To march or not to march or why PROTESTants like to protest...

People against fundamentalism are still planning their march against Seattle church leader Mark Driscoll, following what they consider his outspoken views on the role of women.  Whether you agree with Mark's complementarian theology, or like me you don't and hold an egalitarian postition, I think is a moot point at this moment.

I think there is a need for critique both from within and without and a vital need for the church to provide an outward critique of culture - something I'll post on tomorrrow (I'll use Mark as a good recent example and cover his response and a spectrum of his critics).

A hope for grace...

What I think is more important is the lack of grace that gets stirred up in me and the blog world, where critique is no longer constructive conversation but destructive criticism - of each other as much as Mark... I think it's a shame that whilst we focus on his flaws we ignore some of the profound grace that he demonstrates himself to women, for instance this post on a female porn star Jenna Jameson.  Here is one comment I posted on the people against fundamentalism site:

"Can someone please show me in this whole converation/protest the love, forgiveness, generousity and mercy that seem to be hallmarks of Christ (and of which I wished I had more of as a follower of him)…?

All I feel here is a hardening of my heart rather than a softening, a destructive solution, rather than a constructive one. We seem to be taking ourselves too seriously and God far less so.

We can shout complimentarian or equalitarian theology at each other, posture, claim we are right, that the other side is wrong, so may I make a practical solution in helping us respond?

May I suggest those of us who feel we are right, go and reflect on whether we need to lay down that right to be right, in this instant?

That those of us who still feel we are right, go and wonder whether we have ever been wrong and whether we are still wrong about anything, afterall if St Paul who we like to quote in these matters only saw it in a dark cloudy mirror do we feel that we now have the full clear right HD handle on the subject…

Those of us still left I suggest we consider Jesus words about judging others and decided whether we would like the same measure of judgement applied to our life? And when we’ve done reflecting on that consider whether we have ever said anything dumb or held a belief we look back now and shake our heads over? Ever flame anyone for that belief? Ever not do something you should have done because of that belief? Ever not apologised in either case? Anyone left with no sin can feel free to hurl the first stone, or lift the first placard or take the first step on the march…

What would happen if we as christians could learn to talk to each other I wonder? What would happen if we found a way past our pride and our hurt and our anger and to something more humble, more mutually submissive, more honest about what we don’t know rather than being so clear and vocal about the little we do?

There is a thing called karma which basically means for everything we do we get paid back, every action has a reaction - this protest is like a karma for Mark, he’s said things that have hurt some people, offended others, boy has he got this coming to him… funnily enough I think Jesus hits us with something new, something called grace, something called forgiveness, something he modelled as he was being executed in excruciating pain on the cross, with the words ‘Father forgive them, they know not what they do.’ Something that he taught us all who follow him to pray using these words (not as individuals but as a believing community who doesn’t always agree), maybe you if you are the praying kind you might want to join me…

“Our Father who is in heaven
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread
and forgive us our sin
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the Kingdom
the power
and the glory
For ever and ever.
Amen..."

Lol, ok see I can not stop protesting either ;).  What about you?

Comments

[dh]

I think people who are against foundationalism are people who reject outright and don'tdesire to learn from them the foundations that are clearly from God's Word. I appreciate this response but one still needs to learn from the foundations rather than reject outright which is even before people begin to protest which is even worse. I totally agree with the post here that protest makes this worse when the protest is actually an overgenerlaization and is rejection of truth. The apparent hurt by Mars Hill, which I disagree that it shoulkd hurt people, I believeis a misunderstand of Mark. It is easy to take one sentence rather than look at the entire message stated and learn from it. Maybe women should be in every single aspect of leadership in church? Maybe there are standards for women in leadership that allow them to lead under certain structures? Paul, you know I have stated that there actually is a middle ground view that allows for the Joyce Meyers, Anne Graham-Lotz, Ruth Graham, Beth Moore, Joni Erickson-Tada, etc. Just some thoughts.

[Paul]

Thanks DH for your views, much appreciated