Saturday, July 21, 2007

Email: Full vs. simplified faith [EH]

I DIDN’T SAY YOUR FAITH WAS SIMPLISTIC. This is what I was talking about though: The challenge of having a philosophical or theoretical discussion with someone who takes things personally not rhetorically. I was only saying: There is A and there is B -- and don’t forget there is C and D, and they’re all different -- though personally I prefer A. I wasn’t saying you were in any one of those camps -- I wouldn’t presume and I certainly wouldn’t have initiated the discussion to place you in the lowest category.

You’ve explained the tapestry of your faith quite well and I appreciate that. I enjoy discussing theology and ecclesiology and learning about about the faith of others. The Catholic Church does tend to be the elephant in the living room, though, because it does go back to Peter and it does include all the history and tradition and theology since Christ. It’s a human institution, though, and I think the Church’s focus should be on the loving and teaching action of God rather than the dizzying array of human activity in his wake. Let’s focus on the prow of the ship, not the leavings of the chumbucket (sorry for the bad metaphor — it’s been another Spongebob day).

I am saying there is a kernel of belief common to nearly all believers, and that is probably “Jesus is Lord.” The rest is just finessing -- and fenestration (window dressing).

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