The spokesman for this opinion is none other than Bishop Minerva Carcaño of San Francisco, one of the most liberal bishops of United Methodism’s most liberal jurisdictions. Remember that she was one of the bishops who insisted that the denomination’s supreme court, the Judicial Council reverse its decision against the Western Jurisdiction’s choice of an openly partnered lesbian activist Dr. Karen Oliveto as bishop (someone who should not have been considered remotely qualified for that office). What is even stranger is that the Western Jurisdiction is in free fall decline and now represents less than 3% of the church’s members. Now these liberals are insisting that it was a conservative plan all along to create a new denomination and is threatening to withhold money from those mission churches who had the audacity to disagree with them.
Bishop Carcaño admitted: “As the weakest of all the jurisdictions, the West has been dependent on the connectional church for its survival. Loss of the connectional relationship will accelerate its decline.” How strange that is. Their liberalism in what is perhaps the most liberal area of the country has not at all contributed to growth but only hastened their decline. Again, the progressives are searching for a way to blame conservatives not only for their decline but for their need to start a new denomination. Sound familiar? Of course it does. This is typically the way things go for inclusives who welcome anyone except those who disagree with them.
So this is old news, you might be thinking, and what is my point? My point is this. Since when did the Scripture promote or the ancient church sanction change at the expense of the sacred deposit and faithful tradition passed down since the apostles? Apparently, that is the new breath of some sort of spirit that is blowing within many churches. Change means abandoning the faith once delivered to the saints. Whether we are talking about doctrine or practice, that is the agenda of progressives. Distance yourself from the past and even from the explicit word of Scripture in order to achieve the aims of culture and the dream of enlightenment. This is true of United Methodists and Lutherans and Anglicans and Roman Catholics. The forces against the intrusion of the world's beliefs and values upon the churches must rally against the charge that they are the cause of schism and put the blame right where it belongs. Change or die -- that is the mantra of the progressive movement. But what it really is about is change AND die. Remember that the churches in the most liberal areas of the nation who have adopted such changes to radically disconnect them from their past have not done better but have only hastened their decline. This is the common truth everywhere. The hermeneutic of continuity is not the path to our downfall but the only path to our sustainability and growth.
Liberalism is rather like an infectious disease. I have a friend (I suppose I can still call her that) whom I have known for over 50 years that is a west coast Methodist and an avid support of this heretical woman. I first met my friend long ago when she was a student at an entirely traditional little Methodist college in central Texas, Southwestern University. I know that, in the course of getting her SU degree she had many required courses in Bible and theology, even through she was a math major. But she has been in Palo Alto, CA, for most of the past 50 years, and the change is simply astonishing. She is no longer willing to discuss theological matters with me because she knows that we will disagree and she is evidently uncomfortable defending her position. This was not always the case, but it shows the effects of the progressive infection, to the point of burning bridges with those whom you cannot convince. It makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteFr.D+
Continuing Anglican Priest
"Liberalism is rather like an infectious disease."
ReplyDeleteWith their support of murder by abortion and euthansia, their promotion of sexual perversion, their socialistic violation of the seventh commandment, their antiChristian hatemongering, it's more like demonic possession... thus the description, demonicrat.
Richard Strickert...needs some new materials. Come on, you are not so soggy on the brain that you must resort simply to repeating yourself ad naseum? Right? Or...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
ReplyDeleteYou do recall that Pastor Peters stated that he expected civility by those posting on this board, don't you ? Is there some reason why you think you're exempt the guideline laid out by Pastor Peters ?