Why I'm still not convinced (Main Forum)

by Debb , Monday, June 18, 2012, 11:22 (367 days ago) @ CathyT

Cathy, I really appreciated reading your post- a powerful piece of thinking and writing, and passionate, too. Passion is so much missing in much of theological discussion.

I really agree with this section of your post:

The important thing, I would've thought, is that our focus is on the meaning underlying the Biblical texts, regardless of whether we take the text literally or not. Certainly, when I think of people I've known, or read about, it's the people who live out the Gospel in every aspect of their lives, and who radiate God's love on to everyone around them - they're the ones I think of who truly understand, and have fully embraced, Jesus' message

The old saying, Christianity is caught, not taught, is very true.

The Church may claim to be Jesus' continued presence in the world, but all too often it fails to provide the community of love and healing that Jesus initiated, and that so many people yearn for.

True, true. Which is what our friend Macbee lives out. She listened to the "something or someone" who told her to go to the video shop, she encountered a woman there who felt lost and anxious, and gave that woman a big, gentle, reassuring hug, told her God loves her, and stayed talking with her for 20 mintes. That is Jesus' continued presence in the world.

well-educated, intellectual people . . . I can't help getting the impression that these are the only people that really matter in Tacey's world.

Sadly, you might be right.

the Church very often supported the values, structure and prejudices of mainstream society

and still does. Church schools, hospitals, welfare agencies have sold out to the mainstream. Just one small example: Our local school wants the kids to do well in the Naplan tests, to get vouchers from Coles and Woolies (big corporations that are busy screwing the small retailers, and, in the process, all of us). And when we get to the really big issues, like war and peace, we know which side much of the official church is on. Oh that we were all like Fr John Dear who goes to jail for protesting against the war machine.

Though of course, as I said, the Church leadership seems to have ignored the radical challenge of many Gospel texts anyway. In fact, I'd criticise the Church not for taking the Bible too literally, but, in some instances, not taking it literally enough!

Cathy, if the leadership took the serious radical challenges of the Gospel texts seriously, that would be one sure way to get a "smaller, purer church". Not many would want to join up. We'd all be sidelined as wierdos or criminalised as dissidents or terrorists.

Thinking again about what I just wrote, maybe if we took the Gospel seriously, we'd all be like St Mary MacKillop, working tirelessly for the poor, and being excommunicated by our bishops.

Anyway, Cathy, I want to thank you for the thought you have put into your response to Tacey, and the challenges you pose to us all in doing so.