No they aren’t really monkeys. Today I hopefully put this term into the vernacular, and I’d like y’all to start using it: AIPs. These are the Asses In Pews. The people that are systematically succored and churned through a postmodern corporate church for the purpose of being a warm body in a chair and giving financial gratuities. Oh sorry, I meant “building the kingdom,” how terribly careless of me.
You could also call them marks or suckers, sadly.
But they fill the churches, up and down! It’s not entirely the AIPs’s fault, they are only doing what they’re told, after all: blindly trusting an institution which has fooled them into thinking it is sacred and infallible, based on the reputation of much better men than on display.
“You must pay your taxes tithes to really get God’s blessing. Try it and see how you get blessed!”
“You have to join a church, any church, doesn’t matter just join a church!” (this is broad-spectrum marketing as it benefits all churches without causing controversy. A rising tide lifts all boats).
“You need to be under Church authority!”
“Only we have the right theology.”
On and on it goes. You’ll hear some truly outrageous things said in God’s name, if you become an AIP. It’s genuinely stupefying how many “pastors”, “priests”, “churches” and “christians” clearly live their lives with the belief that God doesn’t exist. It’s just a stable career to these pastors and a better carnal life for the AIPs.
Matthew 18: 18-20,
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Acts 2: 42-47,
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Psalms 14:1-4,
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread
and do not call upon the LORD?The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
You can tell by their actions and words that they really don’t think they’re ever going to get their comeuppance. No punishment, no loss of salvation (or never receiving it in the first place), never a loss of reputation or worldly things. They really think this is what The Faith is about: pursue worldly gain and worldly things, get a degree from a liberal cemetery Christian Seminary, put a vaguely god-ish veneer on it, ignore any criticism and shut down all dissent and BOOM!
You’re holy now. You are God’s authority now! A liberal cemetery has set you on course and how could that be wrong? You’re right without fail, you have the institution-approved authority, haters gonna hate.
It doesn’t matter that you live exactly like the unbelievers, and think exactly like them. It doesn’t matter that you compromise on all things Biblical to fit in with the culture — heck yes, accept homosexuality, women preaching and being pastors, dressing promiscuously, chasing profit, usury — it’s all good, man. You don’t have to pay tithes and get tax write-offs You’re doing important charity work by buying an $80,000 car for the pastor! God wanted to bless him with it!
Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Also, we need to be liberated from this tyrannical God guy. His salvation and liberty costs worldly things and that’s just too high a price for me to pay.
Here’s 10% for my guilt, cover me preacher!
In a mirror darkly
Nothing in history is more ironic than the way in which Protestantism, begun with earnest desire to follow God and as a rebellion against a corrupt Catholic church, has actually come full-circle to becoming just like Catholicism in the worst way. Same errors, corruption, and all! Protestants won’t openly say the things that Catholics are at least honest enough to admit, but it’s the same schtick:
Yes we’re God’s sole authority
Yes you must direct your income to us for it to be spiritually valid and count with God’s accounting
Only our words count
Everyone else is wrong
Our theology and eschatology is absolutely right!
Just go to church
Give and see how much God blesses you
when you give to usblah blah blah
The AIPs are running the zoo. Every single mega church, the Catholic church, and all the smaller aspiring-megachurches employ the same reasoning and arguments. They all want bougie AIPs that provide a steady stream of revenue, they don’t want the poor, homeless, desperate, needy, none of that ickiness; they want nice, stable, dual-income households that have a kid or two and can consistently give a beefy 10% of their income. Single moms also welcome! They’ll teach men how to be beta cucks of irresponsible women.
If you are a net outflow to a church, they will almost universally shun you. Some churches and christians try to do good charity work, but really not that many and even the ones who try often realize they’re in over their heads. Homelessness in particular is a problem that can’t be solved by charity, along with single motherhood and abortion. Throwing money at it doesn’t make it go away.
So many formerly-good churches and christians have tried to do right, only to discover that it’s all way too far gone in the postmodern West to tackle any real issue comfortably. To avoid this discomfort, they create a social club of ‘their people’ and either cultivate or become the AIPs.
This is what churchianity has become: the planet of the AIPs. A lot of them were, shamefully, once genuine believers that actually did things. Not anymore, and now they spread their contagion as much as they can to make even more AIPs for even more profit and social validation.
Don’t join them, not even once.
Shalom, be a goyim to the Zionists at least.
I used to share a lot of your opinions but i am beginning to kinda get it. The church should never be where you get your meat and potatoes. Its more of a hands in/break that you see before a game. To touch base and restore the tank surrounded by like minded people and just have normal conversations from a similar foundation. Now i am in no way saying that any church is perfect, far from it, they are flawed just like the people who sit in them. Believe me, i was right there with you with the criticism, but as i learn about grace, i am realizing that its not just grace to the sinners, its about grace to those who know not the muck and the mire, who have never stepped out of line far enough to feel immersed in sin. I have come to see that their struggle is very real and quite different from mine. I know what i left behind, but they will always have that small voice asking"what if?" As for those spilling blasphemous doctrine, they will be judged harsher than the rest of us, so i am trying to learn to have grace with them too. Think about the times anybody ever changed your heart or mind, was it with the judgment of the first testament, or was it with the heart of Christ in the new? All along we have asked for examples, we got kings, but they, as human, also fell short, so our Father sent the ultimate example. I admire your ponderings and the way you phrase the wanderings of your mind. Thank you for writing
In all this i agree, the pursuit of the Father is a deeply personal one, if the only place you get the word is at church, it is easy to be led astray. Something seen in the catholic church of old, which preferred its "AIPs" didnt read it for them selves. Ultimately i just wanted to say that you are a raindrop created by God and sent to the earth to ripple the pool of other raindrop sitting stagnant, and we never know who those ripples will touch, what waves they will make. Often times its not the one being spoken to, but the silent bystanders. As you mentioned your walk has become a lonely one and i guess thats why i even bothered to comment in the first place. Alas i still have hope, that you may not feel so lonely and that the people being led astray could turn back. God forgives the humble and maybe some of these people in churches have had it easy, or as i like to call it, spiritually priviledged in as much as the Father will not give them more than they can handle. My super power is that i am pigheaded and need to suffer much to learn and so i just cant lose hope for any lost soul out there, because that couldve been me