This raises its head again over at Monty's blog following Ben's trollish commentary.
The pick and mix culture of our pluralistic society gives some people the impression that they can take some aspects of the Chrisitian faith and apply them to their own individual brand of Christianity. That way they are still able to exercise total personal control over their belief system with no element of individual sacrifice. They apply their rules and not God's. They become comfortable with their "brand" and then have the audacity to try and convince others that it is the real deal and fix it in stone by giving it a label.
There are some key fundamentals of the Christian faith. Forgiveness is one of them.
I may not understand or indeed agree with all of what God instructs us to do. For example, total personal sacrifice for my God is one of them. And I certainly have major issues with today's Church and (to quote viewnewsandpews) spiritual bullying. (Check out the VNP blog and Tim's letter to Christianity Today)
However, I hope I am big enough to be flexible and contemplate the issues with which I'm not fully happy in the hope that one day I might fully understand.
I tell you something,it's far from easy. In fact some days it's like wading through treacle.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
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3 comments:
Yes, this is serious stuff.
Shortly after I was converted I decided to investigate the quasi-Christian cults. The experience was a very unpleasant one. There was absolutely no chance that I would have got sucked into any of the cults – I found myself reacting with absolute horror and contempt at the cult ethos. On returning to the main stream church I was sometimes shocked to find, occasionally, the cult ethos, growing like some alien canker in the damp basements of the main stream church – for example the Restorationists of 1970-80 period looked frighteningly cult-like in their ethos. I don’t think I had realised the true danger of investigating the cults – I knew there was no chance I would get sucked into these most contemptible institutions – but behind it all I was suffering from a creeping cynicism about “religion” that was in danger of devouring my faith. Fortunately it didn’t.
This might sound strange but to me it is very gratifying to see you, Monty and Ben slugging it out on the knotty deserters issue without fear that some autocratic religious patriarch is going to interrupt your discussion and call you all to order. Above all, as you have identified we are the beneficiaries of someone else’s sacrifice and forgiveness. As long as we appropriate that Great Work there is an underlying unity and I am proud to be part of a community that has the freedom and intelligence to engage in the sort of discussion mentioned.
One other thing: Thinking about the First World War: There was, I think, such a thing as a black ‘trench humor’ - To protect themselves, the soldiers would even joke about the subject of death. Well, think of VNP as my kind of trench humor! Its helps stop creeping cynicism!
PS: Why do I now have to post to your's and Helen's blog using my Google acount? What's changed?
The baptsit church is plenty cultish enough for me.
Although i have been known to get involved in a touch of spirit led behaviour in my time, I find it worrying to see the amount of "emotional persuasion" and manipulation that goes on at some meetings. Fortunately, I have always easily been able to "switch off" any unreasonable behaviour from the platform or from those around me.
As someone involved in the facilitation of worship, I am only
too aware of the power of music on the emotions. Sometimes I feel that I have crossed the line (wherever that line is I'm not sure) but then again it is certainly not intentional - I'm just doin the worshippin thang. It does worry me though.
But then again, worship is very personal and I try to encourage individual worship and not get drawn in by what everyone else may be doing.
Ah, and where would we be without black humour. Although not that black but dark enough for its genre, that last episode of blackadder goes forth is probably my favourite sit com episode.
ps the comments thing is drinving me crazy - is something to do with the new beta version of blogger
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