When interfaith dialogue goes too far: a PC (U.S.A.) problem

Interfaith dialogue has a place in Christian settings when it involves working toward some common goal or standing against evil. I saw that happen in Sacramento when three synagogues were mostly destroyed within minutes of each other. The faith community of Sacramento, together, stood against the evil.

But there is an interfaith dialogue that overcomes our own Christian faith. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and particular churches within the denomination, tend toward that kind of dialogue . Too often PC(U.S.A.) churches allow worship to replace conversation and thus participate in the worship of false gods. Additionally some churches choose dialogue but never evangelism.

There are many examples such as the one I wrote about with the posting, Presbyterian Stony Point Center & Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Now a new example comes with the article, “First Presbyterian Church in Rutherford hosts Jain program”. The First Presbyterian Church of Rutherford has actually promoted an on going interfaith program for several years. But, the biggest problem is their use of the different religion's worship or devotion in their church's worship or teaching times.

Learning facts about what others believe can be helpful, but participating in their worship is syncretism (the mixing of different religious ideas & objects including gods) at its best and apostasy at its worst. The article about FPC of Rutherford hosting Naresh Jain and His Holiness Amrender Muniji of Jainism states, “The Jain Guru, led the group though a powerful session on Jain meditation and chanting of mantras. Meditation and mantras or sounds are widely used for purification, protection, healing and awakening of divine powers.”

In this case, because the followers of Jainism do not believe in a god who created or rules the world but rather in human “fordfinders” who show the way and lesser gods who are in bondage to the material universe, members of FPC of Rutherford, when participating in the meditation were actually, perhaps unknowingly, focused on themselves. Jainism teaches that the only way to salvation, (which means release from the material world and the cycle of reincarnation) is through extreme asceticism (tapas) and extreme nonviolence (ahimsa).[1] Neither a personal creator God nor a redemptive Lord are honored when Christians engage in the meditation practices of Jainism.

But this is not the only time members of FPC of Rutherford have allowed syncretistic worship. In September of 2012 the interfaith class focused on the Sikh religion and it began in the worship service as well as the 11:30 interfaith gathering as stated on the church's Facebook page:

The program will begin during the 10:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, October 14th [2012]with a formal program following at 11:30 a.m. Included in the formal program is a recitation of Mul Mantar which is the first composition of the Sikh Holy Book and the basis of Sikh theology, Shabad Kirtan devotional singing and a presentation on the Sikh religion and its commonalities with Christianity.

 A recent news article on the Presbyterian News Service, “Consultation on interfaith relations maps way forward for PC (U.S.A.),” written by Toya Richards, pointed to a gathering of those interested in interreligious engagement and the PCUSA. Sponsored by the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations (GACEIR) attendees met to discuss the PCUSA and the denomination's response to interreligious issues and relationships. Their recommendations will go to the 221 General Assembly of the PCUSA.

According to Richards, the chair of GACEIR, Krystin Granberg, stated, “In light of the ever-changing interreligious landscape, Presbyterians must look at an approach that individuals and congregations can use in their day-to-day lives as they engage with others.”

And there are answers, biblical answers: people who belong to other faiths need compassion, respect for their humanity, as well as our interest and friendship. Certainly Presbyterians need to know what other religions teach. While a member of Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, I taught classes on world religions and new religions, that is very important. But there are two ingredients too often missing in PC (U.S.A.) churches when they engage with other religions.

The first missing ingredient is failure to see the spiritual needs of members of other religions. Like all of us they are broken, they need Jesus Christ. They need to hear the good news; there is redemption, love and new life through Jesus Christ. There is a harvest waiting and we are called to be reapers. As the Lord tells his disciples, “Behold I say to you lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that are white to harvest.” In the United States they are very white. We are also called to be sowers planting the seed of the gospel so that others will follow and reap our planting.

The second ingredient missing in our attempts to understand and know about other religions is discernment, caution and love for our Lord; we possess a kind of carelessness that tries to gain nourishment from artificial food. Participating in any religious exercise that is an attempt to secure salvation by any other means than the cross or is worship of a different god is sacrilegious. Participating in any religious exercise that in any way infers that Jesus is less then God or demeans the cross is apostasy.

