Facing Hard Choices in the 21st Century. It’s Either Hogs or Hines!

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on 12 January 2011 1 Comments
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Question

As an ordained member of the Church of England, I do not think that Jesus is the founder of Christianity or that he intended to create the institution called “the Church.” My study, including the reading of your books, leads me to the conclusion that he sought to reform Judaism, to call people to share his experience of the God presence, an experience that helps people to know abundant life. (I’m still trying to find my way there!) The challenge then, for me as a clergyperson, is whether I simply bring comfort to the dying – individuals, congregations, the church – or a somewhat ill formed vision of the resurrection experience beyond, but not instead of death.

Your words to me the first time we met in England were “be of good courage, Mike, they can only kill you.” Whether you realized it or not, there was a great truth in those words. If I choose to challenge the “domination system” of the church then I know because of my personal vulnerabilities it could “kill me.” If I don’t, then suppressing that challenge is creating as dis-ease within me, which will cause me to wither away into the shadow of my being. At this point in time Buddhism (without a deity) seems to be a healthier and a better option. The wisdom teaching of Jesus and the Buddha feed my soul in equal measure. I would prefer to sit in a meditation hall than most church buildings.

Answer

Dear Michael,

Thank you for your letter. I would like to use your letter, with your identity blurred, to address your issues publicly. Let me say first that you might be surprised to learn that you are not alone. The themes you raise in your letter come to me from many ordained people in many Christian traditions. The first thing all of us must see and accept is that God is clearly not a Christian and Christianity has no ultimate hold on the truth of God. Such claims represent little more than institutional power claims. If the people of your congregation could hear what you are really saying more of them would agree with you than you now imagine. Many lay people do not bring these issues up because they do not want to upset their pastor and they do not believe that any alternatives will be forthcoming. There would, however, be a few whose hold on a phony religious security system is so fragile that they would be threatened and as usual they would be loud and negative. A church run to keep the weakest and most immature of its members happy, however, will never be a church that is able to lead anyone into the reality of today’s world. Some of our clergy, bishops and institutional leaders, including those who sit on the thrones of the Vatican and Canterbury, need to embrace that reality, to recognize its truth and to respond appropriately.

I have great admiration for you, Michael, and believe the church would be much less viable without you and people like you. We can change Christianity, but only from the inside. The question is can those of us who see the need for change survive the struggle it will require?

My best.
John Shelby Spong

 

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