--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We had for decades, people trying to…" description: "\"We had for decades, people trying to create a cultural Christianity that would appeal to nonbelievers, that was accepting of immorality, accepting of h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_we-had-for-decades-people-trying-to-crea_2266834.jpg" --- # We had for decades, people trying to create a cultural… ![“We had for decades, people trying to create a cultural Christianity that would appeal to nonbelievers, that was accepting of immorality, accepting of homosexuality, accepting of racial hatred. There was a kind of superficial, shallow Christianity that watered down the Gospel, didn't talk about…” quote by John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_we-had-for-decades-people-trying-to-crea_2266834.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_we-had-for-decades-people-trying-to-crea_2266834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/148/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_we-had-for-decades-people-trying-to-crea_2266834.jpg) > “We had for decades, people trying to create a cultural Christianity that would appeal to nonbelievers, that was accepting of immorality, accepting of homosexuality, accepting of racial hatred. There was a kind of superficial, shallow Christianity that watered down the Gospel, didn't talk about sin, tried to have a positive message.” [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that adapting Christianity to fit modern cultural trends dilutes its core message and moral standards. **In simple terms:** Changing Christianity to fit culture weakens its truth. Key Takeaway Preserve doctrinal integrity over cultural appeasement. Themes faith culture morality church tradition Mood reflective serious thoughtful Type theological instructional When to use this quote - church leadership - teaching - public preaching - faith communities Key Concepts Doctrinal purity cultural relevance ethical standards Questions to Reflect On - How can churches engage culture without compromising doctrine? - What defines essential versus peripheral beliefs? A Different Perspective Balancing relevance with truth is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Christianity Appeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity-appeal-2877524/) [Christianity Watered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity-watered-2771605/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Cultural Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cultural-christianity-776522/) [Hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Shallow Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shallow-christianity-5237430/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) ## Related quotes > [The essence of Christianity is the appeal to the life of Christ as a revelation of the nature of God and of God's agency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-essence-of-christianity-is-the-appeal-to-the-life-of-christ-as-a/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [“Perhaps the cultural Christianity needs to become full-on no-excuses Christianity. You need light to fight the dark. It's the oldest story in the book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-vega/perhaps-the-cultural-christianity-needs-to-become-full-on-no-excuses/) [Caspar Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-vega/) > [“Saying no to flag worship dethrones the American Jesus and it exposes our cultural Christianity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-flowers/saying-no-to-flag-worship-dethrones-the-american-jesus-and-it-exposes/) [David D. Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-flowers/) > [“Christianity even when watered down is hot enough to boil all modern society to rags. The mere minimum of the Church would be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/christianity-even-when-watered-down-is-hot-enough-to-boil-all-modern-2/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“ Authentic Christianity and the world are by definition at odds. 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All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [We witness anti-Semitic attacks in the heart of Europe. We hear anti-Semitic slanders in European media. 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They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-more-you-focus-on-yourself-the-more-distracted-you-will-be-from/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [There are things that God hates, right? 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It is certainly not, as it has sometimes been considered, a necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/sexual-expression-within-a-marriage-is-not-an-option-or-an-extra-it/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“18O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/18o-my-god-incline-your-ear-and-hear-open-your-eyes-and-see-our/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“Sin is the monarch that rules the heart of every man. It is the first lord of the soul, and its virus has contaminated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/sin-is-the-monarch-that-rules-the-heart-of-every-man-it-is-the-first/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [“Psalm 13 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/psalm-13-o-lord-how-long-will-you-forget-me-forever-how-long-will-you/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [Scripture repeatedly makes clear that heaven is a realm of unsurpassed joy, unfading glory, undiminished bliss, unlimited delights, and unending pleasures. Nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/scripture-repeatedly-makes-clear-that-heaven-is-a-realm-of/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [God's true church has always been a place where people hunger for the truth from the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/god-s-true-church-has-always-been-a-place-where-people-hunger-for-the/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The lies of systemic racism and the race hustlers dominate the ideologies of universities and even churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-lies-of-systemic-racism-and-the-race-hustlers-dominate-the/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) [Explore all 279 John MacArthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“some of my good Baptist brethren in Georgia had done a little preaching from the pulpit against the KKK, I would have a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-moss/some-of-my-good-baptist-brethren-in-georgia-had-done-a-little/) [Norman Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-moss/) > [I pray that wherever we are and whatever duties we have in the priesthood of God, we will be united in the cause to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/i-pray-that-wherever-we-are-and-whatever-duties-we-have-in-the/) [Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? 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