One of the key places where sociology should be used is in analyzing 'the world' of our times, so that we can be more discerning. To resist the dangers of the world, you have to recognize the distortions and seductions of the world.
Interpretation
Sociology helps us critically understand and navigate the complexities of modern society.
The quote emphasizes the importance of sociology in analyzing contemporary societal structures and influences. By recognizing the distortions and enticements present in our world, individuals can become more discerning and better equipped to resist negative societal influences.
In practice
This quote can be used in a sociology class to illustrate the importance of critical thinking.
By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching committment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful, but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine outselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant
The story of Christian reformation, revival, and renaissance underscores that the darkest hour is often just before the dawn, so we should always be people of hope and prayer, not gloom and defeatism. God the Holy Spirit can turn the situation around in five minutes.
In other words, we are never freer than when we become most ourselves, most human, most just, most excellent, and the like.
We betray our modern arrogance and forget the place of mystery in God's dealing with us.
The question the doubter does not ask is whether faith was really useless or simply not used. What would you think of a boy who gave up learning to ride a bicycle, complaining that he hurt himself because his bicycle stopped moving so he had no choice but to fall off? If he wanted to sit comfortably while remaining stationary, he should not have chosen a bicycle but a chair. Similarly faith must be put to use, or it will become useless.
Either we conform our desires to the truth or we conform the truth to our desires.
What is man without the beasts? For if all the beast were gone, man would die of a great loneliness of the spirit.
Many things about our bodies would not seem to us so filthy and obscene if we did not have the idea of nobility in our heads.
No one should approach the temple of science with the soul of a money changer.
For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.
I was forced to stretch my thinking, to realize that sincere and honest people could believe in very divergent religious doctrines.
The minute the church and pastors start saying what do people want and then giving it to them, we betray our calling. We're called to have people follow Jesus. We're called to have people learn how to forgive their enemies.
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