Fundamentalist Flaws

In my opinion, there are several characteristics in the fundamentalist articulation of Christianity that are helping to hasten the demise of our Faith.   Two of those flaws appear prominently in a column which I recently read, authored by an evangelical pastor.  Let me begin by saying that I know that almost any viewpoint can be supported by quoting some passage of Scripture, out-of-context or interpreted through a theologically-defective lens.   These two issues are no exception to that rule.

First, the author prefaces the quotation of Scripture by saying "When the Creator decided to write a book..."   The writer imagines that, out of more than a hundred sacred texts in the world, only the Judaeo-Christian bible is inspired.  This wording betrays what I think is a misunderstanding of the concept of inspiration.  I firmly believe that great art, music, and literature can be divinely inspired.  Does that mean that I believe that God put Beethoven into a trance and wrote the Fifth Symphony for him?  No, certainly not.  In the same vein, I believe that God inspired the panoply of authors who wrote the books of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek over an extended period of time.  Do I believe God dictated the contents or in some fashion guaranteed that they were free of human error?  No, I don't.  I believe the essence of Scripture is: the human expression of two ancient groups -- early Judaism and the early Christian communities -- recounting the experience of their search for God.  The Bible contains quite a few contradictions, factual and scientific errors; and that is to be expected if we are actually dealing in writings of human beings. And, indeed, there are two different Bibles, Catholic and Protestant, and many manuscript variations.  Does that mean that divine inspiration and profound insights can't be found in the Bible?  No, not at all.  In our Tradition, it is common to say that the Word of God is Jesus Christ, not a book.  But that book is a witness to God's life in the world which, for us, finds  supreme articulation in the Saviour who is the human face of God.  In the Anglican understanding, God's revelation is not limited to someone's interpretation of a set of writings, but is experienced equally in scripture, tradition, and reason, in interplay.

The second faux pas lies in this statement:  "Every human...is created in the image and likeness of God.  Only those who have trusted Christ qualify as His children."  Really?  I will have to stand by my conviction that all of humanity are God's children, and that no person has to "qualify" to be a child of God by holding certain opinions about Jesus.  This elitist view has a long and troubling history.  Nazis said Jews don't believe in Christ, they are not God's children, so exterminate them.  During many troubling times in various cultures, including the West, those with orthodox views concluded that heretics were not God's children, so they could be tortured and executed.  Do you envision where Christian elitism can lead?   What is the value in demeaning non-Christians?

There is a profound lack of humility in presuming to tell God how God can and can't communicate with humanity.  There is immense hubris in presuming to tell God whom he can or cannot love and bless.  We must not get above ourselves.