What is "Christian" Humanism
Christian Humanism is the re-imagining and re-centering of the fallen human self based on certain proof texts of Scripture but apart from the central teachings regarding the cross of Jesus Christ and the nature of both God and man. It turns the teachings of Christianity into self-help, self-actualization, self-enhancement, and self-esteem techniques. It is extremely dangerous because it will unashamedly employ Scriptural words, having redefined their meaning. It denigrates the new creation teachings of Christianity while glorifying the image of God in man. Thus, its orientation is always towards self-glory and never towards the glory of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Teachers who are immersed in this kind of thinking have been men like Norman Vincent Peale and currently Dr. Robert Schuller (Read chapter 9 of his Self-Esteem: The New Reformation) and Rick Warren (Read his interview in Ladies Home Journal, March 2005.) Unfortunately, many Christian psychologists are immersed in this kind of thinking. (One of the clear exceptions is Dr. Jay Adams, whose nouthetic counseling I recommend, not just simply as a professional endeavor but I recommend it for the lay people in your church. We are to do this kind of counseling one to another.)
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40 ESV
The "Christian" Humanists will take a text like this in Matthew and turn it into three commands instead of two. In other words, how can you love your neighbor if you don't first love yourself. But Jesus states clearly there are only two commands, not three. And they are commands - and the false third command - is not a command toward "self" anything.
As Christians we are to be like Jesus in our character. The "Kenosis" passage of Scripture in Philippians gives us the character of our Savior demonstrated in His coming to earth. Read Philippians 2:5-8
The Christian view of "self" is "death to self" for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Jesus command to "self" is found here:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to
come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For
whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My
sake will find it.'
Matthew 16:24-25 NASB
For More Articles Like This Go To: www.atrueandfaithfulwitness.com