“Jesus said ..., 'I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)

[1]John A Hutchison, Paths of Faith, third edition, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company 1981).

Picture by Ethan McHenry

More Light Presbyterians and Covenant Network GA strategy: leaving behind Reformed polity, theology and compassion: Update

Paula R. .Kincaid, a Layman reporter, with her article “Same-Sex marriage advocates outline plans for 2014 General Assembly,” has truly opened our eyes to the damage that may pile on top of an already hurting denomination. The article clarifies the direction the two PCUSA organizations, advocating for same sex marriage, are headed as they ignore what it means to be Reformed. Both the More Light Presbyterians and The Covenant Network are willing, in their strategy to change the denomination, to leave behind reformed polity, reformed theology and reformed compassion. I will look at each of these departures.

Leaving behind reformed polity:
According to Kincaid, Brian Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network stated that “it is absolutely essential” for GA to pass an authoritative interpretation. That would be an AI which allows same sex marriage and protects pastors who wish to perform such marriages. But is this how an AI is supposed to be used. The Presbyterian Book of Order states:

“The General Assembly may provide authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order,which shall be binding on the councils of the church when rendered in the manner described in this section or through a decision of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission in a remedial or disciplinary case.” (G-6.02)

An AI is meant for a time when there is confusion about the meaning of a Book of Order statement. But such an interpretation for the issue of so called same sex marriage would mean reinterpreting a section of the Book of Order, and even reinterpreting the clear meaning of the English language, since all educated people clearly understand what the words man and woman mean. That is, when one reads in the Book of Order “Marriage is a civil contract between a man and a woman.” & “For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship (W-4.9000),” one does not need an interpretation to know the meaning of a woman and man. Nothing could be clearer.

So what is happening is a desire by same gender marriage advocates to bypass the constitutional rights of Presbyteries to vote on any change to the PCUSA' constitution.

Evidently Ellison has insisted that there is no place in the Book of Order where same sex marriage is addressed. (So it most be addressed?) But that is simply doublespeak; if the Book of Order states that marriage is between a man and a woman it has already addressed any new definition of marriage. Ellison, the Covenant Network and More Light Presbyterians are simply trying to bypass the reformed polity of voting by Presbyteries.

Leaving behind reformed theology:
As far as an amendment goes, Heidi A. Peterson, co-moderator of More Light, according to Kincaid, stated,“We didn’t look at what was in the book and think about how to change it … We thought about what is marriage in the Reformed tradition? Is it about gender identity or is marriage in our faith tradition about covenant, abiding love and commitment?”

Here theology gets fairly well flattened. Yes marriage in the Reformed tradition is about covenant and commitment. It isn't always about abiding love, at least not romantic love. Only that kind of love that sticks even when one is not sure of love, but that is another article. But marriage in the Reformed tradition is also about gender identity. It is about Jesus' love for the church reflected by the love a man and a woman have for each other. (Eph. 5:23-30) It is God's love pictured in the life of a man who rescued a sex slave and although marrying her forgoes sexual relations with her in order to bring her life into conformity with God's will. (Hosea 3)

It is Jesus reminding his questioners that God created them male and female so that the husband might cleave to his wife. (Matthew 19:3-6 & Genesis 2:18-25) It is the confessions of the church referring to marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. The whole definition in the Book of Order and the Book of Confessions cannot be changed to fit a smaller, shallow definition that leads to sin. It is covenant, commitment and gender—a man and a woman. Anything else leads away from Reformed theology. Anything else is not Reformed theology.

Leaving behind Reformed compassion:
There are two areas where both More Light Presbyterians and the Covenant Network lack the kind of compassion that are marks of Reformed teaching. One is about transformation. Jesus lived, died and was resurrected that we might be both redeemed and transformed. The later is called sanctification. We are led in our new life to live out the life of Christ. That is transforming. As the apostle Paul puts it after naming prevailing sins which included homosexuality:

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified I the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 9:11)

But those advocating for same sex marriage are encouraging others to come to the birth, but stay broken as they cling to their old life. God wants to change and transform all of us through Christ. If we do not long for newness for the other we lack, in that area, compassion.

