Doug Wilson Wars II

I should add that Wilson's side of the story (stories) is over at his blog. Too bad, because it takes away time he could be writing on the really interesting stuff on Calvinism, NT Wright, Catholicism, etc.

Doug Wilson Wars

281 comments at counting at World magazine's blog. Even Gary North chimed in to encourage the folks to tone it down.

I've had sour experiences with Christian e-mail lists before and have seen some really angry posts at Christian blogs. Say what you want about Christianity, but this much is true: Christians with strong opinions are like most other people with strong opinions. We're just not very nice.

Women Priests

Last night I listened to George Noory's Coast to Coast AM show where he interviewed Neale Walsch, author of Conversations with God and other books. An interesting conversation, but what bothered me was one point. The absence of female priests in the Catholic Church is perceived by Walsch as evidence that that church "marginalizes" half the world's population, and that a religion that does that obviously has some things very wrong.

I'm not going to get into the Biblical debate about female clergy. There are three things at work here: Catholics would have to justify biblically the office of priesthood, and Protestants have to justify the existence of some sort of non-priestly clerical office. Only then can we bring into the conversation why women ought not hold the office.

But that said, how are women "marginalized?" The "authority" of spiritual leadership is one of servanthood, not command, and is not the only means of servanthood. Are women denied the honor of serving Christ because they are denied the clerical office? Certainly not! And who was more loved, and ultimately looked to as an even greater "authority" than John Paul or Billy Graham in our generation? Mother Theresa.

Women can't be fathers, and men can't be mothers. They have essentially different roles, but both are EQUALLY necessary. The Church may or may not recognize these gender distinctions, which is a matter of theology. If it is in the order of creation for feminine gifts to be used in a different form of servanthood, I don't see how that is an insult or marginalization of women. It would probably come as a relief.

Men are physically called to take the slings and arrows, to be the firefighters and the soldiers. Perhaps they are called too to take the spiritual slings and arrows, to defend the faith from attack, while women fill a nurturing role. And that's why men have the offices of religious authority. It is there actions that will be criticized and attacked.

Or maybe not. Maybe women are also called to be priests and pastors. I'm just saying that a faith where they are barred from the priesthood does not necessarily marginalize them.

Pope-pourri

From Jane Galt:

I'm pretty sure that we're going to see a lot of articles bemoaning the choice of Ratzinger (who is very conservative) and claiming that the Catholic Church is going to implode without ordination of married and female clergy, relaxed standards on birth control and divorce, and so forth. I don't think I buy this. Protestant denominations like the Anglican Communion have been liberalising like mad, and with each decline in membership, they decide that what they need is to liberalise some more. Doesn't seem to have worked so hard. Personally, if I were going to be religious, I'd want a religion that was demanding. Otherwise, what's the point?

A Christian View of War

Douglas Wilson summarizes "Just War" theory quite nicely. My favorite part:

Nevertheless, a Christian must go to war understanding that he remains a moral agent while in battle. While he may not be competent to decide whether the war itself is justified--someone else will answer to God for that--he still may know himself to be justified in going to war. His duty is to know what God’s Word expects of him in bello--and if he is commanded to do what is contrary to the Scriptures, he must be fully prepared to refuse. C.S. Lewis put it well: "I feel certain that one Christian airman shot for refusing to bomb enemy civilians would be a more effective martyr . . . than a hundred Christians in jail for refusing to join the army." [C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970), p. 327.]

If there is wickedness in high places which engineered the war (and there frequently is), their plans will be more quickly frustrated by a consistent Christian soldiery than by squads of amateur cabinent ministers second guessing whether the cause of the war was Swiss bankers, oil interests, or the Iluminati.

What John Paul II Couldn't Stop

Pat Buchanan on the decline of the RCC in the USA since Vatican II, quite remarkable considering the RCC's rise 1930-1965.

While the church has maintained her numerical strength in America, this is due only to immigration. As one Chicago priest said, each week he buries a Lithuanian or Polish Catholic—and baptizes two Hispanic babies.

