Is It Time for the PCUSA to Split?
As regular readers know, the PC(USA) denomination is in turmoil. There is a growing divide between conservatives (who call themselves “evangelical” or “Biblically faithful”) and liberals (who call themselves “progressive”). It looks like the fight is over homosexuality, but it’s really over a combination of social ideology (today’s hot-button issues like homosexuality, abortion, and oddly enough property rights) and Biblical inerrancy.
When it comes right down to it, the divide is based on one question: “Do I believe that I have the only True Christian Faith?”
If you answer yes, then the world is divided into two groups: people who believe and behave like you and who are to be applauded, and people who do not yet match your beliefs or behavior and who are to be at best converted/assisted to return to the Truth and at worst vilified.
If you answer no, the the world is divided into many groups. One of the groups believes and behaves the way you do and feels like family. Other groups don’t believe or behave the way you do, but they meet some lesser standard of “do no harm to others” and are to be applauded as finding a “different path to God”. Still other groups are seen as taking a path where their beliefs or lack thereof lead them to do harm to others; these groups are vilified.
The definitions of harm are different between conservatives and liberals as well – conservatives tend to define harm as physical or “leading people away from the True Faith” while liberals tend to define harm as physical, mental, economic, or discrimination based on a number of attributes.
From where I sit, it seems like the pew-sitters in the PC(USA) fall into 3 groups: 20% activist conservative, 70% non-activist, and 10% activist liberal. The officers (elders and deacons) and clergy skew more to the liberal.
The PC(USA) is posed on the brink of a split. One of three things can happen. The denomination could pursue a graceful split, dividing property and churches using principles similar to those used by “still friendly” divorcing couples. The denomination could go through a painful split, with ecclesiastical and civil court cases, lots of name-calling, and heavy losses of membership as people get disgusted and leave. Or, the non-activist middle could rise up and tell the activist conservatives and activist liberals to sit down, shut up, and stop hurting the community.
I favor the “middle rising up” scenario. However, it seems like we are pursuing the “painful split” scenario now.
When I was in high school, I was involved in the Tech Crew. This is usually called “Stage Crew” elsewhere, though we also did lighting and sound for school events that didn’t happen in the auditorium. By the time I was a junior, I had risen to be Lighting Director. We also had a position called Technical Director held by a friend of mine. The two positions were considered co-presidents of the group.
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In senior year, disaster struck. Both of us developed romantic notions for another member of the group. To this day I’m not even sure whether or not she shared romantic feelings for either of us. Throughout the fall of senior year there were a number of ugly incidents (none physical – more passive-aggressive) and the Tech Crew started to show signs of a similar split. There were the 3 of us, a few friends of those 3, and the rest formed the “knock it off” middle. We managed to get things done, but it was clear that the situation was hurting the group.
So, I chose to leave the group for the good of the group. This also ended the friendships with the Technical Director and our lady friend all the way around. Some felt that I took the coward’s way and avoided conflict. Some felt that I should have just let it go and stepped aside of any relationship that they may have had. Others were sad to see me go but understood my decision (the adults involved fell into that group). I do know that I no longer had to experience the immediate pain of the disagreements, though I did feel the pain of the loss of part of my life. The group ended up having further problems and while it didn’t split it never regained the level of fun that we’d experienced before the love triangle formed. The knowledge transfer that usually happens as the group ages and a new guard comes in was interrupted, resulting in some permanent loss of knowledge. At least one person had to take over a role that they weren’t prepared to handle.
Does that sound familiar? Replace me with the role of “conservative church leaving the denomination”.
The key question is “Does staying together do more harm than splitting?” More harm to each of us, more harm to the whole. It’s clear that as we spend time fighting amongst ourselves, we are not advancing the Kingdom of God. If anything, we are fragmenting it. And we are losing people to disinterest and disgust.
It’s time for some project management skills. We need to pick a few options and evaluate the upsides and downsides of each. This is the same decision-making process that I use every day in my IT job. It’s the same decision-making process used by doctors when they have a sick patient.
Let’s look at the upsides and downsides of a split. Let’s look at the upsides and downsides of staying together. Let’s look at the upsides and downsides of letting people go peacefully. Let’s pray over all of it, and pick the option that will help us all move forward in the best way for the greatest number – separate or apart.
