Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Does Denomination Matter?
There's something about lying face down on a massage table for 60 minutes that gives you a lot of opportunity to get to know your massage therapist! Last week, my massage therapist, a fellow Christian, and I got onto the whole topic of denomination. She was having an issue with her pastor around certain areas of doctrine, particularly important to her denomination. She had questions - but felt hesitant in raising them with the pastor, least she get labelled a heretic.
As we talked, it all sounded so dogmatic. And we both wondered - if we are Christians...does denomination REALLY matter?
So, at the risk of seriously irking those pastoral types out there who may read this...I don' t think denomination matters. And in a lot of cases, it's downright dangerous and divisive to cling to a denominationalist attitude. Let me explain...
We get so caught up into dividing things up based on our worldview. In my case, I've got my Gen-X, post-modern, north American, middle class glasses on when I look at an issue (including this one, BTW). And everybody else has their own glasses. Isn't that why we have a gazillion denominations anyways? It was those "Protestors" ...the heritage of all Protestants that resulted in factions "ad minutia". Look at the Catholics - they don't seem to have that problem. They've got an authoritarian structure and its (kinda) working for them!
The funny thing is, denomination seems to be a big deal for two groups of people - those who are multi-generational BLANK (fill in the denominational blank) or non-Christians. For these groups, I think it helps to categorize people - they think they know where you stand on certain issues. Right now, I attend a Baptist church, but I bet I could be equally content as an Anglican, Luthern, Episcopalian or even... Catholic. (OK, MAYBE not Catholic). :-)
I encouraged my therapist to talk with her pastor. I'm hoping they can work things out. If not, it may be yet another case of how the small stuff works to undermine the greater issue of Christian unity.
As we talked, it all sounded so dogmatic. And we both wondered - if we are Christians...does denomination REALLY matter?
So, at the risk of seriously irking those pastoral types out there who may read this...I don' t think denomination matters. And in a lot of cases, it's downright dangerous and divisive to cling to a denominationalist attitude. Let me explain...
We get so caught up into dividing things up based on our worldview. In my case, I've got my Gen-X, post-modern, north American, middle class glasses on when I look at an issue (including this one, BTW). And everybody else has their own glasses. Isn't that why we have a gazillion denominations anyways? It was those "Protestors" ...the heritage of all Protestants that resulted in factions "ad minutia". Look at the Catholics - they don't seem to have that problem. They've got an authoritarian structure and its (kinda) working for them!
The funny thing is, denomination seems to be a big deal for two groups of people - those who are multi-generational BLANK (fill in the denominational blank) or non-Christians. For these groups, I think it helps to categorize people - they think they know where you stand on certain issues. Right now, I attend a Baptist church, but I bet I could be equally content as an Anglican, Luthern, Episcopalian or even... Catholic. (OK, MAYBE not Catholic). :-)
I encouraged my therapist to talk with her pastor. I'm hoping they can work things out. If not, it may be yet another case of how the small stuff works to undermine the greater issue of Christian unity.
Christian and Gay?
Is it possible to be Christian and Gay? It's an interesting issue. I guess the party line is "no way" - it goes against what God commands. And, while this is true - so does all sin...and yet there seems to be some issues that are more acceptable than others. I like what this author had to say on the subject.