What happened to Catholicism is what happened to America. Both passed through a moral, social and cultural revolution that has altered the most basic beliefs of men and women. There has been a “transvaluation of all values.” What was considered scandalous or immoral not long ago—promiscuity, abortion, homosexuality—is now considered progressive. It says everything about our age that, were a judicial nominee in America to echo the views of John Paul II on human life, the Democratic Senate would unanimously filibuster his nomination to death and denounce him as an extremist.

With much of the church having succumbed to the heresy of modernism, it needs an Athanasius. As good a man as the pope was, as great as were his achievements, as noble as was his witness for life, the Catholic Church still awaits that bishop.

Shine a Light

This link above provides some history of the song and the lyrics . Brian Jones, who founded the Rolling Stones, was fired by the rest of the band around 1969 because his various addictions were hurting his performance and reliability (which is saying a lot for this band). This is one of my favorite Rolling Stones numbers. And I suppose it points to a theology that "through Christ" we are redeemed and "saved," not "through faith" or through "faith and works." Maybe Christ is able to "save" those who never had reason to know of or believe in him. That is, apparently, Mick & Keith's wish. And mine.

Frankly, this is where Purgatory and/or reincarnation are most attractive, even if they are not Biblical. Maybe it takes some just one lifetime, but others thousands of years, to finally "see the light" and start the process to become fit for paradise. It is understandable how many people, of whatever religion, desires us all to be cleansed and redeemed to be fit for eternal bliss, even if it is a long process.

I am viciously "anti-liberal" when it means trying to either replace God with the State, or try to "help" God with the State. And if liberalism insists that the latest version of Darwinism is epistemlogically true, even when there's no evidence for it that can't be better explained by a flood 5000 years ago. If that is liberalism, I'm not intersted. But I suppose that my hyper-preterist, universal-salvaitionist tendencies do make me a theological liberal.

All I know is, "May the good Lord shine a Light on you."

Papal Selection

Fr. Andrew Greeley on the process. It is good to know that almost nobody wants the job. Let's hope it goes to somebody who definitely doesn't want it.

Crossed Fingers

Last night I read the forward, preface, and introduction to Gary North's Crossed Fingers: How the Liberals Captured the Presbyterian Church, available free on-line. Battles in Presbyterianism were often front-page news from 1922-1936, but North seeks to trace the roots and causes well before then.

I doubt that I will read the whole thing, but as far as I know it is the only book of its kind - n0 books trace the liberal triumph over the other mainline denominations. But one key point is that the Machen conservative camp lost because it was stuck playing defense - vocally resisting the seemingly modest and nearly-invisible liberal agenda. The liberal contingent was small (as was the consersative), but the majority of members, non-intellectuals who focused on experiential, pietistic religion, just wanted "peace" and therefore drifted to the liberal side of the battle.

It would be interesting to see if there's a book on how the conservatives re-took the Southern Baptist Convention. Maybe they learned to go on offense and exploit the reality that, deep down, the majority in the middle agreed with them.

Who Knew?

I am even wittier than I intended. My stereotypical crack at the friendly Episcopalians vacationing at the Hamptons strikes a chord. Rich people apparently do not know how to talk to the non-rich.

Lemonholm Lunchbox: Becoming Lutheran, Part 1 continued

Independent Country: John Paul II

I can see why some may think of me as a blogsturbator, but I tend to think of it that I'm the blogster of my domains.

I don't normally mix the content of Independent Country with this blog, it's just that John Paul II's death has both religious and political ramifications.

Independent Country: John Paul II

A Man of Liberty and Integrity

I wrote this in November of 2003 in honor of John Paul II's 25th anniversery as Pope.

Please note: I am NOT defending the Catholic teaching on contraception here. I am just citing areas in which the RC has been steadfast in their principles when Protestants have oftentimes been confused.

Becoming Lutheran, Part 1: personal reasons

From Eric Lemonholm. The Episcopal Church blew it, but maybe all the friendly people were away at the Hamptons that weekend.

I suspect a Part 2, and perhaps more, will be forthcoming.

Lemonholm Lunchbox: Becoming Lutheran, Part 1: personal reasons