Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to the article by Berry Craig, and, in that response, answer the question asked by Robert Bullock.

Berry Craig writes...

"The Laymen and the CCM are what most Presbyterians are not: ideologues, folks who, according to historian Paul F. Boller, believe "they have final answers to the big questions about human existence in their grasp and consequently the obligation to force their views on the rest of the world..."

While I am sure the good folks in the Witherspoon society applauded his accusations against, and his assertions about, other Presbyterians (why else would they publish his article so prominently?), his arguments fail to fit the facts of the situation currently faced by the PCUSA.

I cannot, and will not, speak for the Laymen, but as a CCM pastor I can say that we have never professed to have the "final answers to the big questions about human existence in our grasp". Nor have we ever tried to "force our views on the rest of the world". Mr. Craig's hyperbole is a bit effusive... perhaps even elusive.

We have made statements about what we believe, truly hoping that most Presbyterians believe that Jesus Christ is of utmost importance for our lives and responsible for the salvation of the world...that the Holy Scriptures, both Hebrew and Christian, are the authoritative Word of God for our life... and that our faith should be reflected in our life together. Ironically, we have found that many Presbyterians don't agree with us. We have discovered that these three statements have all sorts of different meanings for different people... meanings that we do not believe bring honor and glory to Christ or His Church.

What is even more surprising about Mr. Craig's article is that he claims we are trying to force our views upon others. Unless I am mistaken, never before in the history of the Presbyterian Church has the Church accepted the viewpoints Mr. Craig and the Witherspoon society support. Never before has homosexuality, or bisexuality, been acceptable as a "lifestyle choice"... it has always been referred to as a sin. Never before have persons been ordained to office, of whom the Church knew that they were living such lifestyles. And yet, the rest of us are being "forced" to accept this new viewpoint as the new orthodoxy of the Presbyterian Church. If we do not acquiesce, then we are the 21st century fundamentalists... the Neanderthals who will soon be extinct once the rest of the world "wakes up" and imposes its "truth" upon us.

Just who is it, in this situation, that feels obligated to force their views on the rest of the world?

Mr. Bullock asks the question... How connected must a Presbyterian Church be?

It has to be connected enough that the Berry Craig's in our midst are not applauded for demeaning others who disagree with them. While Mr. Bullock is trying hard to find "common ground" to hold us together, we are losing ground (and members) because no one wants to admit that reunion has turned out to be a bust. We are too different theologically and in our polity. We are too different in the ways we speak to, and about, one another. We are too different in our willingness to be acculturated, or to stand against the culture. We are too different in our visions of what it takes to be united in Christ.

The truth of the matter is... whether we remain connected institutionally, or go our separate ways denominationally... we will always be united in Jesus Christ, who loves us all despite our foibles and our fallacies. The shame of it is... we have too many Berry Craig's on both sides "slamming" the opposition, and too many Robert Bullock's who are not yet ready to let go of the past in order to grab on to the future.

Come soon Lord Jesus...

Shalom,

Rev. Malcolm M. King III
Pastor, 1st Presbyterian Church
La Follette, TN