Parsing the growing theology divide
Re Liberal theology is shrinking congregations, Opinion Dec. 18 In reading David Haskell’s article, I hastily came to the conclusion that if conservative Christian theology makes for growing conservative Christian congregations and conservative Christian congregations vote overwhelming for guys like Donald Trump, God bless the liberal churches with shrinking congregations, for they are the light of the world. But just because one’s theology is conservative does it necessarily mean one’s politics are conservative? Conservative Christians do believe that the words of Christ are of pre-eminent and singular authority, but there is nothing in Christ’s teaching that sounds anything like Trump.
“Loving one’s enemies,” “turning the other cheek” and “giving all one’s possessions to the poor to follow Christ,” don’t sound conservative at all. In truth Christ’s politics are so radical he wouldn’t win an elected office anywhere. Least of all in most churches.
It’s one thing for our churches to grow and another for them to make a lasting impact. The difference lies not as much in what we believe but how we put what we believe into practice. If our beliefs make for walls, legitimize greed, foster racial bias and hate crimes, they are least of all Christian even if accompanied by an unequivocal statement of belief in the physical resurrection of Christ.
The test of whether our beliefs are Christian or not is whether they do good to our neighbour. Christianity, when done right, does no harm to its neighbours.
The reason so many people outside Christianity have become disillusioned with Christian churches is the disconnect between what Christians do and what Jesus taught. Whenever a church bridges that divide, the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood is transformative. It is Christmas all over again. John Deacon, Thornhill
Isn’t the only truly pertinent question this: Why are people so easily hoodwinked by any theologian into believing, with no proof whatsoever, in the existence of any kind of god at all? Bruce Van Dieten, Toronto
So theological conservatives build congregations and liberal theology causes declining numbers of churchgoers. On the one hand the offering is a place in heaven after you die provided you allow yourself the suspension of logic and a commitment to a fallacy borne of wishful thinking. On the other hand a liberal theology might allow that your spiritual commitment might not include anything more than peace and tranquility in this life since that’s all you have anyway.
You might also want to invoke Pascal’s wager and take a precarious view from the fence. Ronald J. MacPherson, Port Colborne