Is Christianity Obsolete?

Why the Church Still Matters in a World That’s Moved On

A growing number of people today don’t reject Christianity because they think it’s false — they simply think it’s irrelevant. Outdated. Obsolete. Something society has outgrown.

Sociologist Christian Smith has recently described religion in America as something like a print newspaper. Not hated. Not attacked. Just… unnecessary. Something people assume belonged to a previous era.

And if you’re honest, maybe you’ve felt this way too. But here’s the surprising truth:

Christianity isn’t obsolete. But a certain version of Christianity is.

The version that feels like a relic…
The version that feels distant, rigid, disconnected from real life…
The version that doesn’t seem to speak to the real fears, longings, and questions of modern people…

That form of Christianity is fading.

But the Christianity of Jesus Christ — living, powerful, beautiful, surprising — is anything but obsolete. It’s the most relevant reality in the world.

Let me show you why.

1. The Human Heart Hasn’t Evolved

Technology has changed.
Phones have changed.
Social structures have changed.

But the things that keep people awake at night haven’t.
We still wrestle with:

• guilt
• loneliness
• fear
• shame
• meaning
• identity
• death
• hope

And Christianity speaks to those things with a piercing clarity:

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Jesus

That’s as relevant in 2025 as it was in the first century.

2. The World Is Getting More Connected and Less Grounded

We have unlimited information, yet we’re starving for wisdom.
We have more digital “friends,” yet less real community.
We are entertained constantly, yet rarely satisfied.

Christianity is not obsolete — it is countercultural medicine for a restless age.

• Rootedness in a world of drift
• Truth in a world of spin
• Community in a world of isolation
• Purpose in a world of distraction
• Grace in a world of exhaustion

The reason so many people are burnt out is because we were not designed to live shallow lives.

3. You Can’t Outgrow the God Who Created You

If Christianity were merely a philosophy, maybe it could wear out.
If it were just a tradition, maybe it could go stale.

But Christianity is about a Person — the risen Jesus Christ.

You don’t outgrow Him.
You can ignore Him.
You can misunderstand Him.
You can reject Him.

But you cannot render Him obsolete.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And He is still calling people — skeptics, doubters, wanderers, the spiritually curious — to come and see who He really is.

4. What You Actually Want in Life Is Exactly What Jesus Offers

You want forgiveness?
You want freedom?
You want purpose?
You want a clean conscience?
You want a community that cares?
You want a life that matters — today and forever?

That’s Christianity.

Not the cultural version.
Not the political version.
Not the nostalgic version.

But the real thing.

5. The Church Isn’t a Museum — It’s on a Mission

At Central Presbyterian Church, our goal isn’t to recreate the past.

We’re here because we believe Jesus is alive, His Word is trustworthy, and His mission in Orange County — and across the world — is unstoppable.

We are:

• Rooted in Scripture
• Reverent in worship
• Relational in community
• Relentless in mission

And we’d love for you to explore the Christian faith with us.
Whether you’re skeptical, curious, returning after years away, or just searching for hope — you are welcome.

Christianity is not obsolete.
But many people have never seen the real thing.

Come and see......