In this morning's L.A. Times (intrusive registration required, use 'LAExaminer'/'LAExaminer'), a fascinating column by Joel Kotkin and Karen Speicher on a growing crisis within mainstream American religion:
The war in Iraq exposed many continuing fissures in U.S. society, but none more evident than the divide between the clerical establishment and the laity. The gap presages more fragmentation in the structures of religious faith in this historically devout global power.Particularly note the last quote, look around at pretty much any national institution, and check your gut to see how closely it applies.
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Virtually the entire leadership of every mainstream Christian faith - from the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the National Baptist Convention to the United Methodists, as well as the National Council of Churches - adamantly opposed the war against Iraq from the outset. Like many on the secular left, religious leaders denounced the conflict as one of U.S. aggression and needless destruction, and likely to evolve into a long, bloody conflict.In contrast, the people in the pews, for the most part, were among the strongest backers of President Bush's goal of ousting Saddam Hussein. According to a prewar poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and Forum on Religion and Public Life, more than 60% of mainline Protestants and Catholics favored attacking Iraq; greater than 75% of evangelical Protestants supported a military effort.
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What is most disturbing for the future of mainstream religion in America, Roof suggests, is the lack of a middle ground between evangelical fundamentalism and the increasingly out-of-touch clerical elite more united with one another's common vision than with their parishioners'.
Here at Winds of Change, the comments section to this post has some interesting discussion that further expands on this.
One Hand Clapping thinks the *Methodists* may be starting to understand. Hope that worked, apologies to AL if not.
What amazed me was the profoundly provoncial and insular outlook of the article. This is the tip of a muich larger issue, and Rev. Sensing has again hit the nail on the head when he talks about "the Euro-American churches". What the authors see is a split in the USA. What they miss is that the split is increasingly reflective of divisions with Christian churches in Africa and Asia that mirror these internal splits.
My prediction: Christianity is in the process of rediscovering itself as a warrior religion. Part of the process is Darwinian, as drastically and consistently declining attendance in the Churches of the Left takes its toll. The moral credibility sacrificed over Iraq will intensify this trend.
Part of it, too, is driven by global issues, most especially Christian persecurtion at the hands of Muslims throughout the Muslim world. As the War on Terror continues, these internal and external forces are going to collide and merge. The Euro-American churches face interesting times. They have richly earned them. Not all Simony involves the exchange of money.
Say, I resemble that last remark. Well any way.
What we are seeing is the final stages in the death of socialism. In 1988 the beast fell over (When the USSR and the US of A exchanged defense ministers. The usual sign of a War's end. BTW it happened between the US of A and China a few years back).
In 2003 with the fall of Iraq the beast died.
The carcas is starting to smell.
Barring some serious foul up between now and Nov 2004 look for a Republican landslide comparable to 1932 for the Democrats. In 1932 socialism captured America. In 2004 socialism will be declared officially dead.
There will be a new two party system. Liberal/libertarians in the center/left and cultural conservatives on the right. If the Democrats don't change to reflect these differences they will die (likely). That will lead to a split in the Republican party.
Sorry, but if the religions of the world want to truly help people in their relationship with God, then they need to stop "leading" and start listening. Christianity's biggest mistake was using the metaphor "shepherd tending the flock." No one likes to be referred to as a sheep.
My other problem is that they tend to act superior (perhaps they see themselves as "closer to God?").
In the end, when those in charge begin to openly act arrogant, they lose the mandate to "rule."
Rook, a few thoughts:
1) Yes, the Christians people tend to notice often come across as arrogant and/or self-righteous. True Christianity has much more to say about how we should work out our own problems than how we should point out others'.
2) Jesus is "the Good Shepherd," not the Christians themselves. If anyone is treating you like a sheep, be suspicious of his motives.
3) Hierarchical religions like Catholicism actually believe that the Pope's word is inerrant, so they are not set up for two-way dialogue. Nor should they necessarily be. Being a devout Catholic means buying off on some very non-Biblical stuff, not exposed to lay interpretation. The denomination is not democratic, which is one reason so many Protestant denominations exist.
4) The Protestant denomination leaders (particularly Lutherans) are very democratic in structure. Our leaders have no excuse for being as out-of-touch as they so obviously are.
Apologise to Stendhal again: you misspelled his name! (he's only my favorite author...)
Douglas