The second lack of compassion is compassion for the unity of Christ's body. Our denomination is already terribly broken—I experience that deeply in my own presbytery. If an AI passes or an amendment to the Book of Order passes which allows sin to enter our constitution the exodus from our denomination will be like that of the children of Israel from Egypt, and rightly so. Fellowship around the world, and fellowship at home will be broken, it must be so.

Jesus in his high priestly prayer prays not only for the unity of his body, he also prays that his disciples will be sanctified in truth which is the word of God. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:18.) If the truth is taken away as the word is dismissed for the sake of living a LGBTQ lifestyle there will be no unity. Who can minister where sin is embraced and transformation is checked. Reformed compassion will fall away as the sheep scatter.

Update: Here is a link to the MLP & CN statement for the upcoming GA: http://www.mlp.org/standing-for-love-in-the-pcusa/

Picture by Ethan McHenry

Chuck Smith-home

In memory of Pastor Chuck Smith who has gone home to be with Jesus. He influenced the Warehouse Ministries where my family and I went throughout most of my children' teen years. He was a man who allowed God to use him to the salvation of many young people who were lost in the drug and hippie culture of the sixties & seventies.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "write, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!" "Yes," says the Spirit, "So that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them." Rev. 14: 13.

About the Church: dying or dying in Christ?

Presbyterian teaching elder John Vest has renamed his blog. It is now, “Adventures in Post Christendom,” His new posting about his changing focus, not unlike many of his old blog postings, is rather provocative, but it sent my thoughts a lot of directions and I wanted to explore. Vest opines among other thoughts that, “All versions of American Christendom—Protestant, Catholic, mainline, evangelical—are rapidly declining if not effectively finished already.” But he states that neither Christians nor the Church are going away. As proof Vest refers to those authors, such as Phyllis Tickle, Doug Pagitt and
Dianna Butler Bass, who have lately provided versions of a new Christianity.

My focus though, rather than looking at the new landscape that Vest is anchored in, is viewing the old landscape and although it is perhaps diminishing, by God's good grace and promises will not go away. And here I am not referring to Christianity as a dominant power in culture but Christianity true to its biblical roots. (Which may or may not influence culture.)

What I am referring to is that part of orthodox Christianity that abides in the United States but is tied to the body of Christ in all parts of the world. I am of the mind that one cannot really pick out a particular church in a particular part of the world and forecast its future, or plan its ways, without ensconcing it within the whole body of orthodox Christianity, including that part which makes up the church triumphant. An example of this connection would be those Episcopal churches that came under the leadership of Southern Cone and Asian Bishops in an attempt to secure their own orthodoxy as believers. Without that connection orthodox believers within the Episcopal Church would have floundered.

So what does orthodox Christianity, in the United States, look like when one considers global orthodox Christianity?

(1) At the moment the worldwide church is suffering greatly because of deadly persecution. In this connection the orthodox in the US can react with compassion and with a great outcry. The orthodox will either travel that road with their brothers and sisters or they will become weak like the unsalty salt that Jesus speaks of in the beatitudes. The same is true of the horrific poverty around the world. While the orthodox may not agree with the progressive denominations' views about how to solve the issue of poverty they are nonetheless committed to compassionate service on behalf of the poor.

(2)The global orthodox Church is an evangelistic Church, the orthodox in the US must also more fervently proclaim the saving work of Jesus Christ. Many of the martyrs in Muslim countries are either new coverts or those who are proclaiming that Jesus is the savior. And here is where a vast difference is occurring between the orthodox and the progressive. In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as one example, one notices more of a bent toward accommodating pluralism rather then the proclamation of the gospel in the midst of diverse religions. Religion and spirituality have become the good rather than Jesus.

(3)The Global Church takes righteousness seriously, so must the orthodox in the United States. The biblical Christian understands that she is covered by the righteousness of Christ alone and yet because of such love shown to her, because she has died to self and lives in Christ she strives to walk in righteousness:

“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.(Romans 6:8-11)

So the orthodox in the United States in relation to the world wide communion of orthodox Christians may be diminished to a smaller number, but in faithfulness they will undoubtedly be stronger because of a Christian orthodoxy growing stronger in the Southern Cone and Asia. In fellowship with the suffering of the saints within global Christianity our hearts will surely be softened and our compassion grow. And truly an example has been set before us of how to be in the world but not of it, and how to face a culture of intolerance. Better still is the example of the proclamation of Jesus in the face of dire circumstances.

