Atheists rejoice!
Ali will no doubt come and remonstrate with me about this soon for numerous doctrinal errors. But - say goodbye to half of the Anglican Church, comrades. Observe:
The Anglican Church faces what is in effect a schism this weekend after the declaration last night of conservative evangelicals to create a “church within a church”. The new body, called the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, will have its own bishops, clergy and theological colleges.
The conservatives enjoy irrelevance, it seems. They don’t understand that erecting a wall around themselves will simply further cut them off from reality. Their ideas are rooted in a dogmatic, hardline interpretation of an ancient socio-cultural text not known for its consistent practical relevance. That ancient culture no longer exists; and so its stranger emanations simply don’t wash anymore.
“Modernising” Christians (hah…) get this. They realise that the bigoted fury of a vicious desert-society rests at odds with modern civilisations (such as they are) - but argue a relevant message rests beneath. Very debatable; but a more pragmatic approach to doctrine does allow them slightly more leeway in fighting the losing battle that is attempting to convince the public of a scientific age to believe in the sky-god. They can drop they hair-shirted adulterer-stoning no-wearing-clothes-of-two-materials bit and try and address the issues relevant to modern life.
So - part of the Anglican church drops away and seals itself off to new converts. The rest, meanwhile, goes on as usual - but looks weaker. Humanity looks on puzzled at a sectarian squabbling which for many outside the church equates to a dispute over whether God is a sky-fairy or a cosmic-pixie. And then decides religion is clearly barmy. Just so long as nobody dies for it…
I shall tiptoe around this issue - it is very close to home.
The first issue of not is that those churches holding to “traditional” or “conservative” theology are actually those with higher turnout each Sunday, certainly in the UK. It is little wonder: their message is more than just an airy-fairy “be nice and happy”. In terms of basic theology, of course, they are right, because Christianity is not some new-age religion indistinguishable from Stonehenge on the solstice.
The schism (and that is too weak a term, if anything) is hugely important. It is a split in all but name and legality, because a formal divergence would have implications for property. The new Fellowship is designed to act just like a separate church, with its own theological training etc., while the rest of the Anglican Communion effectively becomes the body of people not in this new Fellowship.
I think, given the deep divisions between members of the huge Anglican Communion, a split was inevitable. This appears to be the most practicable solution to the crisis possible, and must be commended as such. The desire to split, however, cannot be good. The Church is at its strongest when it is moving in the same direction, and today it seems as if it has created two camps that will naturally want to pull in opposite directions for the sake of conflict. That’s never good.
Theologically, the “conservatives” are far closer to the fundamentals of the Reformation, but in the way they conduct themselves and treat others, the “liberals” are marginally closer to Christlikeness. Where do I sit? A little from column A, and a little from column B.