Bob disappeared for about three weeks, but he’s back now. More fodder for jokers like me. Anyway, he’s mentioned an editorial by a guy with the Institute on Religion and Democracy, who took a poorly aimed shot at a group of mainline clergy who asked for the minimum wage to be raised.
But note the tone of utter moral certainty from the prelates. The various Episcopal and Lutheran bishops, presbyters, and Methodist functionaries who signed on, along with an ecumenical smattering of others, would never and probably could never proclaim with such certitude any traditional articles of their own faith such as the virgin birth or bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, not to mention moral teachings about homosexuality or abortion. On these issues, they would likely boast of their “diversity” of opinion.
This is a dumb argument. I’m putting Mark Tooley on timeout for making sane conservatives look bad by ideological association. He’s serving a 5-minute minor for unsporstmanlike conduct (and stupidity). It’s only a minor because the op-ed is quite good and I agree with most of it, but that was a cheap shot, and not valid at all.
Anyway, you should read all of Bob’s post, but this is the bit that bothers me:
So that’s it. The Nigerian Anglican Church in America, or whatever they call themselves, is a response to a single retired Episcopalian Bishop. Never mind that Spong does not represent anyone but himself, and that the ECUSA sticks with a traditional Christian orthodoxy, much less the rest of the mainline. Apparently we are all Spongians now.
Has he not seen Bp. Jefferts-Schori’s recent interview? She makes claims that are definitely not in line with Orthodoxy. Of course, she’s probably not stating the ECUSA’s official position, but she is the head of the denomination. She says, among other things, that Jesus isn’t the only way to God. Now, I know that she’s free to believe that if she chooses, and Bob’s commenters would agree, but is that belief acceptable for a church leader? We’re not talking about politics or society, this is theology, and it goes directly against Scripture.
Bob also states that he’s never heard a Lutheran express anything resembling Spong’s remarks, that “traditional theism is ‘dead,’ the incarnation is ‘nonsense,’ the resurrection of Jesus is a fiction, or the understanding of the cross is ‘a barbarous idea.’ I am an ELCA minister, and one of our pastoral staff has expressed–in private, in classes, and from the pulpit–his belief that the Gospels are not an account of Jesus’ life, but dramatized, with some truth and some fiction, to “illustrate” for the audience the principles of faith. Those thought’s definitely resemble Spongs, and many come directly from Marcus Borg, a scholar of the “historical Jesus”. It’s happening, Bob just chooses not to notice.
I agree with commenter Jarred about the problem with binary thinking. There’s middle ground, and theological orthodoxy doesn’t rule out socio-political progressivism.
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2 responses so far...
Well, maybe it’s my bad luck for this being the first and only Lutheran congregation I’ve been a part of.
But I have seen faith statements from ELCA churches that seemed almost Deistic, and so when I heard the sermons and conversations that I mentioned, it set off my internal alarm.
You, having much more experience in the Lutheran church, could probably fill in the gaps that I’m seeing.
Blogs4God
No, really, it’s not that I choose not to notice, it’s that I personally have never heard that view expressed by a Lutheran. Maybe I don’t get around much, but I haven’t run into anyone with views like the pastor you mention.