Same story in TEC (The Episcopal Church).
... Also, the missionaries funded by the UMC were infected with cultural Marxism in Africa around the same time.
Did not know that wrinkle. Thanks for the insight.
Catholics are doubtless familiar with Protestant complaints against their denomination; however, this politically correct pressure to change the plain meaning of the scriptures has become endemic in the mainline Protestant churches over the past 40 years and points to the value of the Catholic magisterium. ...
I share your sensibility ... still the RCC has some more penance to go through to account for its history of shuffling pedophile priests off to new assignments where they could prey upon the innocent elsewhere.
... There is a vacuum at the top of Protestantism. ...
Excellent laconic statement! Now the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) has elected a black president (2012) in the hope that by embracing "diversity", it will reverse membership decline. Not going to happen.
... The rot in the UMC came to a head in the 60s and 70s, which is when the Methodist Episcopal Church began selling off its universities (which are now leftist bastions like Duke) ...
Earned my MS at NCSU in 1980 just down the road from Durham and worked in W-S,NC for 15 years. I can vouch for this statement.
... nursing homes (which are now politically correct Medicare outposts), etc., and consolidating with the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968. Attendance dropped dramatically in the 70s, 80s and 90s, way before anyone dreamed the U.S. would accept homosexual "marriage." The mainline Protestant denominations may never recover.
My crystal ball thinks there will be more Protestant schisms and mergers in the decades ahead. I can imagine a merger between the liberal (US) UMC, ELCA, PCUSA, and a host of smaller like-minded denominations.
To expand on this a bit further: when the original schism took place, Luther and Melanchthon intended for the Lutheran Book of Concord to take the place of the magisterium. Clergy and laypersons were to adhere to the written canon instead of buying and selling indulgences, etc. In fact, as an Augustinian monk, Luther never intended to break from the Roman Catholic Church, only to reform it. But once the break was set in motion, other breakaways began, with tight or loose canon law. Now Protestantism has become a mishmash of traditions, equities in real estate, local folkways, and even storefront ministries, with thousands upon thousands of misunderstandings.
Now the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) has elected a black president (2012) in the hope that by embracing "diversity", it will reverse membership decline. Not going to happen.
This will work out approximately as well as appointing Michael Steele to head up the RNC in 2008 in response to a Halfrican dude being nominated for president by the Democrats.
i don't know enough about this beyond what I've read in the online papers, but I don't believe that they elected the black President just to embrace diversity. From what i've read about him (admittedly very little), he seems conservative and a good President for the SBC
I agree with Albion's Luther never intended to break from the Roman Catholic Church, only to reform it. But once the break was set in motion, other breakaways began, with tight or loose canon law. -- in fact he and Calvin and Zwingli tried to form a council. Luther, iirc was appalled by the continuing innovations, complaining that people now threw out one piece of doctrine or the other.