Letters
August 14, 2003
August 14, 2003
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Letters
August 14, 2003 |
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Dear Editor, J. Gresham Machen was, in several important ways, an ill-tempered crank. But as I read more about the Episcopal Church's recent convention, and reflect on our own denomination's troubles, I'm beginning to think he may have been onto something after all. Take, for example, the words of newly-anointed Bishop Gene Robinson, as they appeared twice in the Washington Post: "Just simply to say that it [same-sex intercourse] goes against tradition and the teaching of the church and Scripture does not necessarily make it wrong. We worship a living God, and that living God leads us into truth." I'd love to lampoon that. I really would. I just can't make it sound any sillier than Robinson does on his own. Never mind dumping his wife for another man – our Episcopalian brothers and sisters should have defrocked this guy for spouting ridiculous heretical nonsense to a national news outlet. But then something really terrifying hit me – this was no slip of the tongue. Robinson really believes what he said. Worse yet, I have no idea what relation any of it has to even remotely orthodox Christian thought. It's an entirely different religion. Of course, no one knows precisely which religion the Episcopalians are now peddling, but apparently some within our own denomination are interested in buying franchise rights. Doug King's eloquent and refreshingly honest commentary outlines a few simple steps the PCUSA could take to get in on the act: 1) Make outward forms (liturgy, music, incense, enormous chairs, pointy hats, etc.) rather than substance (theology, Scripture, and other boring stuff) the focus of our "unity". 2) Eliminate the "Biblicist/literalist element" with all of its nasty "abstract ideas" (once again, Scripture and theology). 3) Focus on "experience" as the arbiter of all things: "...change has come about in the Episcopal Church not through arguments about doctrine or church law, but through experience: the experience of the humanity and the grace that people have seen in other people, that have finally outweighed the differences in affectional orientation and the fears of "difference." Neglecting for a moment the fact that I haven't the slightest clue what the second half of that sentence means, I'd like to suggest something. In keeping with Mr. King's proposals, I'd like to rename our own denomination's Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity in the PC(USA). My personal favorite is the Experiential Society for the Propogation of Formalism, Mutual Appreciation, and the Avoidance of Biblicism, but I'm open to suggestion. After all, why go to the trouble of starting a new religion if you don't get to name it? Yours in Christ, Andy Scott Senior, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Send your letter to:
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