"I'm not knocking relevant and engaged - we need to be both of those things. BUT "This does not relegate the 'Christian concern' issues but it does perhaps put them into perspective." Whose perspective?"
From where I recline my answer would have to be, "From a wider perspective than that which the world sees as being 'Christian'." My defence is based on the fact that at this moment we:
Are engaged in conflict in Afghanistan
Are living within the reality that we live with a real threat from terrorism
We have a large percentage of our nation threatened by debt and living in, or on the edge, of poverty
Have massive problems relating to employment and industry within our nation
Have people dying because adequate care or the right treatment is denied on fiscal grounds
And loads more issues besides
The writer of the Tamworth Alternative Blog, in saying: "Sadly, however, crucial key issues: education, health, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even climate change, went un-aired and at least two of the questions were essentially the same one- about the role of religion in society." highlights what I am speaking of.
We need to be concerned with injustice, breaches of what is right in terms of moral, social and medical and to see wider than the 'Christian issues', which we seem to limit to:
- Place of religion in politics, society, whatever - I don't want religion I want relationship!
- Pro-life issues - I do not support abortion, euthanasia or stuff the denies life but I need to be engaged and to be relevant, not stuck up my tower!
- Sex and relationships - This is not the defining issue, it's a biggie but we can't make it the be all and end all, That said, I don't see a place for an actively homosexual lifestyle in a Christian setting, but I can communicate it such that it doesn't consume my whole being (or relationship with God)
Hopefully Simon and I will find we agree. If not I'm open to correction or dialogue to widen my perspectives too!
Pax
2 comments:
Vic, I don't think we really do disagree. The only point I was trying to make is to beware of always allowing others to drive the agenda and set the perspective. There are some secularists who would like us to believe that the place of religious faith in society is a trivial thing, whereas I don't believe it is. That said, these other issues are obviously biggies and we really do need to be fully engaged.
I totally agree about those who would seek to drive the agenda. Problem is, whillst some secularists would exclude much that I consider important, some Christians would exclude what the world sees as important.
As ever is a question of balance and perspective, especially as whilt there are many issues secular thinking cannot deal with, there are none that I have found where God's thinking is unable to make a difference.
Thanks for stretching my thinking - a valuable exercise (always)
V
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