In 2002 authors Frank Viola, and George Barna, undertook to deliver a work called "Pagan Christianity, Exploring The Roots Of Our Church Practices" in which the claim was made that after reading the book one would have "Tough questions. Nagging questions. Even frightening questions." and that what we would be left with would be "disturbing answers" that would lead us to "the richest truths that Christians can discover" (1)
While I can say that they were certainly correct, because after reading just a portion of the book, I am left with some tough questions, nagging questions and even some frightening questions, but not necessarily for reasons that either of them thought or intended that anyone would be left with such questions.
Needless to say I am frightened at the completely overstated assumptions, special pleading, genetic fallacy and straw men arguments that Frank and George have delivered in order to critique and , in Frank's own words, "deconstruct" the modern church. While he does deliver a great deal of information, his assumptions are flawed and rooted heavily in genetic fallacy. All of this has led us to not only ask the tough questions of ...what the heck were they thinking???.... and the nagging question of, "why would someone who does not honor or acknowledge the system of the church seek to profit from it, all at the same time trying to destroy it?"...But we ask other frightening questions such as why would authors interlace and mix so much error with truth if the whole point was to help reform the church? Similar to many groups that seek to undermine Christianity, Frank and George are ultimately making the case that post 1st century, Christianity has merely borrowed it's practices from Paganism and is not centered in truth. What is further puzzling is that they make these assertions as opposed to looking further to see the Jewish roots of many modern Christian beliefs and practices.
A Brief Example:
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