The 'slippery slope' theory has brought much fear to conservative Protestant churches. The idea behind the Slippery Slope is that some event must inevitably follow from another without any  proof of the certainty of the event in question. This sort of "reasoning" is false because there is no basis to believe that one event must inevitably follow from another without proof for such a claim.

     Mark Dunagen in an article he wrote for the Internet has this to say about how the slippery slope got it's teeth in to the Protestant church.:

 'The 19th century Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon became concerned with  what he saw as a "down-grade", meaning that he saw faith going downhill (we would say the "slippery-slope"). The Downgrade controversy began with Spurgeon's publication of   two anonymous articles by a fellow Baptist, which lament trends away from biblical   fundamentals, compromises with the world, and the unwillingness of even otherwise orthodox preachers to oppose those whose soundness was questionable. He saw evangelicals using entertainment as a tool for church growth, and he believed that was subverting the church's priorities. He feared that frivolous diversions and carnal amusements in the church would eventually destroy people's appetites for real worship and preaching of God's Word.' 1

Question: What does this slippery slope sound like in many conservative Protestant Christians?

     The thought flows downhill like this:

    Casual dress will slide the people down the slope to a more  casual attitude to the necessity of the Scripture in  corporate worship.

     More singing, especially contemporary choruses, will slide people down the slope into wanting less preaching in worship.

    Informality in worship will slide the people down the slope to a lack of reverence for God.

    Raising hands, kneeling for prayer and the increased use of the body in worship will slide the people down the slope to speaking in tongues, dancing and being slain in the spirit.

     Coming forward for the Lord's Supper, using candles in worship and adding a more historic liturgy to the corporate worship service will slide the people down the slope to becoming Catholic in their theology and practice.

Question: What is the problem with the slippery slope?

     We begin at the top and go straight to hell without passing go. Inherent in this idea , in this fear, is the assumption that there are no intermediary steps, no checks and balances, no trust in the churches leadership to keep the church fellowship from sliding off into theological oblivion.

     Most people in the church have no idea of the slippery slope argument until a few staunch conservatives, begin to stir up the hive by making reference to the slippery slope. Because these individuals are respected within the church, their comments begin to take hold and fear begins to grip those who never knew there was anything to fear. (even though there may  not be anything to fear)

     When this happens, responsible leadership has to put out fires of fear and doubt by constantly reassuring the flock that the slope is not as slippery as some may make it look. That being physically expressive in our worship does not mean we will end up speaking in tongues and accepting false or inadequate doctrine.

Read: 2 Timothy 1:7 said:

     Fear can not be that which dictates the direction any church will go. It also must not determine which postures, physical gestures and symbolic actions are appropriate for corporate worship.

     To many in the conservative, Protestant church, varying postures, physical gestures and symbolic actions in corporate worship just feel awkward, they smack of ritualism or they are overly Charismatic.

     Why? Because they have never had the meanings associated with such body movements in worship explained to them. And often what people don't understand, they rebel against.

     The bane of the conservative Protestant church  has been that it has taught that only certain postures, physical gestures and symbolic actions are appropriate for corporate worship. Or it has taught that certain body movements in corporate worship are for those who are still 'immature' in their faith and when the mature, they will put away childish things.

     The truth is, the body of Christ ought to be free to express the wide range of postures, physical gestures and symbolic actions prescribed and described in Scripture. To understand their freedom and to have the shackles of ignorance loosed from their bodies, it is the responsibility of leadership, especially the pastor, to educate both formally and informally the flock they shepherd. Truth will shine in spiritual darkness and God will be honored by our bodily sacrifice of praise.

EndNotes
1 Mark Dunagen, The Community Church Movement (Internet article accessed April 21, 2001)