In North American Progressive (Liberal) Protestantism, salient questions are being asked about (1) Holy Scripture and (2) the person (divine nature) and work of Christ Jesus. These two questions are central to Apostolic Christianity and to the historic Faith. Progressive Protestantism has come up with new answers:
1) Is
Holy Scripture God’s divine revelation about Himself, about us and about His
good and perfect will for all creation?
If it is Scripture, like God Himself, is timeless, immutable and authoritative. If not, then Scripture can be trumped by modern reason, human desire, individual experience, and cultural mores. The latter is the answer that theologically progressive Protestantism offers to our society in the effort to be relevant to our post-Christian Western Civilization. In this way, liberal Christianity can be the chaplain to a progressively secular culture and bless the shift toward neo-paganism which is what, more-and-more, defines our society today. It is ironic that our post-Christian society generally does not seek a blessing from either God or the Church, and both are increasingly marginalized and considered obstacles to progressivism.
2) Is
Jesus indeed God who has come down to dwell among us to fix what we are
incapable of fixing ourselves, which is our corrupt and fallen human nature
and our resulting estrangement (fall) away from God?
This has been the Gospel claim of orthodox Christians from the Apostles on. Jesus is not just one way to the Father, He is “The Way.” Jesus the Messiah is God’s unique act of redemption in history on behalf of all humankind. If this is not so, then the spiritual struggle of humanity to deal with sin will unsuccessfully continue, and falling short of the glory of God is the only result. The Old Testament Scripture recounts the folly of seeking on our own strength our redemption and healing of our sinful nature.
Again, it is ironic that the modern, post-Christian culture generally is not asking for a savior or seeking reconciliation with God. To seek union and conformity with something larger that oneself is to deny the autonomy of the individual and the ability for each of us to create our own heaven, hope and future.
Has God changed His mind about His plan
for our salvation, or is the Church in the process of changing her mind? The stakes are high because our hope and eternal future rest in the
balance.
Father
Rob
Human perceptions always must depend upon our imperfect equipment and imperfect souls... so of course they will vary (and never be perfect). C.S. Lewis wrote this regarding the process of the interpretation of truth claims: “What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what kind of person you are.”
ReplyDeleteNone of us are infallible; all of us see through the glass very dimly (1 Cor 13:12) and none of us are standing where we can see everything. Only God sees and knows it all. And even the scriptures are not self-interpreting… except to God (and of course His Holy Spirit) … who inspired them. All the rest of us are biased to some extent, and those who deny their biases are those most likely to be deceived (and to be in grievous error) in their interpretations.
Moral relativism involves entirely self-negating circular thinking. It is not only ironic, it is stupid, because it claims absolutely that nothing in the moral, religious, or philosophical realm is absolute.
Moral relativism (subjectivism) asserts that morality is not based on any absolute standard. In fact, postmodern relativists deny that any such standard exists. Rather, ethical “truths” depend on changing variables such as the situation, culture, one's feelings, etc. Truth itself is therefore subjective and we can validly make up our own versions of it.
However, every value which is regarded as “relative” means that it is relative to something else, it cannot stand on its own; ultimately it must be compared that which is absolute and unchanging. Moral relativists deny or ignore this logical truth.
Moral absolutism rightly claims that morality relies on universal and unchanging principles (God’s laws, natural law). In the human world, it also involves our being able to comprehend these principles through God’s revelation (scripture), natural science, and (among born-again believers) through our God-enabled consciences (1 Cor 2:12-16).
The Word of God is perfect and unchanging... and claims this for itself: Isaiah 40:8 & 55:8-11; Jeremiah 23:28; Psalms 33:11, 119:89,119:105; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 4:4 & 24:35; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16; John 6:63.
David Virtue on the failing mainline church denominations: "The abandonment of Scripture as authoritative on all matters of faith and practice is the curse of revisionist and progressive thinking." https://www.virtueonline.org/progressive-revelation-dr-bruce-atkinson