Rod Dreher blogged this past Sunday on Why liberal Christianity is dying.
Mr. Dreher comments on an article by Charlotte Allen in the L.A. Times on the demise of liberal Christianity, which focused on recent events in the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches.
In Liberal Christianity is paying for its sins Ms. Allen states:
When your religion says “whatever” on doctrinal matters, regards Jesus as just another wise teacher, refuses on principle to evangelize and lets you do pretty much what you want, it’s a short step to deciding that one of the things you don’t want to do is get up on Sunday morning and go to church.
I am very thankful that the PNCC is a stalwart in its teaching of the faith. I am blessed because I am part of the Church.
Having struggled with liberalism, I have deep empathy for what many people are going through. I know the agony of seeing your home destroyed. I know the pain of alienation from the Church you once knew.
Once you make the choice to abandon liberalism and embrace serious Christian orthodoxy you enter a new stage of tension. The world doesn’t really appreciate the Church’s teaching and tradition. It gets in the way of the church-of-whatever-feels-good.
In my own life, adopting conservative catholic beliefs has created many tensions.
Some think that what I believe criticizes them, not just their actions (there is a difference). Some think I have changed – gone from the consummate sinner (bad person, mean, angry, sexually sinful, allowing anything as long as it suited me) to being holier-than-thou.
They are right – I decided to change. Not to be holier-than-thou, but through the grace imparted by the sacraments of Penance, the Word, and the Eucharist to work at being a better father, family member, husband, and deacon. The Church offers these things as worthy pursuits in life, pursuits in keeping with the narrow path to the Kingdom.
Change forces one away from allowing whatever. Change like this is far more demanding, certainly more demanding than liberal Christianity. It is far harder to live the true faith. It is very difficult to face your sins, some of which you may never forgive yourself of. The ‘liberal church’ offers a wide and easy road, low benchmarks, light duty in conversion and repentance. The faith of the Apostles requires loyalty to Christ above all.
Jesus called this choice a cross:
Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them, “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
In context, Jesus was not talking about hating people. He was talking about putting Him before all else, even before the things we all believe and feel are most important. That’s a strong message and a powerful demand.
Faith in Christ in the context of the Church’s teaching must come first. That can be a devastating choice.
I recently read an article about preaching at the Pontificator’s site. It makes a point about the difficulty of expressing the faith once delivered. In Kim Fabricius on Preaching point one states:
What is a sermon? Wrong question. A sermon is not a what but a who. A sermon is Jesus Christ expectorate. You eat the book; it is sweet in the mouth but bitter in the stomach (Rev. 10:9-11); you spit out the Word and spray the congregation. When grace hits the mark, it always begins with an unpleasant recoil.
Alvin Kimel responds:
—Jesus Christ expectorate——”now that’s an image for preaching that I haven’t thought of, but it makes the point, doesn’t it? Robert Jenson says that authentic gospel-preaching either generates faith or offense in the hearer.
What the Church believes and professes, the truth of the Gospel, its Tradition and teaching, will offend many. Its teaching is bitter in the stomach, causes us to recoil, and will either lead us to faith or offense.
A true Church is the antithesis of ‘liberal’ Christianity. Seeking to accept all people and reject none, which any true Church does, has been corrupted by the liberals into accepting all behaviors and sins and rejecting none.
As members of the Church we can all do a better job of being charitable. We can focus on preaching and teaching how God’s action and call are meant to move us to achieving the Kingdom. We can focus on ministry, charity, peace, and community building.
What we must not do however is preach and teach that doing any of those things, or having a better and more comfortable life, or all that we want, or friends, family, acclaim, and money, are worth more than Jesus. No brand of liberal Church is worth the harm that kind of choice can do our souls.
In the end, faith in God and His Word must come first, honest orthodox catholic faith.
Tip of the biretta to the Young Fogey.
