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Leftism in the churches
Leftism dissected ^ | 20 Sept 2002 | John Ray

Posted on 09/20/2002 6:09:24 AM PDT by jonjayray

In fact, there seems to have developed in the “Western” world in recent decades the curious phenomenon of the post-religious church. This is most marked in the case of the Church of England and its related Anglican churches worldwide.

There was once a time hundreds of years ago when followers of the Church of England were passionate believers in its blend of Protestant doctrines and episcopal organization. And assent to the 39 “Articles of Religion” is to this day supposed to be the mark of the Anglican. These articles say things such as: “Holy scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.” (Article 6). And: “They are to be had accursed that presume to say , That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law and the light of Nature.” (Article 18). No doctrinal flexibility or universal salvation there! And no vagueness about what is authoritative!

How much this uncompromising language contrasts with the wishy-washy social gospel that is usually to be heard in Anglican churches today. When the Anglican flock go to church these days what they hear from their clergy tends to be a wishy-washy mish-mash of every trendy “liberal” belief under the sun. God and the Bible are lucky to get a mention. The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury (Carey) is so “Green” that not even Greenpeace could have found fault with him and the incoming Archbishop (Williams) clearly has no respect whatever for Bible teachings about homosexuality. It is not even certain that a majority of the Anglican episcopate believe in God in any meaningful sense. Some of them clearly do not.

So in modern times nothing seems to be forbidden in the Anglican churches and nothing seems to be required for membership other than a modicum of politeness and a patience with rambling sermons. And it is not so much belief that is required as good taste! How has this come about?

It would seem to reflect a decay of faith in the general population. About the only religious belief that still wins widespread assent in the modern Western world is belief in God. But this is now accompanied by widespread skepticism about whether the churches know any more about God than anybody else. Certainly, the idea that one particular church has the truth while others do not is now widely seen as ridiculous.

This means that many mainstream churches are essentially now hollow shells. They offer a facility for worship and fellowship but have no authority in matters of morals, doctrine or anything else. They have become social facilities rather than religious institutions. Rather than delivering salvation, all that is now asked of them is that they occasionally make you feel good. So this lack of moral, ethical or doctrinal anchors leaves the door open wide for what is popularly believed in the secular world to prevail in the churches as well. So if Leftist, Greenie, Feminist or “Gay-lib” beliefs are vocally expressed in the community at large, such beliefs will be expressed with similar energy from the pulpit. The acclaimed Marxist theorist Gramsci foresaw many years ago a “long march through the institutions” for Leftism -- and the post-religious churches have offered no resistance to that march at all. Their clergy now preach salvation through the nostrums of Leftism and Environmentalism rather than through the worship of Christ.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: amorality; christian; churches; leftism; religion
Above is the first draft of an article I am working on -- about the Leftist infiltration into the mainstream churches. Comments and suggestions needed. JR
1 posted on 09/20/2002 6:09:24 AM PDT by jonjayray
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To: jonjayray
Good start. Just curious: are you only now discovering this phenomenon? No insult intended -- you could be a new convert. But this is a very, very old story.
2 posted on 09/20/2002 6:13:10 AM PDT by old-ager
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To: jonjayray
This rot has been going on in the Episcopal church for some time now, and even before the whole issue of gays and gaia came along, I often refered to it as Catholic-Lite (All the ceremony with none of the rules). A faith that does not ask us to be more than we are comfortable with is useless.
3 posted on 09/20/2002 6:15:16 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: jonjayray
While it may, in many respects be correct, do not tar all churches with the same brush. There are many who still hold to their original precepts (Baptists, Methodists and Mormons come immediately to mind). You might also note that those churches which are so wishy-washy are losing their membership at an alarming rate. Only those who are holding the course are making headway.
4 posted on 09/20/2002 6:19:00 AM PDT by Frumious Bandersnatch
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To: Frumious Bandersnatch
I agree that Baptists still seem to be on-course but I thought Methodists had generally gone pretty wishy-washy too. You disagree? All Methodists?
JR
5 posted on 09/20/2002 6:32:28 AM PDT by jonjayray
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To: old-ager
I am a 59-year-old atheist but the sound of Leftism coming from the churches seems to be becoming louder and louder so I am getting a bit concerned about it.
JR
6 posted on 09/20/2002 6:34:32 AM PDT by jonjayray
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To: Tijeras_Slim
I think Catholic-Lite is too complimentary. How about calling them the wishy-washies?
JR
7 posted on 09/20/2002 6:35:46 AM PDT by jonjayray
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To: jonjayray
How about calling them the wishy-washies?