Most of all, let’s leave the emotions at home. Let’s think and pray, but stop fighting.
An interesting side note: I found the Technical Director mentioned above on the web. From what little is on his website, he has a similar DVD collection, similar interests (indicated by links) and his cats look like mine. Freaky. I’m glad for him that he’s apparently happy.
Theological Issues I’m Having Trouble With
I’m having trouble with a few theological issues.
First of all – my theological background. I was once a fairly involved member of a Presbyterian PC(USA) congregation. I was also a religion minor at Rutgers University, and I took several classes on Christianity and the Bible. I have not gotten any farther than that as far as formal theological education.
Biblical Inerrancy
One thing that conservative Christians (often calling themselves evangelical) list as one of their core beliefs is the idea that the Bible contains no errors. This is explained by stating that the authors of the various books of the Bible were inspired by God, and therefore there could be no errors. This leads to the logical conclusion that we must follow every instruction in the Bible.
There are some problems with that. In some places the Bible directly contradicts itself. (For one glaring example, take a look at the different accounts of creation in the first two books of Genesis. For an entire list, look HERE). Other times, the Bible prohibits things that we clearly allow today (check your clothing – is it made of mixed fibers?).
It gets worse when people start interpreting the words. I had a very conservative on-campus Christian group tell me once that 2 Corinthians 6:14 (“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do
righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can
light have with darkness?”) meant that I should not be friends with Jews unless I was actively trying to convert them. Others believe that this passage says that Christians should not marry non-Christians, or even form business partnerships with non-Christians.
Almost all forms of Christianity today pick and choose different instructions that are supposedly from the Bible. I have yet to find a church that preaches that eating shellfish is sinful. However, some admit it and others do not. The PC(USA) is officially a Confessional church – meaning that there are documents called Confessions that the PC(USA) has adopted as official interpretations of Scripture. Most of these are historical and go back decades at a minimum, and centuries in many cases. These contradict each other as well. Presbyterians are exhorted to study the Bible and the confessions and so gain both the tools to make their own interpretations of scripture and the decisions that have been made through the consensus polity of the church.
The problem comes when Person A’s interpretation differs from Person B on an issue that either person considers Very Important. This could be divorce. Or homosexuality. Or how often to celebrate Eucharist/Communion. Or whether or not the altar is behind the choir or in front of the choir.
Once upon a time, these differences erupted into actual violent conflict – complete with armies (both of which were the Army of the Lord). Today, it’s fought with words and fought with money. It’s fought with words like apostasy and intolerance.
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Diversity of Belief vs. Purity of Belief
With the late unpleasantness in many Protestant denominations many people are concluding that “I can’t stand being in a church that doesn’t believe X”. Some are using a different form, saying “I can’t stand being in a church that doesn’t accept me as I am”. I can understand the latter – it goes to personal identity and staying in a place where you are clearly unwanted (or part of you is unwanted) is a bad idea all the way around. So I’ll concentrate on the former.
Personally, I believe that our beliefs should be challenged. We must be exposed to different ideas in order to continue to grow spiritually. Some of those ideas will be tested and rejected. Some of those ideas will be interesting but “not for me”. Others will be accepted and become part of our spiritual makeup.
A church where homogeneity is mandated, where the Bible is made into a rulebook rather than a message, in that church the challenge is not there. Everyone who chooses to be part of that church may be comfortable, but nothing is changing. Beliefs are the same, year in and year out. There is no new light.
I would much rather be part of a church where people who hold opposing views are not just tolerated, but encouraged. Where people can debate the various ideas that they have, and learn from each other. Chemical reactions happen when atoms build and break bonds, moving from one form to another. That is my picture of how faith is built – through constant interaction with new and different ideas.
There is a point where it can go too far. There is a place for a core set of beliefs and behaviors that are tolerated. But even then, there is room for those who disagree to be present and part of the community.
Put more simply – how can you learn and grow in faith if you aren’t exposed to other beliefs? How can you spread your message if you don’t associate with those with whom you disagree?
I would much rather belong to a church that chooses to include a few people who don’t check off all of the church’s belief-system check boxes than one that chooses to exclude them. If I (and others) don’t agree with their beliefs, my faith is strengthened by understanding and rejecting their ideas.
Or maybe I am the person without all of the checks on the list. Who has 100% of the checks?
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