From: glenn@moeng2.morgan.edu (D. Glenn Arthur Jr.)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Disagreeing with one's church (was Re: Clinton & Gore)
Date: 5 Sep 92 21:16:46 GMT
Organization: The Space-Time Fabrication Institute, Rockville, MD.

{Is this the correct address for posting to soc.religion.christian?}

In article <Sep.1.03.14.19.1992.13353@athos.rutgers.edu> stngiam@athena.mit.edu writes:
> 
>The media reports that Governor Clinton is Baptist.  I'm wondering 
>whether he is Southern Baptist. [...] If indeed he is a member of a 
>Southern Baptist church, many of the policies he espouses are contrary 
>to the position of the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention.  

>  How about Sen Gore?

>President Carter described himself as a born-again Christian [...] 

Well, *I'm* a self-described born-again Christian (and since I
had my salvation experience when I was attending a Baptist church,
I could call myself Baptist, I suppose, though I generally don't),
and a lot of what I believe and support would not be palatable to
the Fundamentalists I hear and read about in the media.

(Actually, I'm not certain how palatable some of my attitudes 
would be to most readers of this newsgroup, but that is another 
matter.)

Similarly, one of my ex-girlfriends is Catholic.  She's also 
bisexual (and usually just refers to herself as lesbian).  The
Catholic church isn't too keen on homosexuals.  That does not
make her non-Catholic.  It does make her someone who's trying to
change the church.


Some of us (many, I hope) feel we have to do what we feel is right,
even when those higher up in various organizations disagree.  When
the Lord guides us, we must follow.

The hard part is to keep honestly asking oneself whether one is
disagreeing because of _belief_ or because of _convenience_.  It
is easy to start rationalizing reasons to deviate from what we
are taught.  But when you are certain that's not what you're
doing, and you still disagree with your church leaders, follow
your heart.  Unless you're Catholic, your church leaders are 
fallible humans -- wiser than most, we hope, but human.  (I won't
go into the nature of papal infallibility, as I'm not suffiently
knowledgable to comment on it.)  _Listen_ to them.  _Respect_ them.
And after listening to them, ask yourself whether they're maybe
right after all, but if you still don't think they are, perhaps
it's _your_ duty to try to educate _them_.


Personally, I describe myself as an eclectic, born-again Christian,
and I do not list a particular denomination more specific than that.
One of the principles of _my_ Faith is that no (hu)man stands between
me and my God.  There are others more _wise_, to whom I should turn
for _advice_ and insight, and there are others who are better 
teachers or just better people, but I talk to God directly, not
through them.  Good people can help me to figure things out, and
quite often show me important things I'm overlooking, but I cannot
simply take their answers as given without questioning them first
myself, tasting them to see if they feel _right_.  I trust to God
for guidance, and work hard to be receptive to His word.

Of course, since I recognize no _spiritual_authority_ other than 
the Lord, I have no church of my own to disagree with.  Whether
this means that I am therefore unqualified to discuss differences
of conscience between people and their churches I leave as an
exercise for the reader.  Obviously, _I_ thought I had something
to say.  :-)


As a side note, I have more respect for Jimmy Carter than I do for 
any other politician I know anything about.



-- 
D. Glenn Arthur Jr., The Human Vibrator, glenn@bessel.umd.edu
"Being a _man_ means knowing that one has a choice not to act like a 'man'."

How much interest is there in a TV/TS newsgroup?  How many would post there?
You can send me mail anonymously at wi.2743@wizvax.methuen.ma.us (was wi.79)