Ernie: I think we are getting someplace. Some long-vexing matters can finally be seen
with new clarity. A few observations- Evangelical faith is triumphalist. This does not mean that it is triumphalist 100% of the time in all circumstances, but triumphalist nonetheless, and generally triumphalist. What is triumphalism? "My way or the highway." "We are right and even if you have a few secondary truths they basically are unimportant and nothing for us to take all that seriously. Essentially you are wrong." "The only valid way to read the Bible is our way, no other way. Academic scholars are wrong, religious modernists are wrong, historians are wrong, literary critics are wrong, theologians who are not Evangelicals are wrong." "Other religions are all wrong. There is just about nothing of value to learn from any of them. Sure, a little window dressing "dialogue" might have its uses, but basically people of all other faiths are deluded and worship "false gods." Some kind of exception for Judaism is called for but that is a special case." BUT... "Popular culture as it exists in modern day America is Good and blessed and there is no greater kind of culture. Historical Christian cultures are all irrelevant and mean nothing to us. We are "with it," hip," and "cool." "The Church of the East does not exist, at least not for us." "We don't need education in any area except the professions. History is (mostly) irrelevant, so is psychology, anthropology, sociology, and literature. We have the Truth and do not need such artifices." "Emotional experience is the essence of faith and if you don't have that then you do not have real faith, you have something else which is lesser and dispensable. Evangelical religion is the only true religion." ----------------------------------- It is safe enough to say that this is partly a caricature. Yes, there ARE Evangelicals who match this picture more or less completely, but it has been my experience that they are a minority among Evangelicals. Regardless, there are a lot of them and these people, for many outside the fold, characterize all of Christianity as they know it. Which is also to say that "humility" is a "tough sell" when Evangelicals do not realize that the basis of their faith is triumphalism -because a whole set of arrogant values go along with a triumphalist outlook. To the extent this is true, emphasis on humility -subconsciously more often than consciously- is seen as a cover-up for arrogance, which Evangelicals cannot admit to themselves. That is, Evangelical religion may well be perceived as hypocritical. Sure, there are times when triumphalism is perfectly OK. I mentioned the album "Glorify thy Name" produced by Kent Henry and others; the first half, viz, the rousing songs for which the CD is best known, are all triumphalist. This works well a among other believers. But I kinda don't think it would "go over" all that great among a crowd of Hindus or Jews. And there are times when it is wholly inappropriate for Christians as well. Maybe, I would need time to think about this to feel more secure about my conclusions, but for now..... How about if "humility" should be taken to mean, words to this effect: "I really need to be open to truths there may be in Buddhism, not because of considerations of salvation, Christ is my Savior, but for considerations of better understanding myself and other people and the ways of the Lord. Why did (in the book of Acts) Peter say what he did about people of other faiths, why did Paul (also as recorded in Acts) say what he did about people of other faiths? And why is the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament with its clear identification of Jesus with Melchizedek -who was not a Jew and, in 2000 BC or thereabouts, certainly not a "Christian" ? That is, at least for people who have access to available information, learning truths (actual truths found in other faiths, not the whole kit and caboodle) taught by people of other faiths can and should be regarded as important and even essential. Something to make one's own. As important -in an essential way- as, for example, writings like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Jonah, Esther, and so forth. Billy -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
