Who triumphs at the end of all earthly things... :-)
VIMHO, I’d say that Satan’s “tools” of “’congregation [”body count”] growth’ expectations” and “meeting (ever-expanding) budgets” lie at the root of this creeping perversity.
Spirited: St. Augustine rightly pointed to pride as the beginning of all vice. It’s pride (ambition, making a name for oneself, etc.) that underlies and inflames all of the stated “tools.”
Maranatha, Jesus!!!