...But most of all I do not want to hear any more from the Rev. Gretta Vosper, the minister at West Hill United Church who has apparently managed the ultimate doublethink. She has removed God, Jesus, the resurrection and most of the Bible from her services, yet claims to be a Christian.
She has just written a controversial book called With or Without God in which she discusses the need for Christianity to reform. In her case, that means dropping Jesus off a cliff and making up some kind of "spirituality" instead. There's no "big Godism" at her church, she says. Indeed, there is no God at all by the sounds of it. Doesn't that make her a pagan," one talk show caller wondered after listening to her.
It's more than a little pathetic and goes a long way toward explaining why the United Church is the most rapidly shrinking of Canada's mainstream churches. It may also explain why the church is having a bit of a struggle coming up with a new statement of beliefs.
Take the Christ out of Christianity and what's left? A Tim Hortons coffee club, that's what. What can they be thinking at the United Church of Canada?
There seem to be schisms developing in many churches these days, and they generally center around the conflict between absolute truth (i.e. the Bible) vs. moral relativism (everything is o.k. as long as nobody's getting hurt).
It's just one more manifestation of a weak culture that badly wishes to justify self-serving, hedonistic pursuits and has thereby rendered itself vulnerable to others with more discipline and purpose.
8 comments:
Hell, for them everythings okay even when people get hurt.
The United Church went to moral purgatory decades ago when their convention decided that a belief in Christ's divinity wasn't required under their doctrine.
And,,,, I cannot figure out how these folks can accept their ability to believe in some form of supernatural spiritualism, but exclude that this would seem to be congruent with the belief that maybe Jesus was supernaturally spiritual.
They spend most of their time reading Margaret Atwood and complaining about people who actually do things.
The United Church went to moral purgatory decades ago when their convention decided that a belief in Christ's divinity wasn't required under their doctrine.
I wonder why they still consider themselves 'Christian'? Or perhaps they don't?
The word "Christian" as used today, does not have to mean someone who believes in the God described in the Bible. It is one of those words that has been so hijacked and misused that it no longer necessarily means what it says.
Other words are also in the process of being thrown under the bus of distortions and lies as well (ie. "evangelical"). The process, as I see it, usually begins with persons claiming to be this or that behaving badly - then other members of the greater society, who are already ill-informed on the subject(s), pick up on these distortions and make broad associations. Add to this the constant bombardment of disinformation by those totally opposed to Christianity, Israel, (or whatever the subject may be), and over time, the words become redefined.
t is one of those words that has been so hijacked and misused that it no longer necessarily means what it says.
Somewhat the way we've redefined the family and the word 'marriage'.
Words begin to become meaningless.
Well, that explains something. My church is of a fairly sparsely-populated doctrine, even here in Winnipeg (Ukrainian Catholic) but I see the parish family growing week by week. The priest a) is engaging and evangelizing, and b) never compromises church doctrine--as it should be.
Growing. Despite "hard-line" uncompromising doctrine. Hmmmm.
Johann
Growing. Despite "hard-line" uncompromising doctrine. Hmmmm.
Johann, that's very interesting. It backs up the theory that if you water the doctrine down to such an extent that it doesn't stand for anything, then what's the point of going to church? It becomes a mere social event.
People actually do need rules and boundaries.
Rules and boundaries? Joanne...you even have on your blog...'The Truth' will set you free.
Rules are for religion. Faith in Jesus and the Resurrection is about a relationship and freedom.
In our town the congregations sticking with the Truth are bursting at the seams.
People are seeking..truth.
The recent Macleans (march 31/08) was a lame attempt to explain the washed out religions.
Just what do they have faith in?
Rules are for religion. Faith in Jesus and the Resurrection is about a relationship and freedom.
Agreed. But even Jesus had rules. i.e. the Golden Rule. And the Bible has boundaries.
Post a Comment