Posted on 08/12/2005 12:53:15 PM PDT by sionnsar
Progressiberals– or whatever the label du jour is– seem to picture themselves as the bestest, nicest, smartest, purest and cuddliest folks ever. Nurturing, diversity-loving, tolerant, justice-seeking, brave, yada yada yada. Like a really soft, warm, cute, adorable, nuzzly puppy. Saving the world from all the latest bad -isms and nasty -ologies and hateful -phobias. Good for us!
However, when you observe and ponder what the militant dissenters actually say, do and think in the real universe, the results are rather different. About as appealing as this pooch, really.
After all, we’re all grown amazed, tired, and almost beyond shocking with the endless machinations, excuses, and nonsense of the radiberals in the Anglican Church– but we all need to see and recall what happens when sin and sloppiness and wilfully bad ideas take root in a soul, a parish, a diocese, or denominational institutions. Fresh manure hits the windmill, so to speak. Messiness ensues.
But perhaps all this bitter experience need not be wasted– the spirit of the age may wish to reshape everything in its own image, but we’ve learned a few things (all of this applies to all of us fallen sinners: and, of course, there are some fair-liberals out there).
(1) Liberals are better than you are. If you doubt this, well… not in the club, now are we?
(2) Liberals are always right, and the liberal ends always– ALWAYS– justify the liberal means. Hook, crook, or re-write the book: it’s all good.
(3) Hard-core liberal folks will say, do, or think just about anything– anything!– to get what they think is right.
(4) ‘Arguments’, ‘logic’, or ‘consistency’ are only mean and unfair traps some conservatives use to torment liberals.
(5) Truth is a matter of power, position, and officialness. Except when conservatives have power, when it equals structures of oppression and narrow-mindedness.
(6) Conservatives are always suspect, and you can do or say whatever you want to them– or even to other liberals, as need be. Preferably quietly, but whatever.
(7) Liberals are deadly serious. It’s an endless this-worldly jihad; a crusade; a mission. It’s a new religion.
(8) Malignant Progressivism gets worse and more invasive over time.
Nobody need be surprised of the reign of terror and ecclesiastical cleansing slowly unfolding in North American Anglicanism, or be shocked by how outrageously our erring brothers and sisters act– it all makes absolute and perfect sense, if you think like a religious liberal.
But it’s self-deception to hope that it will all just go away; or the latest outrage is the last; or that we can hold faith with this poisonous new religion. Charity; patience; prayer; relearning the fullness of God’s love and truth, some wheat & tares caution, a light touch, and the humble care of ourselves and our own business are all prerequisites– but like a doctor going after cancer, or a police officer after a murderer, or a parent fighting a wild beast to save their child from harm, we also gotta be deadly serious.
Because the opposition are serious. We are fighting a culture of death. And the stakes are eternally high.
David Mills has said it best:
“That being so, orthodox believers cannot simply declare that liberals should just be honest about their skepticism and leave the Church, and then (when they don’t leave) go about their lives still unequally yoked to them in the intimacy of communion. The only thing to do with Liberals is to respect them for their convictions, and for those same convictions excommunicate them.”
Of course, being non-liberals and all, we could be terribly, terribly wrong about all this.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Alas, your warning comes too late.
Yack.
The crypt keeper has a pet
really. that dog looks like the Satan of the animal kingdom.
I've often thought dogs were like angels. well, they can be like devils, too, apparently.
I woulda had that poor critter put down years ago, but its owner keeps winning the "World's Ugliest Dog" contest and can't bear to part with her meal ticket.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.