When it comes to discussing the church, let's be sure that we hold ourselves to the same standards as everyone else.
I write this brief post because a few of the bloggers I follow have shown an increasingly inconsistent pattern of discussing the church. Their tendency is to poke fun at silly institutional church practices, while at the same time scolding others for doing the same. This is not fair.
If you've spent any time on this blog you know that I have no problem with pointing out church practices that have no biblical basis. In doing this I strive for consistency. Most of the bloggers I read also write in a consistent manner. The troublesome part is the minority of bloggers who discuss church issues while holding others to a different standard than themselves.
If you're going to dare to point out institutional absurdities (and face the consequences for doing so), then don't turn around and slap others on the hand for doing the same thing. It smacks of hypocrisy.
Thanks.
4 comments:
Indeed, it would be a hypocritical smack! :-)
Chris,
Indeed it is!
Eric,
I'm less concerned about the subject of your article than those writers who fit the scene revealed in the words quoted by another brother in his comment regarding an article,"If you don't see yourself as possibly being wrong in your interpretations, you are precisely the kind of Southern Baptist that would have kept slaves and justified it by claiming God's "infallible, inerrant" Word condones it - without ever questioning that your interpretation could be wrong. A little humility and a great deal of love should characterize all of us as Christians when it comes to our interpreting the infallible Word of God."
John,
That's certainly true, albeit not what I'm really getting at here. I'm specifically addressing bloggers who point out church problems on the one hand but who also scold others for doing the same.
As for interpretation of scripture, there is reason for disagreement. However, many institutional practices are not based in scriptural interpretation because there's no scripture to support them whatsoever.
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