This reminds me of the passage in James Joyce where Stephen says he's leaving the Church, his friend asks if he's becoming Protestant, and Stephen says something like: I said I'd lost my faith, not my self-respect!
I was raised a Presbyterian, went through a phase in the 60s where religion was relegated to, not the back burner, but off the stove. Then I got married and became a Methodist —40 year's ago— with a commitment that ebbed and flowed. However, I have actually read much of Albert Outler's work on Wesleyan theology.
But...in my old age, I am finding the Methodist church a shell of what it once was. It is now "progressive," which I define, bluntly to be sure, as an anti-Christian fundamentalist movement, so committed, that they’ve watered down Christianity to mean panenthieistic humanitarianism with an ancient Jew named Jesus as cover. It’s a counterfeit religion breathlessly created by its theologically shallow adherents to support their own politically progressive image—and Jesus was a really good guy, like Gandhi or Martin Luther King. But Jesus only said 20% of what the Bible says he did...he only said that which supports progressivism; and those parts must be taken literally. You see, Jesus was really a socialist, even a Marxist—and maybe he was married; or even better, he was gay—and he’s dead.
I find little to be excited about, with this or fundamentalism...the center cannot hold.
The Catholic Church may be the only orthodox thing left.
This reminds me of the passage in James Joyce where Stephen says he's leaving the Church, his friend asks if he's becoming Protestant, and Stephen says something like: I said I'd lost my faith, not my self-respect!
ReplyDeleteNo offense....
I was raised a Presbyterian, went through a phase in the 60s where religion was relegated to, not the back burner, but off the stove. Then I got married and became a Methodist —40 year's ago— with a commitment that ebbed and flowed. However, I have actually read much of Albert Outler's work on Wesleyan theology.
ReplyDeleteBut...in my old age, I am finding the Methodist church a shell of what it once was. It is now "progressive," which I define, bluntly to be sure, as an anti-Christian fundamentalist movement, so committed, that they’ve watered down Christianity to mean panenthieistic humanitarianism with an ancient Jew named Jesus as cover. It’s a counterfeit religion breathlessly created by its theologically shallow adherents to support their own politically progressive image—and Jesus was a really good guy, like Gandhi or Martin Luther King. But Jesus only said 20% of what the Bible says he did...he only said that which supports progressivism; and those parts must be taken literally. You see, Jesus was really a socialist, even a Marxist—and maybe he was married; or even better, he was gay—and he’s dead.
I find little to be excited about, with this or fundamentalism...the center cannot hold.
The Catholic Church may be the only orthodox thing left.
You're welcome to join us anytime, Jim!
ReplyDelete