Dumbing down - the deliberate diminishment of the intellectual level of the content of schooling and education.
The “Downgrade Controversy” of Charles Spurgeon’s day only seems to have gotten worse. All the precious doctrines of Christianity and all the wealth of the 66 books of the Bible often seems to be thought of as not important. All the details and doctrine of the Christian faith seem to have been reduced to an extreme minimum. So much so that the question becomes: “How small can the core of Christianity become and yet still contain enough information to be considered viable for true faith?”
Dumbing down and reducing Christianity causes believers to become lazy students of God’s Word. Before long, Christians assume they know all there is to know about the Bible even though they have only barely scratched the surface.
Christianity is not just a mystical religion that is based on feelings and the unknown. It does contain faith, but not a blind faith. It is rooted in faith and facts. Christianity does involve the intellect. It is the duty of ministers and parents to teach sound doctrine and the full council of God.
The amount of material that needs to be taught to our children will never be accomplished by one lesson per week in a Sunday School Class. Even two hours in church per week is really only about 20 minutes of actual Bible Study, at best.
Schools would not pass a child to the next level who only spent 20 minutes a week studying a textbook. Yet, for some reason, many Christians believe this is all it takes to learn everything there is to know about Christianity.
Timothy was Paul’s right-hand man. He had been raised with a great knowledge of the Word, yet Paul tells him, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. . . Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:13, 1 Timothy 15-16).
Learning scripture is no small task. It should not be dumbed down just because ministers or parents have become lazy in the teaching of it.
The Bible remains a large book that requires serious study in order to truly learn its content. Churches and parents must teach the whole Word of God to ensure the well-balanced diet that brings spiritual maturity.
Dr. Trey Talley, Lead Pastor and Elder