Why I’m a catholic// I gave up on your “church” and got into the communion of saints
Michael Spencer recently posted a honest piece about what the past year of His life has been like and why He gave up on your god. It is honest, beautiful,
and (apparently) like kicking a hive of proselytizing hornets that are just itchin’ to get you across the Tiber (aka make you one of the “True Church”).
Some of the responses Michael has posted at the BHT, and honestly they make me fighting mad.
It's not Americas fault
Why is it that we want to blame American culture for our broken tendencies?
As soon as we start talking about faith, the statement seems to always arise: “You know, God wants us to just trust Him and rely on his timing. Its hard, but… you know the blessings are there. We just need to keep on trusting.” Then, the conversation goes on to how hard it is to trust… because if the distractions we have in America.
Why can’t we just say that it is hard to trust? If we believe that we truly are broken, then sometimes its not about external excuses. It is the sin nature in me, my own brokenness, that stands in my way of trusting the one who can heal me.
Observations from the Brewhas
In the short time I have wandered about the Christian Blogsphere, I have see a small, select group of bloggers who feel that their embodiment of the Faith is the only true expression of faith in Christ. The need to correct “offensive” language, take pot shots at the self admitted weaknesses of others, and patrol sites and persons for any other infraction have lead me to believe that their statement of faith is rather different from mine.
Based solely upon what I have read and seen in the past 9 months or so, I would say their faith confession looks something like this:
1. We believe the Bible to be the verbal, authoritative, infallible, inerrant, accurate, final Word of God, in so far as it agrees with the Orthodoxy of the True Church.
2. Anything that is or could passably ever be fun, thought provoking, artistic, honest, humble, or in anyway, shape, or form (even in the smallest degree) disagree with the Orthodoxy of the True Church is bad and sinful… except sex, which is only redeemed if you think about something Godly while doing it (i.e- How God has displayed his macho man-ness by preserving the Orthodoxy of the True Church with his might, power, natural disasters, testosterone, and ridicule of all things non-Orthodox)
3. The Orthodoxy of the True Church is given only by direct revelation from the Spirit of God through the appointed head-honchos of divine masculinity, other wise to be referred to as “Biblical Authority”. Of you do not know the Orthodoxy of the True Church, you shall be ridiculed in a Godly fashion, mocked mercilessly as the hell bound sinner you are, and have you name dragged through the mud in hopes that you might repent and confess the Orthodoxy of the True Church which by that time you should know.
4. Any discussion of the Orthodoxy of the True Church shall be limited to a) predestination and divine election, b) how girlie the so called Christians outside the Orthodoxy of the True Church actually are, and c)how pristine I mean holy life is for those who truly believe the Orthodoxy of the True Church (this shall be discussed primarily by pointing out the un-holiness of all other so called Christians). If discussion goes on to more than fifteen (15) minuets, the Orthodoxy of the True Church demand that the true believers must start calling names and point all arguments back to “Biblical Authority” (see point 3).
5. Oh ya… we believe in the Father… and Jesus… and the Holy Spirit… salvation by grace alone… etc… etc…
Father, Husband, Theological Dreamer, Web Designer, Photographer, Coffee Chugger... It's kind of like listening to a cross between guerrilla radio and a street corner prophet with a bad case of tourettes.
