Posted on 03/09/2012 12:54:15 PM PST by unspun
Update:
This update is made simply to point out the problem with Rick Santorum's speech, excerpted below, as many are apparently having difficulty seeing it. I apologize for not making it clearer, earlier.
The problem lays in two sentences:
“And of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is a shambles. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.
It was almost an excellent and critically important speech, but then...
(Excerpt) Read more at gulagbound.com ...
Thank you, but I don't need the help.
BTW, I was raised in an American Baptist Convention church ("northern" as this wiki article states). I accepted Christ as my Savior, there. Like my father, I attended school in an ABC institution of higher learning.
I can assure you that along with the many devout Christians in all of the "mainline" denominations, whether in the pews, pastorates, or academia, they are not "gone from the world of Christianity," whatever errors exist. I won't go on here about them.
I won't go on about the errors in the Roman Catholic church, either. That would be unseemly.
Most people confuse ‘mainstream’ Christianity with “mainline Christianity”. Mainline refers to certain Protestant groups who were directly on rail lines in certain orders.
Thank you for overlooking the bungled grammar that resulted from fast typing and a lack of proofing. ;-)
Thank you for overlooking the bungled grammar that resulted from fast typing and a lack of proofing. ;-)
No one should have to hear a Presidential candidate, give his interpretation of religion. Is he a theologian or a lawyer turned Senator? This is the only topic he is comfortable with, or he would be addressing the vast complex issues facing this nation. This is his pattern, lose a little ground, make controversial religious statements, bring the focus back to his comfort zone. Might work a little in the primaries but in the general, forget it, people will reject him immediately.
This is old stuff pushed by romney supporters on the web.
“However, I hope none are bigoted or haughty enough to dictate which handfuls of tares, and the wheat along with it, may be uprooted, and called “gone from the world of Christianity.”
You don’t have to be either bigoted or haughty to exercise discernment or spot obviously false teachings. ECLA and the Episcopal Church have, eg, adopted officially false teachings at a high level. The teachings are directly contrary to scripture that spans thousands of years and their doctrines have been adopted with knowledge of that scripture.
Paul did not suggest we listen to false teachers. He didn’t run around calling them “Christians” so as to be PC. As to “matters that may be disputed,” we should not create doctrinal battles (Romans 14). But as to the clear lines in scripture, Paul fought like a lion.
“There is a time and place to say these things. A Presidential stump speech is NOT the place to say it. For about a 1000 reasons.”
That right there is the core issue here.
I agree. “Mainline” churches are leftist, in my opinion.
And you think the democrats aren’t going to use this “old stuff?”
I’m glad he’s staying on message, and not getting distracted by trivialities like Obamacare, unemployment or debt.
ARRG! I wish people would stop posting this ancient stuff.
Do you even know what the speech was and to whom it was intended? It was at Ave Maria College, a conservative Catholic school. The intent was to make sure the Catholics do not follow what the some branches of Anglicans and Episcopalians have done with gay marriage, etc.
That's what he meant by mainline Protestants, not to be confused with Evangelical Protestants. It was also given while he wasn't in office, nor campaigning for office.
The mainline churches are the “Seven Sisters” of the traditional Protestant establishment:
American Baptist Churches USA,
Christian Church-Disciples of Christ,
The Episcopal Church,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
The Presbyterian Church USA,
United Church of Christ
The United Methodist Church
Those churches were the pillars of establishment Protestantism. However, in the past 50 years they have rejected orthodox Christianity and replaced it with relativistic neo-pagan philosophy with a thin veneer of “Christianity” that questions the divinity of Christ.
Mainline Protestantism — United Methodist, Episcopal, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church in the US, the Evangelical Lutherans, etc. — has by and large departed from anything recognizable as Christian orthodoxy. Conservative, traditional Christians still in those denominations would understand quite well what Santorum is referring to, and I don’t know that his comment would necessarily hurt him in the south. I have been to churches of many denominations in the south and I, as a former evangelical Christian, and now an Orthodox Christian, have always felt at home.
Having said that, whenever I hear Santorum talking like this, I wonder if he is running for President or is on an evangelistic tour.
yikes... Did that really happen? I knew the UMC folks were way out there, but usually I would not have expected them to be so blatant.
If Santorum wanted to make a point, he probably should have said that what claims to be Christianity in America today is not Christian. People might like to claim the Name, but they reject that He IS Saviour (the only Saviour) AND Lord.
This disease afflicts many so-called Churches -- not just those that are grouped under the Protestant banner.
—This is old stuff pushed by romney supporters on the web.—
I’m thinking Newt supporters. If this killed Santorum, the “not-romney” vote would no longer be split.
This is weeks old, btw...
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