There is a certain kind of death that is and will be occurring within those churches that are not embracing emergent or progressive thinking—but that is hopefully a death that puts away the cultural ugliness of our time and instead embraces Christ, word and the nourishment of life both spiritual and physical.

"When we don't have a Jewish country, it's not one man die, it's 6 million ..."

Philip Weiss of Mondoweiss placed a video on his site of himself asking a young Jewish man and his girlfriend, “If a young person you know will have to die to preserve Israel as a Jewish State, wouldn't you rather just lose the Jewish State?”

This is an interesting question coming from a man who does not believe there should be a Jewish State, and it is also interesting given that the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) links to Mondoweiss  constantly and uses them as one of their main news source. Going beyond that it is interesting given the San Francisco overture I wrote about in my last posting (for the PCUSA to reconsider the two state solution), and the fact that the IPMN often pushes for a one state solution which in the end would be an Arab state not a Jewish one.

This is the answer that the young man gave:

When we don’t have a Jewish country, it’s not one man die, it’s 6 million…

All the history for the Jewish is: We don’t have a country, they kill us. Now we have a country… If one man die, I have to remember, that 6 million died, and my grandfather come here and dream about it, to be in Israel… This is my place. Not Germany, not the United States… I am willing to kill for this country… I do this for the world, not just for Israel.

The comments at the end of Weiss' posting are mostly horrific—the Jewish young man deserves praise, not Weiss. Here is the video:

Israel, a safe haven for the Jewish people or a one state solution?

An overture is coming, if it receives concurrences, from the Presbytery of San Francisco, which asks the 2014 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to recommend a reconsideration of their policy of a two state solution for the Palestinian Territories and the State of Israel.* The overture is “On Reviewing General Assembly Policy Regarding the Two-State Solution in Israel Palestine” and included in the text is this directive:

“Makes a recommendation about whether the General Assembly should continue to call for a two-state solution in Israel Palestine, or take a neutral stance that seeks not to determine for Israelis and Palestinians what the right “solution” should be.”

The idea of a one state solution has been pushed, in subtle ways, by several Presbyterian organizations including the Israel/Palestine Mission Network. Often the IPMN links to The Electronic Intifada whose editor and founder Ali Abunimah proposes a one state solution and has written a book, One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse. Also Noushin Framke who was the communication director for IPMN and is now an advisor, writing on Ecclesio.com, stated in her article, “Ye Shall Share the Land,”" it is time for all the people to share the land with equal rights and liberties.” This was after she opined that if Israel remained a Jewish State it could not be a democracy.

Recently there have been several articles published by various well known and/or extreme publications insisting that a one state solution for the Israel & Palestine problem is inevitable. The subject has become a hot topic on the internet. But rather than link to those articles as IPMN has done I am linking to an article with a great deal of substance concerning the fear that many Jews have that there will soon be no place for the Jewish community in Europe. The reason I am linking to the article is because the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe is the original reason why the Jewish people needed a state of their own. (We forget to easily.)

Alongside the main reason for exploring the subject of anti-Semitism in Europe is the history that the article provides of the state of the Jewish people in Europe after World War II. And, also, one learns of the seeds that were planted or were already there which have now grown into virulent weeds sending fear into the Jewish communities of Europe. The article, “You Only Live Twice: Vibrant Jewish communities were reborn in Europe after the Holocaust. Is there a future for them in the 21^st Century?”

The author, Michel Gurfinkiel begins with the story of the head of a Jewish community, Samuel Sandler, who registered his synagogue as a national landmark because he believed that in twenty or thirty years the community would be gone. This is the same person who experienced the murder of his son, a Rabbi, in the French city of Toulouse. The murderer was a Muslim extremist. Gurfinkiel goes on to write of the anti-Semitism that many Jews in Europe are experiencing:

“A large-scale survey commissioned by the European Union’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) tells a tale of widespread and persistent anti-Semitism. Although the full study is not due to be released until October, the salient facts have been summarized by EU officials and by researchers like Dov Maimon, a French-born Israeli scholar at the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem. Among the findings: more than one in four Jews report experiencing anti-Semitic harassment at least once in the twelve months preceding the survey; one in three have experienced such harassment over the past five years; just under one in ten have experienced a physical attack or threat in the same period; and between two-fifths and one-half in France, Belgium, and Hungary have considered emigrating because they feel unsafe.”

