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What do we do with the United Church?
ChristianGovernance eletter – August 16, 2012
What do we do with the United Church?
I have not been paying much attention to the death throws of the United “Church” of Canada. They have been holding their 41st General Council meetings in Ottawa this past week. They have been generating controversy over some of their position statements, especially one against Israel.
Some people are telling them to stick to issues of religion and faith. One would expect such criticism from humanists because humanists have been trying to marginalize Christianity for decades as a private matter that has no place in dialogue involving reason and science.
In fact, Christianity properly understood is a worldview, a comprehensive vision for life. It is therefore quite appropriate for Christians to speak to any and every issue of life. The discussion around the United Church’s proposals should be on their merits. Do they reflect a Biblical understanding of reality? Are they faithful extrapolations and applications of God’s law? This type of discussion is far more rational, intelligent and useful.
Instead, we have humanists of the “left” embracing the United Church policies because they are expressions of Humanism, not Christianity. And we have humanists on the “right” saying that the United Church is wading into areas that should not interest a church. On that point, Christians should also use the Bible to guide the way they prioritize issues. If you can make a compelling Biblical case for your position on any given issue, that’s good, but not all issues are worth dividing over.
Furthermore, while it’s good for Christians to wrestle with all issues that are pertinent to their lives in this world, churches and denominations should be very cautious about issuing official positions on issues. Organizations cannot make issue statements on everything, so when they do take an official position on something, people see that as a priority issue for them. When an organization is taking a stand on issues like oil pipeline development – regardless of how much effort they exert to frame it as a human rights or dignity issue – and they are not addressing key issues surrounding the Gospel and spiritual development, then it is testifying to its waywardness and deadness as a Christian body.
What’s worse is when they abandon the Bible and embrace the humanist position on these various issues, which is the case with the United Church.