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Apostate Monster


I have had the privilege and honor to teach a course at our church. This course arose out of discussions with the minister. I told him I doubted the divinity of Jesus, which he said was a common concern. We talked of my interest in early church history, which ended by his suggestion that I teach a class in it. I prepared three lectures which were well received. The participants decided to continue as a class.

 There are now complaints that a man who does not believe in the trinity and divinity of Jesus is teaching a church class. I have made no secret of my beliefs, but I have not advanced them as an agenda within the church, nor have I taught them. In reading church history there is not the slightest question that the image of Jesus evolved over 200 years into what we know today. This is what I have presented. While I have made no secret of my personal beliefs, it is for others to decide theirs based on history and church documents.

So what are the criteria for teaching in a church? Must a teacher profess certain beliefs, a ‘litmus test’, that must be passed in order to teach? What is the catechism of belief needed to participate in a Christian church? And what are the consequences of not passing such a test? Am I not allowed to teach? To come to services? Take communion? Set foot in the church? Am I to be taken outside, attached to a stake, and burned?

Exactly what is the test of faith, and what acts are prohibited, and what are the consequences? These are not trivial questions. The organized church has prohibited all of what I mention, and killed and burned in the name of orthodox belief.

The 2012 Pew Research results on Christian belief are highly relevant here (http://religions.pewforum.org/reports#). Protestants still make up a majority of Christians, but barely. Among Christians, 21% identify as Christian but question the divinity of Jesus, and there are many unaffiliated believers in God who are uncomfortable with exclusionary or defining behavior by churches.
 
The really sad part about all this is that nothing, NOTHING of what I presented was controversial. It is all history already part of the Christian church, or it is material of multiple respected scholars. Not a couple of dissident crazies. Serious, devout, lifelong biblical scholars and theologians. These people are not 'the enemy'. The list is overwhelming, beginning with Albert Schweitzer and Bultmann, and in our time Crossan, Pagels, Breugemann, Borg, Armstrong.
 
Now, in order to maintain the control of the church by orthodox belief, it is necessary to suppress fact and history. Not transcend intellect. Not 'accept on faith'. Actually deny and/or suppress plain fact. And those facts threaten no one. If you are so strong and certain of the rectitude of your beliefs why are you so threatened by mine? My years of reading have deepened, not lessened my belief in God, have deepened, not lessened, my admiration for the teachings of Jesus.

 I believe in a creator, interventionalist God. I believe Jesus was divinely inspired, a representation of God on Earth. I believe in what is commonly called the Holy Spirit, a hypostasis or emanation of God (I’m not sure which). I just don’t believe Jesus was ‘begotten before all worlds’ and born of a virgin. That makes me a perfectly mainstream Christian between 40 and 250 AD, but apparently apostate now.

 If a man such as myself cannot be accepted within a Christian community I fear for the future of the Church. If it cannot accept me, it certainly cannot accept or attract anyone or anything except the very narrowest of beliefs.

That is not in the interests of the Church. More importantly, it is a terrible representation of the preached and received values of the man the Church purports to revere and worship.
 
For years I have disguised the depth of my spiritual feelings by calling myself an apostate monster. It has been a way of deflecting the hurt and anger I feel at those who are exclusionary and absolutely certain they are right. Now I wear the title proudly. Trust me. I won't make the mistake of talking about my beliefs again. Be proud of your ignorance and prejudice. I'm sure you can find plenty of other 'teachers' to simply tell you what you already 'know'. I do hope you will let me into your church....
 
A proud and unrepentant Apostate Monster

 

 

Comments

  1. Kelly TsaltasNovember 16, 2013 at 12:08 AM

    Did not know the background of this...if the whole class was founded on the questioning of Jesus' divinity, then why on earth would they have an issue with it now?? One of the biggest parts of christianity is being able to question and doubt your faith, and doing that it a discussion setting can be very productive.
    Screw them and their claims to be tolerant and open and show everyone love. You're lifestyle lines up more with Jesus' teachings than theirs ever will, because you are someone who doesn't judge or put others down for their own beliefs.
    Hypocrites. I can't stand it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. kmdNovember 16, 2013 at 11:07 AM

    There's a great book entitled 'Stages of Faith'. Most of the people who dictate what a church should do or who is accepted are at stage 1 or 2. This is 'Santa Claus' level mostly. I wish these lesser theologians could advance, but, alas I doubt they ever will. Their faith is weak and it would mean that everything they have invested in was a lie. I'm more angered by the fact that the ministers go to school and study this, but it never gets passed on...the deception is perpetuated. By the reaction that you have experienced, I have come to understand that ministers would have no congregation. They too would be hung out to dry. So what then do we do? I'm a social person so for me it's no different than sitting next to a Buddhist, a Mormon, or someone with a Koran in their lap. We all believe in something different, but it doesn't mean we can't be friends. For you I think your spiritual experience is so meaningful that you want to share it so others might feel the same...They will never feel or see as you do. That is their loss. You will never feel or see as they do and they think that is your loss. The interesting by product? God loves us all and we are all acceptable to him.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 17, 2013 at 12:05 AM

    If the classes were well received and stimulated discussion, then obviously there is a difference of opinion within this church, as some object to your teaching and others like it. Jesus had the same thing happen to him. It's actually a compliment.

    If I might give a recommendation for future classes, while the names listed as scholars consulted - Schweitzer, Bultmann, Crossan, Pagels, Breugemann, Borg, and Armstrong - do represent scholars and theologians, their views all lean hard towards what will be called "liberal" by many in the church. Consulting only folks like them is like consulting only one political party when talking about politics. There are other scholars who are just as learned yet who hold opposing views, people like Carson, Tenney, Harrison, Archer, Bock, Keener, Bruce, Guthrie, etc. whose works should also be consulted in order to give balance to the class.

    The issue of church admittance is a tricky one, for apostles Paul and John made no bones about not associating with people who didn't toe the theological party line. On the other hand, Jesus seemed to have nothing but harsh words for theologically conservative folks like the Pharisees & Sadducees. Thus it appears that each modern congregation has to work out what their own policy will be. Hopefully the one you are attending will continue to allow "a proud and unrepentant Apostate Monster" to continue to call this church his home.

    -D-

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  4. AnonymousNovember 17, 2013 at 5:42 AM

    It simply makes no sense that anyone of faith should be offended by someone else's personal beliefs. They are simply that. Personal! I love the quote about someones faith being shaken by another's different beliefs. Their disdain and fear is just a projection of their own insecurities. Their faith a sheer cloth they pull over their heads to protect them from the monsters under the bed. Their faith is not a boat that I would take into a swimming pool, much less a raging sea.

    Faith, for many, is a stagnant belief system that prohibits questioning or discussion, and when new evidence or perspective presents a challenge, the believer becomes uneasy and unwilling to change. Changing your mind when the evidence presents itself is called learning! A congregation that denies the benefits of intellectual growth and inquiry is a toxic one indeed; victims of groupthink and confirmation bias, unwilling to indulge the 'blasphemous' musings of one of its own.

    I am truly sorry for any feelings of exclusion or grief this incident may have caused you and I greatly respect your boldness to offer dissenting views in such a set, organized institution such has a place of worship. I could go on and on.

    From an athiest to a Christian, thank you for being a reasonable, decent human being.

    ReplyDelete

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