Doctrine - How we got to where
we are and why
It is a
mark of liberal theology that "God is love " is overemphasized, in fact turned
into a fetish, at the expense of God's qualities of Justice and Holiness and Perfection
and Omnipotence. There are several obvious results. The real God of the
Bible is rejected and made irrelevant, and another god is set up in His place.
- By overemphasizing one aspect of God, there is an easy slide into universalism, based on
the rationale that a loving God would never really condemn anyone to hell. It allows
liberals to be non-confrontational and even accommodationist with sin, and they don't have
to boldly preach anything, as bold preaching might be seen as intolerant, which is, of
course, unloving, which is not part of the character of God. This kind of thinking also
allows a formless, distant, Deist type of god. Sans Jesus, He is a long way away, and not
much more than a quiet idol placed out of reach, to be dusted off and used ( primarily in
speeches about "all men are brothers") when we have a special "peace and
justice" problem or political agenda.
- A "God is Love" kind of God rebuts those nasty bigoted evangelicals who claim
that the Great Commission was important. Without the Great Commission as a distraction,
the church can become what the liberals posit that it should be- a non-judgmental social
welfare agency.
- A "God is Love" kind of God leads unerringly, if followed enough, to
Unitarianism, because what loving God could "plan" the torture and death of His
own Son? Therefore, we arrive at a pseudo-proof Jesus was merely a good man murdered by
evil men.
- A "God is Love" kind of God, leads us even further, as well. We can infer that
if God is love, and therefore "good", and He did not act to save Jesus, He must
be a very weak God indeed. His will and power were thwarted by those bad Euro-centric
Romans.
- The four theses above, if taken together, would indicate that the Bible is not the
inerrant product of plenary, verbal inspiration, intended by an omnipotent and Sovereign
holy God as instruction and encouragement for a hurting world. It would instead be merely
a collection of mid-eastern Semitic folk tales appended to a Madison Avenue type
manufactured mythos, written by "corrupt and designing priests ( to quote Joseph
Smith, Junior) "... to entrap the unwary and give power to a eurocentric,
imperialistic church. Since the Bible is not, then what the historic faith claims for it
to be, liberals are free to abandon it as no longer relevant or useful, like an old pair
of socks, as easily as we might abandon an old first aid manual, or the original edition
of Dr. Spock's baby book.
There you have it.... in one fell swoop, we can reject the deity of Jesus, the Bible as
rule of Faith and practice, the basic doctrine of sin, the Great Commission, and the
omnipotence and personal interest of God for each person ( as well as each persons
accountability before that same God) and..... we fall right into another shibboleth and
the one directly at hand in the UMC.
Without a person being able to take meaning from their existence as the personal
creation of a loving God, they must needs take their "being" or
"identity" from something, somewhere, and in this past generation
"sexuality" has been the source "identity" and personhood for many.
Listen to the cacophonous screeching when it is suggested that "celibacy" or
"abstinence" are sexual options for normal, healthy people. Many of these folks
liken that suggestion to being a demand for self-destruction or denial of their civil
rights or personhood.
Human Sexuality has become their god. And to those who would argue
with this assertion, lets examine several points.
- We are told that Human Sexuality cannot be resisted. Abstinence and celibacy are
"impossible" and "unrealistic". People are powerless to make decisions
or to influence themselves against this mighty power, raging since before time. No matter
what it is, it cannot and should not be resisted.
According to
them, Human Sexuality is omnipotent.
- Human Sexuality is everywhere, and should be, openly expressed. We see it in popular
culture and cinema, on the street. Crude groping and fondling is not a private activity.
Sex is not an expression of love, but merely an irresistible animal urge. A need to be
accommodated as quickly and easily as possible.
According to them,
Human Sexuality is omnipresent.
- Human Sexuality is the root cause of all behavior. No matter what we are addressing, all
human activity, greed, violence, charity altruism, etc., can be traced back to sex.
Sexuality explains everything and has the answers for all aspects of the human condition.
Sexuality satisfies our wants, and given enough of its free expressions, would bring
peace.
According to them, Human Sexuality is omniscient.
Is it any wonder that liberals, having first replaced God with a wimpy, insignificant,
non-judgmental "buddy", having buried Jesus and called the Gospel writers liars,
have had to arrive at something they could worship? Their battle cry may as well be "...great
is Diana of the Ephesians..."
Curious, how deception grows.
In Christ Jesus,Son , Savior and Lord
Gregory K. Taggart
Apologist and servant of the Nazarene Aldersgate UMC
College Station, Texas |