He then writes of the 'Golden Age” in post war Europe. Israel was looked on with favor by most Europeans at the time, and there was a general desire to protect and rebuild the Jewish communities that were left. Many of the Jews exiled from Arab lands also found a home in Europe. But now, Israel is seen as a problem and society in Europe has changed.

Gurfinkiel works through the many contributing factors toward anti-Semitism in Europe, including: the financial woes of Europe; the increased Muslim population whose background often includes Middle Eastern anti-Semitism; a widening secular culture with new demands to be rid of circumcision and ritual slaughter of animals as well as the wearing of clothing that is symbolic of religion. (This troubling shift also affects other ethnic and religious groups.) The author reminds his readers of the parallels to the 1930s and 40s:

“Even worse scenarios may be contemplated. Real life is often circular: the farther you travel in one direction, the closer you come to those traveling in the opposite direction. What about a nightmare fusion, at some point in the future, of an anti-Semitic Left, an anti-Semitic Right, and an anti-Semitic Islam? In the case of France, there are ominous precedents: many Frenchmen who started out as fierce anti-German patriots in the late-19th century ended as pro-German activists or collaborationists in the 1930s and early 40s.”

This combination of left, right and anti-Semitic Islam is more than a nightmare, in some places it is a reality. But the point that I am making by directing the reader to this article is that the Jewish people at least need to know that if they need to, if they must, there is a Jewish State that will be a safe haven. If there is a one state solution it means that it will be an Arab majority state and a Jewish state will be no more. It is a long hard journey toward a two state solution but it is the only solution that will preserve the safety of the Jewish people.




*The overture can be seen by clinking on the link REPORT 10   Bills Overtures and Session Records at http://www.presbyteryofsf.org/presbytery-meetings/september-2013-packet/ You will need to scroll through several pages and also understand that the overture accusing Israel of apartheid did not pass but the divestment one did. The overture I am writing about is the last one.

Dr. Qanta Ahmed a Muslim speaking of Christian persecution

In view of the fact that there will undoubtedly be many divisive overtures regarding Israel and the Middle East in the upcoming 2014 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) it is important for Presbyterians to do a great deal of reading, listening and thinking about the issues. We are Christians and half of our holy text, the Bible, belongs to the Jewish people. We have a commitment that we cannot break or misuse. Lately a great deal of information, a lot of reading and many videos  have come to my attention. I am going to begin sharing and talking about the issues. At least three important issues will surely rise to the surface. The movement to boycott companies as well as intellectual and artistic offerings coming from Israel; discussions about a one state or two state solution, and the fate of Christians in the Middle East. I begin with the latter issue:

Just the day after I watched a video of Dr. Qanta Ahmed, a Muslim, speak about persecution of Christians in the Middle East as well as Pakistan, (and she emphasized Pakistan), the horrible killing of Christians at the ancient Anglican church, All Saints, in Pakistan occurred. At least 75 Christians were martyred—many more were terribly hurt. Dr. Ahmed, who worked in Saudi Arabia as a physician to women, wrote the book In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom and she is interested in the persecution of minorities. She highly recommends the book, Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians as a means of understanding how dire the situation is becoming for Christians in many parts of the world.*

Ahmed was speaking in Jerusalem in 2012 at a forum provided by the Liaison Committee, a joint forum of the B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem and the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel. The topic of the Forum was “Radicalization and the Purging of Minorities in the Middle East.” This is a long video but very interesting and extremely important for anyone interested in the on going persecution of Christians and other minorities by radical Islam.

I believe Ahmed touches on the very basic reasons for the loss of Christian populations in many parts of the world including the Middle East.




* I have read about 3/4 of the persecution book but put it away for awhile because it is unrelenting sorrow upon sorrow.