That would involve copyright infringement with the Unitarians.

8 posted on 09/20/2002 6:38:18 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: jonjayray
"It would seem to reflect a decay of faith in the general population."

I disagree. Churches like the Baptist Church and Assemblies of God Churches which teach the Bible are growing while the Cathloic Church, Episcopalian Churches, Methodist Churches, and mainstream Presbyterians are loosing members.

I think there are a heck of a lot of dissatisfied people out there who really WANT a church which follows scripture, but the feel-good left-wing liberal fruitcakes, sodomites and sodomite-supporters in the mainstream churches are driving them away in droves.

The recent high-handed spectacle of Catholic prelates defending indefensible acts of stupidity and arrogance concerning pedophilic homosexual priests is driving away a lot of Catholics, or at least making them reassess their views of the Catholic hierarchy. The inexplicable actions of a well-meaning but senile and soft-headed Pope aggrevates the situation.

What is most ominious is the increasing presence of Islam in this country, which, whatever its faults, has a strong scriptural basis and sticks to it. I fear many more Johnny Walker Linds will be moved to joined this cult as it offers something that the feel-good, faithless Christian mainstream churches have failed to offer.

Unless the people in these wayward post-Christian organizatoins posing as churches, leave in droves or take the situation in their own hands by demanding removal of these political leftist prostitutes posing as clerics and clerical hierarchical figures, and refuse to continue to support them, they will drift ever more to left. They will be increasing controlled by the homosexuals, radical feminists, friends of the earth, radical animal rights people, supporters of open immigration and all the other assorted fruitcakes who infect our decaying republic and western society in general.
9 posted on 09/20/2002 6:38:46 AM PDT by ZULU
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To: jonjayray
Depends on the Methodists. I have met many who are as strait-laced as any Baptist or Mormon, so I made the assumption that there many congregations which are conservative. But you may be right at that, because I seem to recall some controversy in Methodism in California wherein a popular conservative minister was forced out by some liberals recently (my memory on this point is very hazy and I don't remember the specific details).
10 posted on 09/20/2002 6:42:20 AM PDT by Frumious Bandersnatch
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To: ZULU
Well said!
But are we not simply seeing a sorting process going on?
It seems to me that in the not too distant future the Anglicans will be the church of the fruitcakes only (gays, peaceniks etc) and the more serious Christians will go to the Baptists etc.
JR
11 posted on 09/20/2002 7:19:29 AM PDT by jonjayray
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To: Tijeras_Slim
good point
JR
12 posted on 09/20/2002 7:20:23 AM PDT by jonjayray
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To: jonjayray
read later and comment.
13 posted on 09/20/2002 7:59:55 AM PDT by LiteKeeper
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To: LiteKeeper
This is a subject of great interest to me. Quick note: the decline, I believe, can be directly associated to an organizations view of the authority of the Scriptures and the God of the Scriptures. I will post some links that I believe might be helpful later.
14 posted on 09/20/2002 8:07:17 AM PDT by LiteKeeper
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To: jonjayray
I think you are correct.
Slowly but surely, those deluded practitioners of these abominations will take over and monopolize the mainstream religions and the Baptists, Assemblies of God, etc., will profit from it.

Unfortunately, so will Islam.
15 posted on 09/20/2002 11:21:49 AM PDT by ZULU
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To: jonjayray
a “long march through the institutions” for Leftism -- and the post-religious churches have offered no resistance to that march at all.

This is exactly right: the emergence of socialism in the XIX century is not coincidental with the failure of Western religions to provide moral leadership during the accelerating industrial revolution. It is into this void that Marx and Engels stepped in. What we see now is merely a new stage in that process.

I referred to "Western religions" in plural because the same thing is happening in Reform Judaism in this country. The class view of society has replaced the relationship of an individual with G-d.

16 posted on 09/20/2002 3:47:17 PM PDT by TopQuark
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To: TopQuark
Thanks to everyone who has commented so far. I have now finished (I hope) the paper and the comments I got did inspire some revisions. I have now sent the paper off for publication and hope that all 7 pages of it will appear soon. I will put up a note on my blg: http://jonjayray.blogspot.com to announce it as soon as the paper does get published.
Cheers
JR
17 posted on 09/20/2002 9:41:52 PM PDT by jonjayray
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