Do "cultural evangelicals" and "cafeteria evangelicals" exist?

[Anonymous]

There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

I know devout evangelicals who don't go to church anymore. They feel they have e direct relationship with god, so don't need church

[Anonymous]

I would say that evangelicals are more likely to switch churches if they don't like something about their current church. Catholics are "cafeteria Catholics" because they agree with most of the Church's teachings, but don't agree on a few things--say, birth control and same-sex marriage. They are unlikely to leave the Church over this. An evangelical is more likely to switch to another church--there are a lot of non-denominational churches to choose from.

And I also know evangelicals who don't attend church but consider themselves devout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

Having grown up in an evangelical household, I would say no, there's no real equivalent, because you're already talking about a narrow slice of Christianity. Just like you don't really have cultural orthodox Jews.

[Anonymous]

I'd consider myself to be a "cultural Christian", in that I still celebrate the Christian holidays of my childhood, go to church with my mom on Christmas and Easter to make her happy, sing my baby to sleep with hymns I learned from my dad, but don't believe. But I don't really see how one could be a "cultural Evangelical".

As far as being a "cafeteria Evangelical", the Evangelical movement is made up of lots of individual churches of different denominations that take different stances on different issues. There isn't a single belief set the way there is with Catholicism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

Having grown up in an evangelical household, I would say no, there's no real equivalent, because you're already talking about a narrow slice of Christianity. Just like you don't really have cultural orthodox Jews.

There are definitely people who attend Orthodox Synagogues who are not sabbath observant, and not theologically Orthodox. Of course many would just say they are not "orthodox" despite their synagogue affiliation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

Having grown up in an evangelical household, I would say no, there's no real equivalent, because you're already talking about a narrow slice of Christianity. Just like you don't really have cultural orthodox Jews.

There are definitely people who attend Orthodox Synagogues who are not sabbath observant, and not theologically Orthodox. Of course many would just say they are not "orthodox" despite their synagogue affiliation.

But they are generally still people who believe, or at least pretend to believe.

A "cultural . . . . " is someone who doesn't believe at all.

[Anonymous]

I know cultural evangelicals. They mostly live in small towns where not attending church is not an option and the only churches are the born again variety. Some don’t believe at all. Others are interested in other faiths. A friend’s DH converted to Catholicism in college for this reason. He had a full ride and never went home again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I also know evangelicals who don't attend church but consider themselves devout.

How are they "devout" if they can't be bothered to attend weekly services?

[Anonymous]

Of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I also know evangelicals who don't attend church but consider themselves devout.

How are they "devout" if they can't be bothered to attend weekly services?

Personal and family prayer.
Giving alms.
Avoiding temptations or immoral behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

I'd say there is such a thing. I personally know a small handful of what I'd call "cafeteria evangelicals": they go to church and pray and regularly discuss and post about the importance of religion in their lives. However, they definitely don't adhere to the "no sex before marriage" bit and drink more than their fair share when they're out with their non-religious friends. At least one has a creepy dad (who is also a minister at an evangelical church), who regularly makes skeevy comments about his own daughters and his daughters' friends in front of everyone.

Certain countries in Latin America also have huge numbers of cafeteria (or cultural, depending on your definition) evangelicals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are cultural Jews and "cafeteria Catholics" - are there equivalents among evangelicals? Or is it if you're an evangelical you're by definition religiously devout?

I'd say there is such a thing. I personally know a small handful of what I'd call "cafeteria evangelicals": they go to church and pray and regularly discuss and post about the importance of religion in their lives. However, they definitely don't adhere to the "no sex before marriage" bit and drink more than their fair share when they're out with their non-religious friends. At least one has a creepy dad (who is also a minister at an evangelical church), who regularly makes skeevy comments about his own daughters and his daughters' friends in front of everyone.

Certain countries in Latin America also have huge numbers of cafeteria (or cultural, depending on your definition) evangelicals.

[Anonymous]

Here you go OP. "Breaking Faith - America's Empty Church Problem"
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/breaking-faith/517785/

The whole first part of the article is about "culturally conservative white Americans who are disengaged from church." It focuses on politics. It says that compared with church-going evangelicals, people in this group have softer views on pot and LGBTQ and harder views on black, Latino and Muslim people (since without church, their lives are even more segregated than otherwise, and they don't hear messages of unifying love). The author figures that much of the evangelical Trump vote came from this group.

[Anonymous]

"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." --Luke 9:62

Evangelicals take the words of Jesus very seriously, as if they are direct commands from God (which they are). The words of Jesus are treated as a direct command as if from a king. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords so
evangelicals do their very best to obey, so there is little room for compromising or trying to gain approval from the world (cultural/liberal Christians), or exert one's own will in the matter over the will of God ("cafeteria style" Christianity).

This makes compromising, worldly Christians feel guilty because such lukewarm Christians are trying to do it "their way" instead of "God's way".

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." --Matthew 7:21

You need to be very careful calling yourself a Christian but not doing the things that God commanded, or doing things "in the name of Jesus" for your own personal gain like many televangelists do who defraud and make merchandise from the saints.

The very definition of an evangelical Christian is one who loves God with all their heart, mind, and soul, loves others, (but not their sins such as those of homosexuals and adulterers), and obey the commands of God but knowing it is not obedience of these laws that gets you into heaven but relying fully upon the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, believing in Jesus for salvation and not any other compromising way such as "being a nice person and going to church." or "I think good thoughts about people which makes me good so that will get me into heaven."

When you cease being obedient unto God you by default cease being an evangelical Christian.