Monday, April 03, 2006

Christianity evolving?

Yesterday, John Spong, the infamous Episcopalean claimant to the title of bishop, was scheduled to speak in Nashville, according to The Tenessean. The article was kind of all over the place, as is often the case when talking with someone who is not rooted firmly in the truth, so this posting is kind of all over the place as well.

While John Shelby Spong makes claims to being a Christian, it is clear that he is embracing an interpretation of the faith that doesn't square with the truth.

"Spong calls for a global 'New Reformation,' mixing old rationalism and new mysticism. Theism is dead, he says. Find new ways to speak of God. Shed religion's miracles, seek truth, give Christianity the chance 'to be the song of the universe, sung by those who have come of age.'

This "those who have come of age" is the epitome of the spirit of our age. "We are adults," the cry goes, "and we don't need anyone to tell us what to do. We can find our own way -- in fact, we can make our own way to eternal happiness." Besides the fact that goes directly contrary to what Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, for it is to just such as these that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs," and "Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God," it also displays an arrogance on the order of that of the devil -- "No, God knows that if you eat of this, you will be like gods yourselves knowing good and evil."

This quote is most telling: "I couldn't be more excited about the future of the Christian faith," he declares, "but it will be a different faith." In other words, it won't be Christianity anymore. So why the secular press continue to call him a Christian is beyond me -- except for the fact that they don't, as the blog says, "get religion."

"A huge group goes underrepresented," The Tennesean's reporter writes, "moderates who reject literalism but who haven't given up on the Bible's strange power to energize their lives. They're alert to the Golden Rule, the prophets, and, yes, Jesus' resurrection. Who speaks for them? Neither left nor right." Then they should go to the Catholic Church which is simply true, neither left nor right.

"Truth will never destroy God," Spong says. "It might destroy my image of God, but not God." This is true -- but the truth could destroy all the false images of God in which John Spong and his followers have placed their trust. And if they have placed too much of themselves in their falsehoods, the truth could end up destroying them.

No comments: