by Adam Linton » April 9th, 2006, 9:22 pm
I am so very sorry to hear of your sad situation, Robin. In my view, the unfortunate approaches you describe on the part of your relatives almost certainly come from a fear-based willful ignorance deliberately fostered by their own religious leadership.
I'm not saying that theological differences among Christians are either unimportant or shouldn't be discussed. But, indeed, the fact that some groups have to paint manifestly false pictures of other christian traditions as part of their own "program" is a sign of profound institutional spiritual weakness, I believe.
It seems to me that both honesty and charity require that we allow other Christian fellowships to speak, first of all, on their own behalf. Investment in falsehood is unworthy of anyone who would call Jesus "Lord." It should be a serious warning sign when polemicists can't (or won't) hear, "Your description of our belief/experience we simply don't recognize." There's really no conversation (or possibility of conversation) in such a dynamic.
Blessings on you, you wife, and your children (and the rest of your family, too.)
Adam
P.S. A good Holy Week and joyous Easter to you.
we have not loosely through silence permitted things to pass away as in a dream