The Bible thumpers in the COG who love to use the law (Malm, Thiel, Pack, Flurry, Weston) as a weapon will be getting their Pharisaical knickers all in a knot over some things said below.
First, Christians can honestly and forthrightly promote societies and governments that defend the right of all people to spend their lives seeking truth, goodness and beauty, and the ultimate Source of those values. To seek this God, who is revealed in Jesus Christ, is a task given to all people, as declared by the apostle Paul in a public square in Athens:
From one man [God] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (
Acts 17:26-27)[1]
When it reaches out with humility, respect and freedom, the church can help people (even those who hold views and moral convictions in conflict with Christianity) to seek and discover truth and life, and the true object of worship. Members of the church do this by first listening and coming to understand, then looking for opportunity to share their own journeys and convictions concerning the faith, hope and love given them by grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ according to Scripture.
The second corollary to the fifth point is that as Christians we should resist attempts to close the public square to honest, respectful and humble interchange, especially when it involves excluding people whose voices are already marginalized. Everyone who values an equal right to justice under the law, and the free exchange of beliefs and ideas (religious or not) should be welcomed in the public square, no matter what the basis or lack of basis they have for their viewpoints.
As Christians, we can, in good conscience, advocate for pluralism in the public square that is descriptive rather than prescriptive. While descriptive pluralism respects all viewpoints, prescriptive pluralism excludes all claims to ultimate truth (seeing them as mere human constructions that are valid only for certain individuals or groups). Descriptive pluralism serves the common good and allows the church to freely and openly fulfill its mission of worship and witness.
As Christians, we believe there is only one way to a right relationship with God—through the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life. His name alone indicates the eternal, personal and particular source of salvation. He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (
John 1:29). Though we are firm in this belief, we see in the New Testament that God, in his providence, leads persons over time along many pathways to Jesus. Therefore, we should respectfully and patiently allow room for God to draw people to himself, through Jesus, by whatever means he chooses.
Until Christ returns, descriptive pluralism in the public square will continue to be a necessary and good way to provide a place where all people, no matter their background or point of view, can have opportunity to encounter the Source of all truth, goodness and beauty.
In a truly pluralistic society, all who value freedom and show respect and humility toward others are welcome in the public square, while ideologues who seek to control, manipulate, threaten or shut down public discourse are resisted. A truly pluralistic society makes room for all to seek what is true and good, and thus contribute what they have to the public square. As Christians, we have good theological reason to promote descriptive pluralism within the public square and to support the governments and institutions that uphold this pluralism. We know that the Triune God is patient and kind, making time and space for us to seek him and know him, and for the church to proclaim salvation in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so that all might reach repentance and know and worship the living God.
Church, Kingdom & Government part 3
Uhhh…… did somebody's keyboard get stuck on the word "pluralism"? Pluralism, pluralism, pluralism, (Man!, am I smart!) May I just say that pluralism is just pluralistic and pluralism is so awesome and pluralistic that I think I may actually be pluralistic myself! Boy, is this deep!
ReplyDeleteAs a faithful member of GCI, I absolutely agree with it.
ReplyDeletePluralistic? What the heck is that? Confusion, that's what. Diversity is division. Division is destruction. It sounds nicey-nice but it's crap. America has the most crime of all Western countries because of a certain minority group. And it's getting worse because of another certain minority group pouring over the border. Read The Color of Crime. And build the wall!!!
ReplyDeleteOn the surface, the article seems to be a prescription unto themselves for their own self righteousness if they would see it. But with the comment that was stated within the article and the same has been heard many times before, it makes me wonder if they will ever become genuine. That comment is: "As Christians, we believe there is only one way to a right relationship with God". This has been a long held adamant belief, and they can't get over not having everyone ageeing with that belief coming to them by the busloads. They also can't get over not having God back them in their self righteousness and that comes out into the light with their following statement: "Though we are firm in this belief, we see in the New Testament that God, in his providence, leads persons over time along many pathways to Jesus. Therefore, we should respectfully and patiently allow room for God to draw people to himself, through Jesus, by whatever means he chooses".
ReplyDeleteThis Sunday, GCI needs to take a head count of all of their membership and then ask God why His pathway doesn't lead to their front doors.
Would you get that picture of Allwine off the front page. I don't want to look at it every time I check for new posts. Enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteThere's some truth in the article. The public square should not shut out dissenting points of view, since truth will eventually be a victim. But it's not the history of these groups. Once they feel 'secure in the saddle,' tolerance goes out the window.
ReplyDeleteEg, when the church was starting, Herb was tolerant. When the church had grown, Nazi tactics took over.
ReplyDeleteWarning: Conspiracy theory following
Old conspiracy laden wcg was warning for the nwo as brought by the world council of churches. (A nwo which gci is promoting in the article) Of course wcg never understood that the world tomorrow actually was the rockefellar nwo. Thats why I call hwa the "mercury" or postman for the nwo, bearing all characteristics of mercury, as messenger for the gods. Both wcg and cgi serve their purpose in their respective time.
Nck
I was speaking to my brother, who still attends that group, and he was telling me that they have no growth in membership and people continue to leave. Even the congregation he attends has no full time minister. GCI should just go ahead and fold.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletePluralism, pluralism, pluralism?
It took over 20 years, but it looks like the Graceless Community of Iniquity (GCI) finally learned to spout a new word besides just cognitive dissonance all the time, though I am not sure that either of those words mean what GCI thinks they do.
ReplyDelete”In a truly pluralistic society, all who value freedom and show respect and humility toward others are welcome in the public square, while ideologues who seek to control, manipulate, threaten or shut down public discourse are resisted. A truly pluralistic society makes room for all to seek what is true and good, and thus contribute what they have to the public square.”
Interesting point. Professing Christians are being marginalized these days by ideologues who seek to control, manipulate, threaten or shut down public discourse by labelling the Bible's teachings as “hate speech” and their own utter depravity as something to be proud of and the only acceptable viewpoint to have.
Why don't they just come out and say what they mean?
ReplyDeleteIt's just like back in the day, where instead of proclaiming Jesus Christ, they would say "Strong Hand from Someplace." Now, instead of just speaking exactly what they are meaning, they use words like "Pluralism."
I'm not bemoaning the framework of their disposition. It's just phrased in a way that some people in our society aren't going to get what they are getting at. Just come out and say it! In this society, the definition of Pluralism is not well known or defined especially here in the west. It's like a meteorologist getting on TV and saying technical jargon that no one cares about instead of just saying "It's gonna rain".
In WCG, in all of the history of the denomination, appearance was absolutely critical. Now, it seems that their appearance is not based on how they look to the high-class, but how they look to the evangelical-class. Same principle, different direction. Quit trying to act in such a scholarly aptitude, you're just looking stuck up. Those who you are trying to reach will not understand what the heck you are saying! Just be blunt, be open, be real, be honest. You all have basically started over. What the heck do you have to lose???
I am a bit of a cynic - just like UCG was formed to provide full employment to the ministry, WCG (now GCI) was torn apart to provide wealth to Joe and his buddies. Unfortunately for them, it took a long time to sell everything, but I suspect they still made out like bandits.
ReplyDeleteI could not understand how they could keep any members since other churches do what they are doing so much better.
My personal choice was to either drop out of all churches - which was my condition prior to WCG - or find a group that was close to what I believed.
Of course things and people and me change over time, so I am reevaluating.
Such kind words from an organization that ruthlessly disfellowshipped and marked anyone who disagreed with the Tkach changes back in 1995, and from an organization that is currently DEMANDING that any remaining GCI congregations that happen to still be meeting on Saturdays , must now move to Sundays.
ReplyDeleteThese guys totally match the term "Grace Nazis"
Pluralistic!??? HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!