Подтвердите e-mail

Для публикаций, комментариев, реакций и сообщений подтвердите адрес.

←

Публикация

Предыдущая публикация
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

But is it that wildly diverse? Step back into the wider world of religious and spiritual expression. Compare Nancy and Ralph against Gurdeep during Dewali, or Ingred at Samhain, or Tanaka-san at a funeral.

100
Justin

Yeah I think it is, and I think the risk in underrepresenting it (e.g., to show our unity) is at our doorsteps: tiki torch parades and JD Vance in the name of Christ. We can trace the path from Jesus to Augustine and on to Hitler or Pope Leo, but not without drawing a few forks along the way

Обсуждение

1 прямых ответов · 10 сообщений

Justin

There are real and active differences among our beliefs about what Christianity is, and about what is and is not Christian, and there are ways of accounting for these differences, and we shouldn’t be shy about naming them and trying to explain them

Ответ для Justin
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

When I was an atheist looking in from the outside the difference between an Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant were pretty minor compared to a Christian vs a Muslim vs a Hindu vs ... Internally, sure, we make a big deal about the difference between ice cream, gelato, and sorbet. But none are steak.

Ответ для Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

The risk is that all Christians get painted with the brush of JD Vance or Joel Osteen or whomever of the day is a shitty human in Christian clothes. That's always been an issue in our faith. And it comes from any denominational direction. Pointing out X1 is not X2 is insufficient for that task.

Ответ для Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

We just need to own the shitty Christians and say "yeah, they suck, we don't like what they have to say or do. It's not what they should be saying or doing."

Ответ для Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

Internally, sure, we can talk about our differences and make distinctions in an effort to isolate and fade out the practices and behaviors that, as a Church catholic, we want left outside the bounds of Christian. But I don't think that is going to save us from critique from outside.

Ответ для Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦
Justin

Right by papering over those internal differences we let a JD Vance happen in the first place. Overlooking things, holding our tongues, pretending everything's the same, believing everything will work out for the best. Those differences continue to exist and we can point them out and talk about them

Ответ для Justin
Justin

Conservative Evangelicalism is not my problem. Those aren't my people. They read the same Bible (ish) and reference Nicaea, sure, but that bloodlusty white white deity they're always wielding against their neighbors is not my God. They aren't simply being "shitty" — it's a different Christianity

Ответ для Justin
Justin

Further, while "shitty" has a negative valence, it has no content outside of a system of value. It can only ever be shitty-relative-TO; it can never be shitty-as-such. The as-such is the projection I was referencing above — assuming your values are common universal values

Ответ для Justin
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

Okay, well, if you think playing No True Scotsman makes a difference to anyone outside the faith you are off in the weeds. Maybe you need to decentre Christianity and your own faith and step back and see what everyone else sees. JD Vance is a Christian. You may not like it, but he is.

Ответ для Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦
Marcus Riedner 🇨🇦

Your other option is to enter a game of "not a real Christian" or "and X2 Christian, which is false belief" and then you have a whole theological and justification nightmare. Scripture already has a method for dealing with a shitty Christian.