Not the slavery argument AGAIN
Submitted by Forgiven on November 30 2000 18:58:01
In reply to The faith of the questioning saints submitted by Heather on November 30 2000 14:31:41
|
The marked tendency of every liberal protestant theologian to appeal to the model of the anti slavery movement to justify whichever is the latest fashion in campaigning or protesting never ceases to amaze me. It is trotted out with sad regularity; for some reason they are not so quick to own their spiritual forebears' responsibility for the pre War appeasement movement that let Hitler believe that he could defeat the free world, or the pro Soviet comments over so many years - so let's try and put it to bed once and for all: One of the main initiators of the anti slavery movement was John Wesley, although he resisted the temptation to focus on it to a major extent. There are few who will dispute that he was powerfully used by God to bring many thousands to repentance before God. I see no sign of a similar pattern of God's blessing in our disappearing mainstream denominations. The biblical issue over slavery is that there are some passage that tell slaves to work well for their masters. This is by no means an endorsement of the institution, rather it is part of the same pattern of teaching that encourages Christians not to rock the boat over the things of the world in order that their witness to the possibility of forgiveness and eternal life is not lost in peripheral temporal concerns. By contrast the teaching of the New Testament in condemning 'fornication' is remarkably persistent - the passage in I Cor 6 13f singles it out as an especially bad sin. Unfashionable but really not avoidable if you wish to continue as part of the 'apostolic' church which is faithful to that which was delivered once and for all to the saints'. Jude 4 On the whole it sounds more like those who 'in the last days.... people will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying its power.' I Tim 3 Oh well - let's hope its a sign of that the last times are upon us :-) PS - thanks for the OCA link - very interesting. |
Follow ups: